November 4th, 2009
A leading judge has called for changes to be made in the way Fatal Accident Inquiries (FAIs) are conducted.
FAIs are public inquiries into fatal accidents, which are carried out in cases of suspicious or unexplained death.
Lord Cullen suggested that such inquiries should be made less formal and lawyers involved in the cases should no longer wear wigs and gowns.
The former lord president also said that FAIs should not be held in court anymore.
In his report related to Scotland, he stated: "My aim has been to set out practical measures for a system for inquiry into fatalities that is effective, efficient and fair."
His review into FAIs began in June 2008 and his findings also included the suggestion that a dedicated FAI team is set up.
Earlier this week, an inquiry in Scotland found that Paul Campbell, 25, of Eastriggs, had died in a quad bike accident due to the failure of a suspension unit on his vehicle, reports BBC News.
Tags: Aim, Bbc, Bike Accident, Failure, Fatal Accident Inquiries, Fatal Accidents, Gowns, Lawyers, Lord President, Measures, Paul Campbell, Public Inquiries, Quad Bike, Scotland, Suggestion, Suspension Unit, Unexplained Death, Wigs
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January 27th, 2009
Company owners have been warned that they must carry out risk assessments and give their employees appropriate training after an incident in which a man was killed.
Darren Hoofe, 20, was carrying out work for IC Roofing on the roof of a factory when he fell through a skylight.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that he had not been wearing a safety harness and that he had not had safety training.
Amanda Duff, HSE inspector, said Mr Hoofe’s death should have been preventable.
"If fatal accidents are to be prevented then work must be adequately planned and appropriate measures taken before work starts," she added.
Under the Work at Height Regulations 2005, where work at height is carried out, employers are legally obliged to take adequate steps to prevent falls.
Anyone who is hurt in such an incident may be eligible to make a compensation claim and should seek legal advice.
Tags: Adequate Steps, Compensation Claim, Fatal Accidents, Health And Safety, Health And Safety Executive, Legal Advice, Measures, Quot, Risk Assessments, Roofing, Safety Harness, Safety Training, Skylight, Worker Injuries
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August 5th, 2008
The construction industry in Ireland has a higher rate of fatal accidents than many other countries, it has been found.
According to a study conducted by academics in Tokyo’s Teikyo University, of 25 countries studied, Ireland was exceeded only by Turkey in terms of its construction fatality rate.
Indeed, its rate was six times that of the UK, with 333 deaths per 10,000, compared to 49 for the UK, the Times reports.
"It’s very disappointing that Ireland is so far down the international comparison, but it’s not too surprising in light of the experiences of some of our members on construction sites," stated Sylvester Cronin, health and safety officer at the Services, Industrial, Professional and Technical Union.
He added that there is almost a "cowboy attitude" to health and safety in the Irish construction sector.
Figures produced by the Health and Safety Executive revealed that 228 workers were fatally injured in the UK in 2007-08.
Tags: Academics, Construction Industry, Construction Sector, Construction Sites, Cowboy Attitude, Cronin, Deaths, Experiences, Fatal Accidents, Fatality Rate, Health And Safety, Health And Safety Executive, International Comparison, Ireland, Irish Construction, Safety Officer, Six Times, Sylvester, Teikyo University, Tokyo
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