september construction news

Health and Safety Authority Begin Two Week National Construction Safety Campaign

In August 2014 the Construction Industry Federation launched their Safety at Heights campaign and now in September 2014 the Health and Safety Authority have started a two week national construction safety inspection campaign.

The campaign will focus on maintaining standards and controlling risks when working at heights.

In 2013 there were 6 fatal accidents caused by a fall from heights and the H.S.A feel this is an area that needs to be focused on to ensure that this type of work is being done safely.

The H.S.A inspectors will be providing advice to employers and employees.  In cases where the advice is not acted on or where the inspectors feel that there is a serious breach of legislation, they will use enforcement action if it is necessary.

september construction news part 2

Irish Construction Sector Marks One Year of Continuous Growth in August 2014.

After another rise in August 2014, there has been an increase in activity in the Irish Construction Sector in each month for the past year.

Simon Barry, Chief Economist Republic of Ireland at Ulster Bank says “The August results of the survey highlight that trends in the Irish construction sector continue to show strong improvement. The solid improvement continues to be underpinned by particular strength in both the housing and commercial arenas where activity trends are benefiting from substantial increases in new orders.”

Improving conditions in the construction sector led to an increase in new work in August.  New business has now risen in each of the past 14 months, with rate of expansion remaining substantial.

The Hardware Association of Ireland Budget 2015 Submissions

The Hardware Association of Ireland has submitted a number of recommendations to the Joint Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform for inclusion in the 2015 Budget.

The HAI would like to see an extension of the Home Renovation Incentive Scheme beyond 2015. They believe that this scheme has increased employment in the building trade and helped maintain employment in the hardware sector.  If the scheme is extended it would allow for more registrations in rural areas.

They have also suggested a scheme for small and sole trader construction businesses, similar to one currently in operation in The UK.  In the UK trade customers can apply for credit of up to £25000 from designated builder’s merchants. This is backed by the UK government as an alternative to bank lending.  The HAI would like to see a similar scheme introduced in Ireland, as many small businesses struggle to secure credit due to lack of security or adequate credit history.