O’Fiaich student wins top ESB challenge award
A Dundalk student has won the nationwide ESB Networks National Safety Challenge.
Joshua Vallely, a sixth year student in Ó Fiaich College in Dundalk, won the top award in the construction category of the awards.
The competition was essentially a challenge to raise awareness of the importance of working safely and responsibly within the agricultural sector and construction sectors.
ESB Networks challenged students to develop ideas and initiatives that could pave the way for a safer working environment for the future of the agricultural and construction sectors.
O’Fiaich student Joshua tackled the issue of safety in the workshop and aimed to create a safer environment for all involved. He was lauded for the development of an application for smart phones which essentially highlights Safety Information Manage- ment (SIM) for machinery and equipment.
In demonstrating his idea, Joshua created an instructional video and beat off competition from around the country to win €1000 in prizes and the great honour of having his idea published in the Irish Building Magazine
Praising the ESB Networks National Safety Challenge winners, Paul Mulvaney, Executive Director, Networks Customer Delivery, ESB Networks, said: ‘Established this year, the ESB Networks National Safety Challenge invites students to think critically and analytically, to push the boundaries for a safer working environment for the future of the agricultural and construction sectors. Each of the finalists should be really proud of the commitment to farming and construction safety. I was hugely impressed by their innovative approaches to the competition and the wider practical applications, both on the farm and on construction sites.’