Safety course review finds revenue at Fás too high

A review of a mandatory safety scheme for building workers has found that Fás earned an estimated €9 million from registration fees alone during the five years of its operation.

The review has recommended that the revenue generated from the scheme should be limited to what is needed for its operation and development.

Construction workers must take part in a one-day safety course run through Fás and must carry a Fás Safe Pass card.

The course teaches basic on-site safety procedures and is given by over 300 mainly independent trainers countrywide who are registered with Fás. Over 450,000 people have taken the course since it began.

The Review of the Safe Pass & Construction Skills Certification Scheme Programmes, by Claritas Consulting, was commissioned by Fás and the Health and Safety Authority.

It said that "the generation of revenue above that required to support the costs of delivering the Safe Pass programme is inconsistent with the non-commercial mandate of Fás".

It recommended that revenue targets should be set in line with funding requirements for its future development and delivery.

It also said that a cost analysis should be carried out to justify the cost to tutors of being involved in the programme "in the absence of a competitive market".

The review stated that the requirement to complete the Safe Pass course in cases where an individual has a comparable qualification gained in another EU country is "incompatible with EU treaties and directives".

And the process of applying for accreditation should be made more efficient, the review added. It can take up to six weeks following the completion of the course to be issued with a Safe Pass card and a black market in accreditation letters and passes had developed.

Other recommendations included the establishment of a monitoring system to combat what is perceived by some tutors as a "negative culture of monitoring", and the translation of course material into a number of key languages, including Polish and Lithuanian.

A spokesman for Fás said that it welcomed the report but would be unable to comment on specific issues until it was discussed by the construction industry group at the end of May.

Siptu construction branch secretary Eric Fleming said that the Safe Pass course was vital to safety in the construction industry but did need to be reviewed. He also said that it was a "one size fits all" course and needed to be tailored for different sectors of the industry.