Are you a responsible employer?
Recent prosecutions with regard to breaches of Health and Safety Legislation has led to increased focus on an issue which previously had passed relatively unnoticed in most sectors of Irish Society. Since the Industrial Revolution, technological advances in manufacturing and production methods has transformed work practices dramatically, resulting in mass production of goods which in the main has resulted in cheaper goods for the consumer. The negative aspect was the loss of lives, deformities, respiratory conditions, etc. experienced by a large number of the workforce.
Up to quite recently, very little legislation was in place to deal with Health and Safety issues in the workplace and where it existed it tended to deal with steam boilers, pressure vessels, etc. in the more traditional factory environments. The presumption of many people is that the modern work environment, methods and practices are safe? This is FALSE
These are just a sample of concerns experienced in some modern work environments which need to be addressed:
- Working at Height
- Leptospirosis and Weills Disease
- Ionising and Non-Ionising Radiation
- Repetitive Strain Injury
- Work Related Upper Limb Disorders
- Sick Building Syndrome
- Legionnaires Disease
- Vibration
- Ergonomics
- Carcinogenic Agents
- Occupational Dermatitis
- Occupational Asthma
- Noise Induced Hearing Loss
Legislation is now in place which imposes duties on employers to ensure conformity with the relevant Acts and Regulations including:
- The Fire Services Act 1981
- The Safety Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005
- The General Applications Regulations 2007
- The Construction Regulations
Failure to comply with this legislation can lead to prosecution.
Safe Place Systems suggest that you the employer adopt a pro-active approach towards Safety in the Workplace and secure the services of Safe Place Systems to provide your firm with the following range of Safety Services:
- Provision of Safety Statement Policy Documents
- Noise Assessments
- Ergonomic Assessments
- Carry out On Site Safety Audits and Inspections
- Representations as Expert Witnesses
- Environmental Monitoring
- Manual Handling Training
- Statutory Inspections