A team of IT Sligo students have taken second place in the HSA Third Level ‘Safety in Design’ national competition.
The IT Sligo team – Brendan Keenan, B.Sc. Occupational Safety and Health, David Kennedy, B.Sc. Occupational Safety and Health, and Michael Duffy, B.Sc. Construction Management – took home a prize of €2,000.
The IT Sligo team overcame the issue of distance in their collaboration, as Brendan and David are full time students living in Sligo and Michael is London based and is studying through distance learning. Most of their collaborative work was undertaken through conference calls and Skype.
Mary Hannon, lecturer in School of Science said; “This is a fantastic result for IT Sligo and for the three students who have put so much effort into the competition over the last three months.”
Gavin Clinch, lecturer in School of Engineering commented that; “The participation of a part-time distance learning student reflects the changing nature of the student cohort at IT Sligo as more and more adult learners return to third level education.”
The aim of the HSA competition is to provide an environment where undergraduate students can collaborate and work together to enhance, develop and embed their knowledge and understanding of health and safety in construction. Students from different disciplines worked together to take on the role of giving expert advice on remedial repairs, traffic management and long-term maintenance of a bridge that suffered structural damage as result of a bridge strike.
IT Sligo came first in the competition in 2010.
Chairperson of the Authority’s Third Level Initiative Group, Dr. Anne Drummond, said, “In the world of work, collaboration and working with colleagues from other disciplines is essential to problem solving as well as being the safest approach. This competition has clearly illustrated to both students and judges that engagement and teamwork with their colleagues is a rewarding experience for students, and one that can deliver a safe and effective product.”
The judging panel was made up of the following members: Paraig Earley (Construction Policy Inspector, HSA), Mike Keyes (Aegis Safety Management) and Tony Sheridan (Health and Safety Manager, John Sisk and Son Ltd).
Pictured: Paula Gough HSA, Tony Sheridan SISK TLIG Judge, Dr. Anne Drummond UCD Chairperson of TLIG, Brendan Keenan IT Sligo , David Kennedy (back)IT Sligo and Michael Duffy IT Sligo, Mike Keys TLIG Judge, Inspector Paraig Earley Judge HSA.