When the Inspector Calls

The Authority undertakes approximately 16,000 inspections per annum. The aim of an inspection is to:

  • Ensure statutory compliance
  • Address significant risks
  • Educate and guide the employer to help bring about improvement by identifying strengths and weaknesses and highlighting good and poor practice
  • Educate and guide the Workforce in health and safety matters
  • Raise the profile of Health and Safety at the workplace

The following is detailed information on the methodology of inspection and what to expect from the process.

Preventative role

You may have wondered what you can expect when a HSA inspector calls to inspect your premises. HSA inspectors monitor compliance with the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005.

The Inspectors’ primary focus is a preventative one, which is to raise awareness among employers and their employees on their responsibilities under the 2005 Act.

With this in mind they are looking at the level of preparedness of Irish workplaces on safety and health management and in particular on the preparation and implementation of the safety statement.

The safety statement must spell out how safety and health is managed in the workplace, to which it relates and must include the risk assessments which were carried out.

Safety statement implementation

Safety statement implementation is the key to success with health and safety in any workplace. To properly implement the safety statement employers must put in place a safety and health management system which suits its needs but gets the job done.

This system must ensure everyone in the workplace knows what is expected of them with regard to employee safety and health from the CEO or MD down. 

It sets the ground rules for everyone in the workplace to follow, the ones which as a minimum they must follow to comply with safety and health laws.

Liabilities

Most companies now want to do much more than the legal minimum and strive to have safety and health rules which ensure they have no accidents or ill-health cases. This approach ensures they are and continue to be a business success.

A requirement of the 2005 Act is the liabilities under Section 80, which puts the responsibilities for safety and health directly on those in charge in workplaces. Senior managers need to be aware of their liabilities under Section 80