General Application Regulations
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the term ‘General Application’ mean?
The term ‘general application’ in the title of the Regulations is intended to convey the message that the various Parts and Chapters of the Regulations apply to all employments, as does the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005. As such, the Regulations are designed to simplify the task for employers and workers of locating and identifying the safety and
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Who do these Regulations apply to?
The Regulations place obligations as regards safety and health on employers, employees and others. They apply to all workplaces. They lay down a basis for managing safety and health and ensure that employers consult with employees on safety and health matters.
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Why are these Regulations being introduced?
The Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations were introduced in 1993. The updated Regulations maintain the general thrust of the earlier provisions while introducing a number of refinements to make them more coherent, easier to use and relevant to the changed work environment. The Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 (No. 10 of 2005) provides the basis for making these Regulations.
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When do these Regulations become law?
Subject to the particular periods referred to in Regulations 9(2), 122, 134, and 160(2), the Regulations come into operation on 1 November 2007.
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What areas are covered under these Regulations?
The Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations 2007 contains 8 Parts and 10 Schedules, as follows:
Part 2 - Workplace and Use of Work Equipment
Chapter 1 – Workplace
Chapter 2 – Use of Work Equipment
Chapter 3 – Personal Protective Equipment
Chapter 4 – Manual Handling of Loads
Chapter 5 – Display Screen Equipment
Part 3– Electricity
Part 4 - Work at Height
Part 5 - Physical Agents
Chapter 1 - Control of Noise at Work
Chapter 2 - Control of Vibration at Work
Part 6 - Sensitive Risk Groups Chapter 1 - Protection of Children and Young Persons Chapter 2 - Protection of Pregnant, Post Natal and Breastfeeding Employees Chapter 3 - Night Work and Shift work
Part 7 – Safety Signs and First-Aid
Chapter 1 - Safety Signs at Places of Work
Chapter 2 – First-Aid
Part 8 - Explosive Atmospheres at Places of Work
Schedule 1 – Requirements for Work Equipment
Schedule 2 – Personal Protective Equipment
Schedule 3 – Risk Factors for Manual Handling of Loads
Schedule 4 – Minimum Requirements for all Display Screen Equipment Schedule 5 – Inspection of Work Equipment
Schedule 6 – Hand-Arm Vibration and Whole-Body Vibration
Schedule 7– Protection of Children and Young Persons
Schedule 8 – Lists of Agents, Processes and Working Conditions Relating to Pregnant, Post Natal and Breastfeeding Employees
Schedule 9 – Safety and Health Signs at Work
Schedule 10 – Explosive Atmospheres
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What existing Regulations do these replace?
The Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations 2007 revoke and replace -
(a) those provisions of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations 1993 (S.I. No. 44 of 1993) (other than Part X and the Twelfth Schedule relating to the notification of accidents and dangerous occurrences, which remain in place) that were not already revoked under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application)(Amendment)(Revocation) Regulations 2005 (S.I. No. 392 of 2005) following their incorporation in the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 (No. 10 of 2005), and
2. The Regulations also revoke and replace an additional 20 full sets and 4 part provisions of the following Regulations and Orders -
(i) Factories (Report of Examination of Hoists and Lifts) Regulations 1956 (S.I. No. 182 of 1956),
(ii) Factories Act 1955 (Hoists and Lifts) (Exemption) Order 1957 (S.I. No. 80 of 1957),
(iii) Factories Act 1955 (Lifts) (Exemption) Order 1960 (S.I. No. 129 of 1960),
(iv) Regulations 22 to 38 and the Scheduled to the Docks (Safety, Health and Welfare) Regulations 1960 (S.I. No. 279 of 1960),
(v) Factories Act 1955 (Hoistways) (Exemption) Order 1962 (S.I. No. 211 of 1962),
(vi) Quarries (Electricity) Regulations 1972 (S.I. No. 50 of 1972),
(vii) Mines (Electricity) Regulations 1972 (S.I. No. 51 of 1972),
(viii) Quarries (General) Regulations 1974 (S.I. No. 146 of 1974) to the extent of in Regulation 3, the definitions of “lifting appliance” and “safe working load”, Regulations 40 and 41, in the First Schedule “FORM No. 3” and “FORM No. 5” and the Second Schedule,
(ix) Shipbuilding and Ship-Repairing (Safety, Health and Welfare) Regulations 1975 (S.I. No. 322 of 1975) to the extent of in Regulation 3(1), the definitions of “lifting equipment” and “lifting gear” and Regulations 32 to 48,
(x) Factories Act 1955 (Hoistways) (Exemption) Order 1976 (S.I. No. 236 of 1976),
(xi) Factories Act 1955 (Hoists) (Exemption) Order 1977 (S.I. No. 13 of 1977),
(xii) Mines (Electricity) (Amendment) Regulations 1979 (S.I. No. 125 of 1979),
(xiii) Quarries (Electricity) (Amendment) Regulations 1979 (S.I. No. 126 of 1979),
(xiv) Safety in Industry Acts 1955 and 1980 (Hoists and Hoistways) (Exemption) Order 1985 (S.I. No. 100 of 1985),
(xv) Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Signs) Regulations 1995 (S.I. No. 132 of 1995),
(xvi) Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Miscellaneous Welfare Provisions) Regulations 1995 (S.I. No. 358 of 1995),
(xvii) Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Children and Young Persons) Regulations1998 (S.I. No. 504 of 1998),
(xviii) Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Night Work and Shift Work) Regulations 2000 (S.I. No. 11 of 2000),
(xix) Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Pregnant Employees etc.) Regulations 2000 (S.I. No. 218 of 2000),
(xx) Regulations 80 to 123 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Construction) Regulations 2001 (S.I. No. 481 of 2001), the other provisions of those Regulations having been revoked by the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Construction) Regulations 2006 (S.I. No. 504 of 2006),
(xxi) Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Explosive Atmospheres) Regulations 2003 (S.I. No. 258 of 2003),
(xxii) Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Work at Height) Regulations 2006 (S.I. No. 318 of 2006),
(xxiii) Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Control of Vibration at Work) Regulations 2006 (S.I. No. 370 of 2006), and
(xxiv) Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Control of Noise at Work) Regulations 2006 (S.I. No. 371 of 2006), save that paragraph (3) of Regulation 11 of those Regulations, relating to the entertainment sector, remains in effect until 14 February 2008.
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What parts of the existing General Application Regulations will remain from November 2007?
Only Part X and the Twelfth Schedule to the General Application Regulations 1993, relating to the notification of accidents and dangerous occurrences, remain in place after 1 November 2007.
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Are there any major changes to these Regulations?
There are many differences between these regulations and those that they replace. However, most of the differences are either in the presentation of the regulations or involve changes intended to clarify and simplify the regulations. The new regulations do not impose substantial additional requirements compared to the existing provisions that are revoked and replaced. Employers that comply with their existing statutory obligations will find little difficulty in complying with these regulations. The objective is to assist employers and employees to understand and comply with essential occupational safety and health requirements
Key modifications contained in these Regulations include:
- Regulation 7 regarding minimum temperature for indoor sedentary work
- Regulation 13 regarding fire and fire fighting
- Regulation 18(c) regarding seating
- Regulation 22 regarding accommodation for employees
- Regulation 26 regarding the ability of tenants or landlords to make application to the Circuit Court
- Regulation 30(b) regarding the periodic examination of work equipment subject to deterioration
- Regulations 43 to 58 relating to lifting equipment now apply to all places of work
- Regulation 59 regarding those who hire out lifting equipment
- Regulation 76 regarding the suitability and design of electrical equipment
- Regulation 81 regarding checking and inspection of electrical portable equipment
- Regulation 91 regarding switch rooms
- Regulation 93(2) regarding work near overhead electricity lines
- Regulation 107(a) regarding the design and construction of scaffolds
- Schedule 9 – which clarifies that safety signs do not contain text.
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Safety Signs
Why must safety signs not contain text?
Safety signboards put in place after 1 November 2007 should not contain text. This is because the symbols or pictograms on a signboard are intended to be understood, independently of the language ability of the worker viewing it. Employers must instruct employees on the meaning of signs.
Can any text be included on a safety sign?
Safety signboards put in place after 1 November 2007 should not contain text. Text may be included on a supplementary signboard provided that it does not adversely affect the effectiveness of the safety signboard.
Do existing safety signs containing text have to be replaced?
Where a signboard is already in place before 1 November 2007 and it meets all the requirements of Part 7 and Schedule 9 to the Regulations, except that it contains text, an employer may leave that signboard in place until 1 January 2011.
Is there any guidance for these Regulations?
Detailed guidance material on the various provisions of the General Application Regulations is available on the legislation section of our website.
Where can I obtain a copy of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations 2007?
The official text of the Regulations may be purchased from the following:
Government Publications Sales Office
Sun Alliance House
Molesworth Street
Dublin 2
Tel: (01) 6476000
Safety Health Welfare at Work (General Applications) Regulations 2007 - unofficial copy (PDF,1.6MB)
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