A crackdown on workplace safety in Cork found one in 10 companies in breach of regulations, the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) said today.
The HSA inspected 433 workplaces following the tragic deaths of four workers in January of this year; that was more workplace deaths in Co Cork than in the whole of 2004.
Twenty prohibition notices were served on employers, 19 of which applied to the construction industry, in addition to 12 improvement notices and seven fines.
Speaking at a special safety training day organised by the Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, HSA Inspector Mark Rowlands said: "It is not acceptable that people lose their lives or are injured due to poor safety standards in work and we are determined to take appropriate enforcement action where we find breaches of health and safety legislation.
"But ultimately, compliance is a matter for each employer and, where there are breaches of the legislation, we will use the statutory powers available to us to ensure the highest possible standards of safety in each workplace," he added