Safety Statements- Where to Start?

One of the frequently asked Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) queries from member companies relates to their Company Safety Statement. In a nutshell, the Safety Statement is a written programme that describes how they manage safety, health and welfare in the workplace. The legal reference is Section 20 of the Safety Health and Welfare at Work Act, 2005. This requirement applies to every company with more than three employees.

The specific queries that are being received are when companies (usually SME's) are either conducting an annual review of their Safety Statement, or starting to draft one from scratch. The Health and Safety Authority (HSA) website (www.hsa.ie) provides an excellent source of guidance information and online tools. The relevant links are listed below.

FAQ on Safety Statement and Risk Assessment: http://www.hsa.ie/eng/Topics/Managing_Health_and_Safety/Safety_Statement_and_Risk_Assessment/
Sample Safety Statement: http://www.hsa.ie/eng/Your_Industry/Construction/BeSMART_ie_for_Construction/Sample_Safety_Statement.pdf
Guidelines on Preparing a Safety Statement: http://www.hsa.ie/eng/Small_Business/Getting_Started/Risk_Assessments_Made_Easy/Guidelines_on_Risk_Assessments_and_Safety_Statements.pdf
Access to the BESMART OnlineTool (Safety Statement & Risk Assessment): https://www.besmart.ie/

Ibec can assist members by reviewing their draft Safety Statement and/or answer any specific queries they may have regarding the content. These queries can be directed to Elaine Bowers in the Knowledge Centre. Email: elaine.bowers@ibec.ie

Thursday, 21 September 2017