Never a great fan of Shane Ross but credit due on his article on issue sin the Fas Safe Pass and CSCS unit.
Jim Cusack also did an article on the climate of fear in Fas a number of years ago for the Sunday Independent, it was to be a 2 part, the 2nd part was hmm spiked.
Safe Pass/ CSCS badly administered- look at the delay in getting a simple card from them, weeks even months.
No online ability to check card details
Ongoing issues re 2 new CSCS cards, with amending legalisation been needed to postpone there implementation, was to be May 2008, now May 2009
Main reason, Fas trying to reinvent the wheel, and not accepting that the courses the cards are for have existed and ran very successful in UK and Europe for years, no they have to be rewritten and made tortuous for the Irish market( I refer to roads- signing and lighting and guarding, Tower access erection.)
A major issue which someone must challenge, is the habit of not accepting UK/ European training as been acceptable in Ireland ( i.e German machine operators been made sit Irish CSCS tickets, despite the training regime and skills in Germany where a machine operators train to work all the machines in a family of machines and is already assessed). The PASMA training for the erection of access towers has been around since the early 70’s and despite diligent employers providing this training they are now going to have to send their skilled employees on to a Fas approved CSCS course – at a cost( a double cost actually) and guess what you have to have a Safe pass to do the CSCS course in the first place!
Safe pass has also cost the taxpayer via Fas huge amounts in legal costs- One such case involved an individual been advised to accept the "punishment" the Safe pass unit where imposing or face the prospect of paying both their own legal fees ( 15k) and Fas's( estimated at 350k ). This was one of at least 3 legal challenges faced down by Fas and their legal l team ( 1 Sc, 2 JC’s, solicitors and support staff) from one of the big 5 legal teams.
Has Safe Pass worked?, debatable, injuries and deaths have not fallen significantly to justify the huge costs involved ( 500,000 safe Pass @ 100 euro per head, plus 500,000 man days wages paid plus 500,000 days productivity lost—1/4billion!!!!)
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
Construction fatalities
21
20
16
23
13
18
Number employed
180000
182200
191400
206000
242200
262700
per 100,000
11.67
10.98
8.36
11.17
5.37
6.85
(Source H.S.A annual reports and CSO)
Meanwhile in UK where no mandatory “Safe pass scheme” exists
UK figures
2002/3
2003/4
2004/5
2005/6
2006/7
Construction fatalities
71
70
72
60
77
per 100000
4
3.55
3.48
2.95
3.7
Good for new workers or people never been on site, not so good a second time around for someone having 30 years on site safely!.
Also the cost quickly using up a firms safety budget and good will.
Many Safe pass tutors, despite been good trainers have little site experience.
And who in there right mind came up with a course that sites normally active worker still for 8 hours and talks at them- runs in the face of most adult education good practices.
¼ billion could have been better spent- beef up inspections, beef up advisory functions from CIF, HSA, IOSH, NISO. Employ travelling advisors to visit and work with small builders; add incentives for safety- lower insurance for safer sites.
Monday morning rant over
Be safe
Jim Cusack also did an article on the climate of fear in Fas a number of years ago for the Sunday Independent, it was to be a 2 part, the 2nd part was hmm spiked.
Safe Pass/ CSCS badly administered- look at the delay in getting a simple card from them, weeks even months.
No online ability to check card details
Ongoing issues re 2 new CSCS cards, with amending legalisation been needed to postpone there implementation, was to be May 2008, now May 2009
Main reason, Fas trying to reinvent the wheel, and not accepting that the courses the cards are for have existed and ran very successful in UK and Europe for years, no they have to be rewritten and made tortuous for the Irish market( I refer to roads- signing and lighting and guarding, Tower access erection.)
A major issue which someone must challenge, is the habit of not accepting UK/ European training as been acceptable in Ireland ( i.e German machine operators been made sit Irish CSCS tickets, despite the training regime and skills in Germany where a machine operators train to work all the machines in a family of machines and is already assessed). The PASMA training for the erection of access towers has been around since the early 70’s and despite diligent employers providing this training they are now going to have to send their skilled employees on to a Fas approved CSCS course – at a cost( a double cost actually) and guess what you have to have a Safe pass to do the CSCS course in the first place!
Safe pass has also cost the taxpayer via Fas huge amounts in legal costs- One such case involved an individual been advised to accept the "punishment" the Safe pass unit where imposing or face the prospect of paying both their own legal fees ( 15k) and Fas's( estimated at 350k ). This was one of at least 3 legal challenges faced down by Fas and their legal l team ( 1 Sc, 2 JC’s, solicitors and support staff) from one of the big 5 legal teams.
Has Safe Pass worked?, debatable, injuries and deaths have not fallen significantly to justify the huge costs involved ( 500,000 safe Pass @ 100 euro per head, plus 500,000 man days wages paid plus 500,000 days productivity lost—1/4billion!!!!)
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
Construction fatalities
21
20
16
23
13
18
Number employed
180000
182200
191400
206000
242200
262700
per 100,000
11.67
10.98
8.36
11.17
5.37
6.85
(Source H.S.A annual reports and CSO)
Meanwhile in UK where no mandatory “Safe pass scheme” exists
UK figures
2002/3
2003/4
2004/5
2005/6
2006/7
Construction fatalities
71
70
72
60
77
per 100000
4
3.55
3.48
2.95
3.7
Good for new workers or people never been on site, not so good a second time around for someone having 30 years on site safely!.
Also the cost quickly using up a firms safety budget and good will.
Many Safe pass tutors, despite been good trainers have little site experience.
And who in there right mind came up with a course that sites normally active worker still for 8 hours and talks at them- runs in the face of most adult education good practices.
¼ billion could have been better spent- beef up inspections, beef up advisory functions from CIF, HSA, IOSH, NISO. Employ travelling advisors to visit and work with small builders; add incentives for safety- lower insurance for safer sites.
Monday morning rant over
Be safe