Susan Kelly

Employment growth in construction

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CIF welcomes employment growth in construction but warns of looming skills shortage in the sector

CIF Director General, Tom Parlon, today welcomed strong employment growth in the construction industry but warned that certain construction sectors faced a looming skills shortage.
“Employment in the construction sector rebounded strongly in the first quarter of this year, showing an increase of 9,500 new jobs, a rise of 7.8 percent.  This is an increase of 28,000 jobs since the first quarter of 2012.  The industry has been adding jobs at a rate of about 1000 per month since the end of 2014.  There is a huge potential regional and national jobs dividend from the construction industry.
The employment growth is occurring in civil engineering, contracting and in trades as the industry ramps up to meet the demand of Ireland’s rapidly growing economy and population.  We’re seeing more cranes and data centres, rather than housing at this stage of the economic cycle.  As industry is looked to ramp up to an annual housing output of 25000 by 2021 and the equally challenging objective of delivering €27 billion in infrastructure projects, we are predicting a significant skills shortage in the sector within five years.  This has the potential to delay critical projects such as the Government’s ambitious social housing programme and infrastructure projects acround the country.
Without an estimated 60,000 on the live register with construction experience, the CIF is engaging with Solas on a number of innovative approaches to upskill people and get them on sites as quickly and safely as possible.  Our Shared Apprenticeship Scheme rolled out in Wexford allows apprentices experience working with a number of companies whilst developing essential skills in  We have also launched a website www.apprentices.ie that aims to match employers and job seekers to suitable apprenticeships across the country.”
Courtesy of The Construction Industry Federation.
If you would like to book Health & Safety training or your Solas Safe Pass training, please contact our office on 041-9822933.

CIF urges students to consider a career in construction

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CAO change of mind application: CIF urges students to consider a career in construction

“With the deadline for the CAO Change of Mind application closing on 1st July, the Construction Industry Federation (CIF) advises school leavers to consider a career in construction.
“The construction industry is recovering strongly and is worth more than €14 billion to the Irish economy. So there are plenty of high quality careers in the sector, stated Tom Parlon, Director General of the CIF.  In fact, applications for construction related courses have been on the rise for the past number of years, reflecting that the industry is once again open for business.
“Currently, construction is the highest provider of jobs in Ireland.  We’re hiring at a rate of about 1,000 jobs a month.   There has been a 50% increase in the number of architectural roles available this year for example. Salaries are on the increase too.  A graduate civil engineer can expect a salary of around €28,000. This will rise to up to €50,000 with 6-9 years’ experience. A junior quantity surveyor is looking at a salary in the region of €35,000 and that will rise to €50,000 with 10 years’ experience.
“A young person can start in a construction course or an apprenticeship, and within a couple of years be on course to managing highly complex projects in Ireland, Dubai, and across Africa in Irish construction companies competing globally. Irish companies are building specialist buildings, infrastructure and homes across the globe.   The skills gained while working in a trade in Ireland are globally transferable.  A huge amount our members have the expertise and are building fantastic buildings and infrastructure in the UK, across the EU, Africa and the Far East.
“Here at home, the Irish economic recovery goes hand in hand with a high demand for new construction projects. High-end residential units, commercial offices, and healthcare labs are the most dynamic areas we’re seeing a rise in at the moment. These companies are increasingly seeking people in managerial, communications, finance and operations.  We’re building the future economy of Ireland and our world-class construction skills are a major draw for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) companies looking for new locations. For example, a new data centre for facebook is being built by Irish construction companies in Meath, and Bristol- Myers Squibb are constructing a new state-of-the-art, large-scale biologics manufacturing facility in Dublin. Thanks to this top-class construction, the new plant will produce multiple life-saving therapies for the company’s global market.
For students who are looking for alternative options to the traditional CAO route, the CIF offers another solution. We have recently launched a new website apprentices.ie for apprentices looking for construction opportunities.  Simply upload your CV to the site and you will be matched with potential employers who are looking to hire.  You can also search through the opportunities that are currently available to suit your needs. The CIF are currently engaging with Solas to upskill trainees and get them out on sites as quickly as possible.”
For more information, visit apprentices.ie or find information about construction related courses on ”

Courtesy of Construction Industry Federation.

Safety Alert for Scaffolding Components

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“The Health and Safety Authority is issuing this alert to highlight the importance of ensuring that any scaffolding component used is in safe working order and in an appropriate condition for the task being undertaken. Corroded and rusting scaffolding components can lead to serious issues with the scaffolding’s structural integrity and can lead to catastrophic failures and scaffolding collapses.
Rusting is most prone on non-galvanised scaffolding systems and in particular on the wedge type painted steel scaffolding systems common in Ireland.
A thorough inspection routine must be in place for inspection of scaffolding components to ensure that any components with corrosion or defects that would impact their safe use are removed and not used.
This is particularly important if scaffold elements are coming out of storage having not been in use for some time.
A thorough visual inspection will identify most corrosion, rust and pitting. Other signs of corrosion include loss of weight of the component, reduction in the tube wall thickness, corrosion around welds and on the inner tubes.
Surface rust should be cleared in order to inspect a component correctly. If the component is damaged it needs to be put out of use or repaired by a competent person and repainted.
Note: Sand blasting and painting only of scaffolding components, while reducing further deterioration, does not repair damaged components and may actually hide damage.
Rusted scaffolding components can also cause tetanus which is a serious disease caused by bacteria entering the body through open wounds or cuts.
Key Steps:

  • Inspection of scaffolding components must be carried out by a competent person and the condition of components should be continually inspected as part of the scaffolding inspection routine.
  • Excessively rusted or corroded scaffold should never be used in a scaffold assembly.
  • Any defective components should be put out of use or repaired by a competent person.
  • The manufacturers manual for all system scaffolds must be available when erecting, modifying and dismantling scaffolds. This should also inform the user in relation to maintaining the scaffold in good order.”

Courtesy Of The Health & Safety Authority.

NEW LEGISLATION

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Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) (Amendment) Regulations 2016 (S.I. No. 36 of 2016)

“These Regulations amend the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations 2007 (S.I. No. 299 of 2007) as previously amended by the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) (Amendment) Regulations 2007 (S.I. No. 732 of 2007), the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application)(Amendment) Regulations 2010 (S.I. No. 176 of 2010) and the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application)(Amendment) Regulations 2012 (S.I. No. 445 of 2012) by inserting Part 11 (Woodworking Machines), Part 12 (Abrasive Wheels) and Part 13 (Abrasive Blasting of Surfaces) as well as adding Schedule 13 (Woodworking Machines) and Schedule 14 (Training and Instruction) to the Regulations. The collective Regulations shall be cited together as the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations 2007 to 2016.
The purpose of the Regulations is to bring specific workplace safety matters relating to Woodworking Machines, Abrasive Wheels and Abrasive Blasting of Surfaces within the scope of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 following the repeal of corresponding Regulations made under the Factories Act 1955, as amended by the Safety in Industry Act 1980.
The Regulations are designed to retain, by means of amendments to the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations 2007, the aspects of the provisions of Regulations under the Factories Act that remain relevant and are therefore reproduced in line with the new legislative format.
These Regulations revoke and replace 3 individual sets of Regulations—
(a)   Factories (Woodworking Machinery) Regulations, 1972. (S.I. No. 203 of 1972),
(b)   Factories (Abrasive Blasting Of Surfaces) Regulations, 1974. (S.I. No. 357 of 1974), and
(c) Safety in Industry (Abrasive Wheels) Regulations, 1982. (S.I. No. 30 of 1982).
These Regulations shall come into operation from 1 July, 2016

Regulations to transpose European Directive 2013/35/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 June 2013 on the minimum health and safety requirements regarding the exposure of workers to the risks arising from physical agents (electromagnetic fields)

It is intended to introduce Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Electromagnetic Fields) Regulations 2016 to transpose this Directive on or before the transposition date of 1 July 2016. The European Commission has published guides to good practice for implementing Directive 2013/35/EU Electromagnetic Fields, and the guides and further information are available here.

Chemicals Act (Control of Major Accident Hazards involving Dangerous Substances) Regulations 2015 (S.I. No. 209 of 2015)

The above is a direct link to the Regulations.
The purpose of these Regulations, which have been made under the Chemical Acts 2008 and 2010, is to transpose “Directive 2012/18/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 4 July 2012 on the control of major accident hazards involving dangerous substances, amending and subsequently repealing Council Directive 96/82/EC” (which is known for convenience as the SEVESO III Directive). They also make a number of consequential amendments necessitated by the transposition of Directive 2012/18/EU to the Chemical Acts 2008 and 2010, which are set out in Regulation 6.
The Regulations replace with effect from 1 June 2015-
(i) the European Communities (Control of Major Accident Hazards Involving Dangerous Substances) Regulations 2006 (S.I. No. 74 of 2006), and
(ii) the European Union (Control of Major Accident Hazards Involving Dangerous Substances) (Amendment) Regulations 2013 (S.I. No. 571 of 2013).
The latter Regulations have formally been repealed by a separate statutory instrument made under the European Communities Act 1972, as amended

European Union (Prevention of Sharps Injuries in the Healthcare Sector) Regulations 2014

The above is a direct link to the Regulations.
The purpose of these Regulations is to transpose into Irish law Council Directive 2010/32/EU of 10 May 2010 implementing the Framework Agreement on prevention from sharp injuries in the hospital and healthcare sector concluded by HOSPEEM and EPSU. This Directive represents the first occupational safety and health Directive generated through social partners/dialogue mechanism.
The Regulations relate to the risks posed by sharps to those working in healthcare. They implement specific control measures to protect employees at risk, and require an appropriate response in the event of an incident occurring.
The Regulations build on the more general duties under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act, 2005 and the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Biological Agents) Regulations, 2013 (S.I. No. 572 of 2013) which apply across all industry sectors.
The Regulations define sharps as ‘objects or instruments necessary for the exercise of specific healthcare activities, which are able to cut, prick or cause injury or infection’. This includes equipment such as needles, blades (such as scalpels) and other sharp medical instruments.
The Regulations apply to all employers and employees in the healthcare sector.
This includes nurses, medical practitioners, nursing auxiliaries and assistants, cleaners, dental nurses, paramedics, home carers etc. The Regulations apply to students working in healthcare, self-employed persons in healthcare and any employees employed by organisations contracted to provide services for healthcare organisations such as cleaners and other ancillary staff.
An employer in healthcare is an employer whose main activity is the managing, organising and provision of healthcare (“healthcare employer”). These Regulations also apply to other employers who provide services to a healthcare employer, under the authority of a healthcare employer or in a healthcare employer’s place of work. The duties on this employer only apply insofar as the employer has control over the relevant activities of their relevant employees.
Where an employee of a healthcare employer provides healthcare services in another employer’s workplace or in the home of a patient, the employer will be required to comply with the proposed Regulations. Employers whose main activity is not the provision of healthcare but whose employees may work with sharps will not fall within the scope of the Regulations (unless they are working on the premises of a healthcare employer who is subject to the proposed Regulations). Therefore organisations such as schools and prisons are not subject to the Regulations even though they might employ medical staff. Those employers remain subject to existing health and safety legislation

Safety Health and Welfare at Work (Biological Agents) Regulations 2013

The above is a direct link to the Regulation. Further information on the Regulations can be found here.

Safety Health and Welfare at Work (Construction) Regulations 2013 (SI 291)

The purpose of these Regulations is to prescribe the main requirements for the protection of the safety, health and welfare of persons working on construction sites and to give further effect to Council Directive 92/57/EEC on the minimum safety and health requirements at temporary or mobile construction sites.
These Regulations are designed to clarify and strengthen the general duties of all parties as regards securing occupational safety, health and welfare in construction work, including those of Clients, Project Supervisors, Designers, Contractors and Employees.
These Regulations apply to all construction projects including the alteration, decoration, maintenance and repair of buildings and the installation, maintenance and removal of mechanical and other systems fixed within or to structures. They place obligations on clients and designers to ensure that safety and health is taken into account before any construction work begins.
These Regulations replace and revoke the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Construction) Regulations 2006 ( S.I. No. 504 of 2006 ), the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Construction) (Amendment) Regulations 2008 ( S.I. No. 130 of 2008 ), the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Construction) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2008 ( S.I. No. 423 of 2008 ), the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Construction) (Amendment) Regulations 2010 ( S.I. No. 523 of 2010 ), the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Construction) (Amendment) Regulations 2012 ( S.I. No. 461 of 2012 ), the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Construction) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2012 ( S.I. No. 481 of 2012 ) and Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Construction) (Amendment) Regulations 2013 ( S.I. No. 182 of 2013 ).]
These Regulation came into operation on 1 August 2013.”
Courtesy of the Health & Safety Authority.