NISO Annual Safety Conference 2009
The National Irish Safety Organisation (NISO) is a voluntary body dedicated to the promotion of safety and health in Irish workplaces. ES B has a long association with NISO. In the past, ESB teams have won awards in the NISO Annual Safety Quiz and Occupational Safety Awards. Over the recent past ESB has sponsored NIS O's Annual Safety Conference.
This year, the conference was held on Friday September 25th in the Breaffy House Hotel in Castlebar. Luke Shinnors, Executive Director HR , chaired the morning session of the conference. Frank Cunneen opened the conference with a retrospective look at safety in Ireland since the implementation of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 1989. Delegates heard from Brenda O'Brien from the European Risk Observatory on the emerging risk of depression in EU workplaces. It is predicted that by 2020 depression will be the main cause of incapacity in the EU.
Accident victims Candace Carnahan and James Gorry gave vivid accounts of their workplace accidents and the pain and suffering they endured in the days, weeks and months that followed. Candace was a student who got a summer job in a local paper mill in Canada where she was involved in an accident and lost her lower leg. James Gorry was a self employed roofer from Monasterevin who one day fell 30 feet onto a concrete floor and ended up losing power from his chest down. Both personal accounts took their audience through the pain suffered by them and their families. They referred to safety cultures and that blaming others gives up your power; we all need to take personal ownership of our Health and Safety.
Anthony Breslin, a HSE Specialist in Public Health Medicine, updated the conference delegates on pandemic preparedness. He stressed that vaccination was the most powerful tool in the control of influenza and emphasised the importance of availing of the vaccine to improve 'herd immunity' and also to avail of the seasonal flu vaccine as this was important to help prevent mutation.
The afternoon sessions started with Transport Safety. Deirdre Sinnott of the HS A described Work Related Vehicle Safety and its two elements of Workplace Transport Safety and Work Related Road Risk. Sergeant Jim Mc Allister of An Garda Siochana provided the facts in relation to road traffic collisions in Ireland and the NISO Annual Safety Conference 2009 measures being taken to address the key risk areas of inappropriate speed, impaired driving, fatigue, seat belts and distractions. Tadhg Crowley, Manager Safety & Environment, ESB Fleet & Equipment, presented to the conference on ESB's Safe Driving Programme and how it has contributed to improved vehicle and road safety in ESB.
Both Dermot Carey and Ester Lynch gave accounts of the cost of safety from the employers' and the trade unions' perspectives. Dermot highlighted that safety does cost and that unfair competition from those who do not invest in safety challenged the conscientious employer.
Esther referred to the need to rebuild trust between employers and employees, that rewards should be linked to safety and health performance, businesses should take a 'Hippocratic oath' for safety and involve the trade unions
