Builders Almost Half Of Irish Work Fatalities

Construction and agriculture are still the most dangerous industries to work in, according to the Irish government.

Building accounted for the most work related fatalities in the Republic last year.

A total of 25 people died while working within the industry in 2008, almost half of the 57 entire deaths among all business sectors.

The information was detailed in the Health and Safety Authority's 2008 Annual Report and Statistics Report.


The number of work related fatalities in Ireland dropped by 10 since 2007, the report found.

Junior Business Minister Dara Calleary welcomed the reduction, but said more still needed to be done.

Warning against complacency in Health and Safety matters, he said: "While the reduction in workplace fatalities is welcome, we still had 57 fatalities and thousands of workplace injuries, many of them preventable. We cannot afford to relax our vigilance in this area.

"In these times, we have to continually emphasise the message that keeping people safe and healthy at work and saving money are not mutually exclusive concepts," added the Junior Minister.

(PR/BMcC)