Safety Starts with a Plan: HSA launches new Safe Plan of Action

Thursday 30th April 2026

The Health and Safety Authority (HSA), in collaboration with the Construction Safety Partnership Advisory Committee (CSPAC), has announced the launch of the Safe Plan of Action (SPA), a practical, one page planning tool designed to help any construction crew prepare to work safely on site and prevent incidents before they happen. Built on the principle that “safety starts with a plan”, the SPA supports workers, contractors and supervisors in translating high-level safety documentation into clear, actionable steps on site.

Speaking at the launch of the SPA at Dublin Airport, Eibhlín O’Leary, Assistant Chief Executive with the HSA, said,

“Planning work safely is a core requirement under health and safety legislation. The Safe Plan of Action is designed to support construction teams identify hazards, agree control measures and clearly set out how work will be carried out before it begins. By focusing on how individual tasks are carried out, the SPA will help to prevent incidents and support safer working practices across construction sites.”

The SPA is a simple, site ready template that any crew can complete before work starts. It enables teams to agree the task, identify hazards, specify required controls, list necessary permits and PPE and record a team briefing. Each SPA includes a dedicated space for supervisor, translator and crew signatures, reinforcing the obligation to communicate health and safety information in a form and language that every worker understands.

Designed as a practical, A3, one page document, the SPA can be filled out quickly at the start of each day or week. It sits alongside existing Risk Assessment Method Statement (RAMS) and helps turn them into clear actions on the ground, supporting the Project Supervisor Construction Stage (PSCS) in carrying out their duty to coordinate health and safety during the construction phase.

Eamonn Stapleton, Co-Chair of the Construction Safety Partnership Advisory Committee (CSPAC), added,

“Employers need safety tools that are clear and workable on live construction sites. The Safe Plan of Action provides a practical structure for planning work at task level, helping contractors identify hazards and controls without excessive paperwork. It is a proportionate tool that can be applied across projects of different sizes and supports safer, more organised site operations.”

The SPA guides users through:

• Task steps and required resources
• Common construction hazards, such as moving plant, work at height and live services
• Permits and authorisations needed before work starts
• Control measures to eliminate or reduce risks

Welcoming the introduction of the SPA, John Murphy, Co-Chair of the Construction Safety Partnership Advisory Committee (CSPAC), said,

“From a worker perspective, effective safety begins with clear information that people can understand and apply to the work in front of them. The Safe Plan of Action supports clearer briefings and better understanding at crew level. This is particularly important on busy and multilingual sites, where clear communication is essential to preventing injury and ill health.”

By encouraging crews to plan together, the SPA will improve coordination, reduces downtime and helps prevent rework or delays caused by unexpected hazards. It also offers better compliance support for micro and small contractors, who often seek simple, low paper tools to help meet their legal duties.

The SPA is particularly beneficial for diverse or multilingual sites, with dedicated space for noting languages used in briefings, supporting interpreters and confirming that all workers have understood the safety information provided.

The new SPA template is available to download below at hsa.ie:

• Print Version CSPAC Safe Plan Of Action A3
• PDF Interactive Form CSPAC Safe Plan Of Action