Many employers are continuing to ignore health and safety legislation because of inadequate legal penalties and a shortage of inspectors, the safety and health adviser to Ireland's largest trade union warned yesterday.
A survey of SIPTU's 500 safety representatives found that just one in five had met an inspector from the Health and Safety Authority in the workplace, while seven out of 10 had not been consulted by their employer when the firm's risk assessments were being compiled.
SIPTU safety and health adviser Mr Sylvester Cronin said the findings were a matter for concern, as they highlighted the shortage of resources at the Health and Safety Authority and the level of non-compliance by employers.
Health and Safety Authority spokesman Mr David Denny said it had more than 50 inspectors around Ireland. "Like all organisations, the authority would like more resources, but we are getting on with our job and making sure we are as efficient as possible," he said.
Employers are required by law to consult their employees when drawing up risk assessments.
The fact that so many safety representatives had not been consulted meant reports were not compiled, or they could not have been compiled accurately, Mr Cronin said.
Some 583 people were killed in the workplace here during the last 10 years. In 1997, 16,600 people were injured at work.