Safety, Health and Wellbeing Calendar 2026
Quarter 2 (Apr-Jun) – Health & Wellbeing

April 2026

Excavations & Temporary Works

Trenching and Excavation activities present significant hazards that must be addressed at the planning stage of work. Workers and others may be exposed to risks including falls from height, falling materials, cave-ins, hazardous atmospheres, and interactions with mobile plant and equipment. Before any excavation begins, a thorough assessment must be carried out to identify all potential hazards and to delineate all live services, above and below-ground. A toolbox talk on excavations has been shared by Peter Mulvihill, Clonmel Enterprises Ltd.

Temporary Works (TW) are the elements of a construction project that facilitate construction of the Permanent Works (PW) and are generally removed once their purpose has been fulfilled. Examples include access scaffolding, props, shoring, excavation support, falsework and formwork. It is essential that TW receive the same level of consideration, design rigor, and management control as for PW. Sinead Gaines, P.J. Hegarty & Sons has kindly shared a toolbox talk on temporary works.

Despite often being in place for relatively short durations, treating TW as less important is a serious misconception. Inadequate design, incorrect selection, or poor installation can significantly increase the risk of incidents and injuries. For effective control, it is recommended that responsibility for overseeing TW procedures and checks is assigned to a competent Temporary Works Co‑ordinator (TWC). CIF Guidance on the Management of the Design of Temporary Works is available to CIF members on the CIF Webpage.

April is Bowel Cancer Awareness Month. Bowel cancer occurs when cells in the bowel (intestines) grow in an abnormal way, forming a lump called a tumour. Circa 2,500 people in Ireland are diagnosed with this cancer annually.

65 Roses Day, the national fundraising day for Cystic Fibrosis Ireland takes place on 10^th April.

Workers’ Memorial Day 2026 is observed on 28^th April, a day dedicated to ‘remembering those who have died and supporting the living’. In Ireland, between 2016 and 2025, 554 people lost their lives in work‑related incidents, with many thousands more suffering injuries or work‑related illness. Organisations are encouraged to raise awareness by displaying the official Workers’ Memorial Day Ireland logo across websites, social media channels, presentations, email signatures, office displays, and workplace materials. Activities can be shared on social media using the hashtags #WorkersMemorialDay and #IWMD26. This event coincides with the World Day for Safety and Health at Work.

May 2026

Skin Cancer, Be Sun-Smart

The overriding theme for May is Skin Cancer Prevention. The Health and Safety Authority (HSA) has a planned inspection campaign focussing on Skin Cancer Awareness, with a focus on company protocols and initiatives for SunSmart and Respirable Crystalline Silica (RCS) dust. The HSE’s National Cancer Control Programme (NCCP) is hosting a free webinar titled ‘SunSmart for Outdoor Workers’ on 28^th of April from 12pm – Register Here.

The CIF Health & Safety Summit 2026 will take place on 6^th May in Croke Park with the overarching theme of ‘Beyond Compliance: Building a Culture of Care’.

Pieta’s Darkness into Light initiative is scheduled for 9^th May. For early risers, the 5km walk will begin at 4:15 am at various locations nationwide – supporting suicide prevention and mental health awareness.

World Nutrition Day falls on 28^th May, highlighting the importance of a balanced and nutritious diet to support health, wellbeing, and energy levels. The HSE has published guidance on healthy eating, including: How to Eat Well.

World No-Tobacco Day is observed annually on 31^st May. The theme for 2026 is: ‘unmasking the appeal – countering nicotine and tobacco addiction’. The HSE provides a range of resources and supports to assist individuals who wish to: Quit Smoking.

June 2026

Summer Welfare Campaign

Construction companies are encouraged to refocus on health, safety and wellbeing as primary considerations and to include this topic as a standing agenda item at all company, project and site meetings.

Attention is drawn to recent regulatory changes, including the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Exposure to Asbestos Regulations) 2006-2025 and associated 2025 Code of Practice and the reduced Biological Limit Value (BLV) for lead and its compounds, which apply as of 10^th April 2026.

A number of relevant awareness dates occur in June:

• World Environment Day takes place on 5^th June and the focus for 2026 is on global climate action.
• International Men’s Health Week (MHW) will run from 15-21^st June. Further information and the campaign pack are available from the Men’s Health Forum in Ireland (MHFI).
• Annually, on 14^th June, we celebrate World Blood Donor Day. The Irish Blood Transfusion Service encourages individuals to donate blood and invites businesses to ‘GO RED’, with iconic buildings and landmarks across Ireland ‘lighting up’ red in support.
• World Wellbeing Week occurs from 24–30 June, promoting reflection and meaningful actions to improve personal and workplace wellbeing.

Organisations are encouraged to engage with these initiatives and use them as opportunities to reinforce positive behaviours and conversations around health, safety, wellbeing within the construction sector.