Laois man left paralysed after accident leads new construction safety campaign

A Laois man who experienced a life-altering accident that left him paralysed while working on a construction site is heading up a new national safety campaign. 

James Gorry from Portarlington plays a central role in the Construction Industry Federation’s 2026 Construction Safety Campaign which launched recently. 

While he was managing director of a successful construction firm, James fell 26 feet and sustained life-changing injuries resulting in the loss of use of his legs in 2005. Through resilience and determination, he is now a renowned motivational speaker, advocating for workplace safety, mental health and the importance of preventing life-changing tragedies.

The theme of this year's campaign is ‘Back to Basics’, an intentional repeat of last year’s theme to highlight the need for continued industry-wide efforts to prevent accidents on construction sites in Laois and across the country.

For the campaign, James Gorry features in a short video running on CIF’s social media channels in which he shares his story in an effort to underline the critical importance of construction safety.

According to figures from the Health and Safety Authority (HSA), which records work-related deaths in Ireland, eight construction-related fatalities have occurred so far in 2026, which represent 40 per cent of the total number of recorded work-related fatalities this year to date. The 2026 figure is year-to-date only, compared with 11 construction-related fatalities in all of 2025 and five in all of 2024.

Announcing the launch of this year’s Construction Safety Campaign, Justin Molloy,  director of western and midland region services with the Construction Industry Federation, said: “So far this year, eight work-related deaths in Ireland were construction-related, accounting for 40% of all work-related deaths in 2026 to date. While this is lower than the 11 construction-related deaths recorded across the full year in 2025, it is already higher than the five recorded in 2024. Falls from height remain a significant contributor to construction-related fatalities while incidents involving mobile plant and equipment are becoming more significant. Behind every fatality is a human tragedy, affecting not only the individual but also the family, friends and colleagues whose lives are forever changed.

“Safety requires continuous vigilance, learning and improvement, regardless of a worker’s experience, role or seniority. Repeating ‘Back to Basics’ in 2026 reinforces the importance of good planning, risk assessment, supervision, communication, training and worker engagement in preventing accidents.

“During the campaign, we are encouraging companies in Laois and across the country to review their safety management systems and ensure workers’ health and wellbeing receive the same priority as safety.”