Campaign warns children of construction site dangers
The Construction Industry Federation and the Irish Home Builders’ Association came together yesterday to launch the campaign to highlight the health risks posed to students who mistakenly viewed building sites as playgrounds.
According to the latest figures, 7.6% of all accidents on building sites last year occurred to people aged 19 or under.
Since 2000, five children have been killed on construction sites including a 13-year-old boy who died last year when a concrete pipe collapsed on him while playing on a building site in Co Westmeath.
CIF director general, Liam Kelleher said it was very satisfying for representatives of the construction industry to be involved in a project that had such obvious social benefits.
“Many children see construction sites as adventure playgrounds and are not aware that the site that they enter is extremely dangerous,” said Mr Kelleher.
“The industry recognises that it has a role to play in preventing these accidents and has encouraged better fencing and security on sites. But we also recognise that in order to reduce the likelihood of children entering sites, we must try and inform them of the dangers.”
Mr Kelleher said it was understandable that children would have a natural curiosity about building sites but safety had to remain a priority.
Safety in the construction industry will also be the main theme of EU-sponsored European Safety Week, which runs later this month.
As part of the CIF/INTO nationwide campaign, contractors will arrange talks about safety issues on construction sites with local primary schools in their area.
Specially-designed packs, which contain safety guidelines, stickers and posters, will also be distributed among schools.
Welcoming the initiative, the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation president Austin Corcoran said nobody knew the anguish of parents when a child suffered an injury than teachers.
“Unfortunately in the last four years this sense of loss and anguish has been experienced on five occasions, when a child has tragically died on a construction site,” said Mr Corcoran
He said the safety warning about the danger of building sites was particularly timely as many children used them in the run-up to Halloween to look for bonfire material.
