[Article] Councils in court challenge to HSA

Victor

http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/motors/2007/0228/1172185236085.html

Councils in court challenge to HSA

Several local authorities are fighting an attempt by the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) to force them to improve their management of roadworks, The Irish Times has learned. The notices issued by the HSA refer to alleged deficiencies in the councils' handling of roadworks, and in particular, concerns around unfinished road surfaces.

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AlekSmart

Gosh !!....Hard to believe it.
Here we have a highly desirable body as in the Health and Safety Authority which largely came about due to the reluctance of certain elements of the Building and Development trades to obey the Law.
Now,it also appears as if the Local Authorities wish to align themselves with such fly by night practices as they attempt to frustrate the HSA`s efforts.

There is little doubt in the Public mind that over the years certain Local Authorities became FAR too pally with Certain developers.
This level of Infrastructural Incest can be said to have directly led to the current Judicial Tribunal impasse.

Under NO circumstances should these Local Authorities be allowed to spend a single cent on this frivolous nonsense.
If the Authorities Management feel aggrieved by the HSA`s efforts then let these Managers fund their own Legal Challenge from their own resources !

One would require to be Blind,Deaf and devoid of every other sensory attribute NOT to realize that we have a MAJOR problem with the Local Authorities stewardship of various elements of Civil Engineering works.

It is worth pointing out that the Local Authorities are Statutory Bodies with a great many legal Powers.
However there is a certain strain of "New Manager" within the Local Authority field who appears to believe that the concept of RESPONSIBILITY can be effectively subcontracted out and diluted until,as per the "Irish Way" nobody can be found who actually IS responsible for ANYTHING !

I very much hope that the HSA tackles this crooked gang head-on and succeeds in having their foul smelling washing wrung out in open court.

Within the next few weeks the Kentstown School Bus Crash will be before the courts and the awful consequences of poor to non existant standards in Roadwork Management will be laid bare for all to see.
Indeed in the context of both Kentstown and the recent Wellington Quay case it is interesting to see the following reference from the HSA
Quote [Irish Times 28/02] "It also pointed out that, as a general rule, gardaí investigating a crash concentrate their investigations on driver behaviour when looking for a cause of the crash."


I find it somewhat instructive to remember my childhood and the many watchmen who were deployed at the larger Roadwork sites to lay out warning lamps and ensure some level of safety was maintained.
Odd that in a far more regulated and litigious era today,we see Local Authorities simply walking away from work sites which resemble Passchendale after particularly heavy bombardment.

Even the much vaunted O Connell St regeneration project was carried out in a somewhat cavalier fashion with a great yawning chasm in safety related standards being all to visibly apparent to regular users of the place.

At this point I reckon I need the services of the HSA to monitor my blood-pressure as I read Victors post once more.

I`ll see yiz in Court.. :mad: :mad: :mad:

Victor

Front page of Lifetimes freesheet paper - Dublin City Council over 4 years:

Footpath repairs €7,387,000
Compensation to people injured on footpaths €8,711,362