Minister Nash launches BeSMART.ie online tool for construction aimed at reducing accidents and achieving cost savings of up to €18m
The Minister for Business and Employment Ged Nash TD has today (Tuesday 26 May) launched an online tool ‘BeSMART.ie for the construction sector’.
BeSMART.ie is a free safety tool designed by the Health and Safety Authority that allows small businesses carry out risk assessments and create their own safety statements.
This resource is now available to those working in construction, giving them access to the benefits already enjoyed by over 25,000 small businesses in the retail, hospitality, service and manufacturing sectors.
It is estimated that the cost of a safety statement for construction contractors can be up to €1,500 leading to a potential administrative saving of up to €18m alone for those 12,000 contractors with 1 – 5 employees.
Speaking about the new construction online tool Minister Nash said: “This is a welcome development particularly as there were eight fatal accidents in construction last year and tragically two deaths so far this year. Previously this tool only covered the so called ‘lower-risk sectors’. Now it is available for the construction sector where high levels of safety are a necessity, especially in relation to work at height and the operation of machinery. This tool is also very timely, as the number of people working in construction has increased dramatically, with more than 19,000 more people working than this time last year. But, we must ensure these workers return to their families safe and sound at the end of the day.
“Through the BeSMART.ie tool we are providing ways for new and existing businesses to reduce costs while encouraging them to take ownership of safety and health so that it becomes part of their culture and the way they do business.”
Of the eight construction fatalities that occurred in 2014, two were self-employed and two involved employees of small businesses.
Sharon McGuinness Assistant Chief Executive of the Health and Safety Authority said: “Through our inspections we have found that compliance with safety regulations is significantly lower amongst smaller employers compared to their larger counterparts. There may be a concern in the sector at the cost or the time it takes to carry out risk assessments and prepare a safety statement properly. The Health and Safety Authority has developed BeSMART.ie to assist businesses; it is free and easy to use, so those concerns should no longer exist.”
Contractors are required to carry out a risk assessment for each different work activity. The nature of the construction industry means that a contractor will regularly move from site to site and consequently have to update their existing safety statement. Users can do this online and at no cost, as often as they want. Also by ensuring that appropriate safety and health measures are in place contractors can protect their employees and their business.
Speaking about future developments for the online tool, Sharon McGuinness said: “We will continue to develop and grow BeSMART.ie across the full range of mobile and hand held devices, making it even easier for users to access and use the application in any environment. We are also planning to extend BeSMART.ie to cover the Agri-business sector later this year.”