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By Dermot Carey, Head of Safety Services Construction
We often concentrate on the tragic fatalities when we imagine workplace accidents. However, there are about 600 serious workplace accidents reported to the HSA every year. What’s often overlooked is the impact of these accidents on the lives of those who experience them.
With advances in modern medicine, the ability to save lives has increased but with that comes rehabilitation. The National Rehabilitation Hospital works with people that have suffered such accidents. They do amazing work helping people to rebuild and live their lives combining multiple therapies under four programmes, spinal cord injury, brain injury, POLAR (prosthetics) and paediatrics.
The Construction Industry Federation is now joining forces with the National Rehabilitation Hospital and the Health and Safety Authority to promote Construction Safety Week. Construction Safety Week will run from September 12th to 17th and it aims to promote safety to all in the industry in order to prevent workplace accidents. Throughout safety week the CIF are asking its members to get involved, sign up to become a partner and promote safety on site and in their companies.
As part of the week’s activities, three patients of the NRH have told us their story. These patients have talked openly and frankly about their struggle to cope with the aftermath of workplace accidents. They are powerful stories that we hope will make everyone working in construction to stop, and think safety. The NRH also talk about the types of injuries and the body of work they do to assist.
The Health and Safety Authority and CIF are consistently working together to deliver initiatives that reduce workplace accidents. These stories will be released online during Construction Safety Week. All information can be found at www.cif.ie/safety-week.
Visit www.nrh.ie and www.hsa.ie for further information