The Act Places Responsibility For Occupational Health And Safety On All Stakeholders: Healthy & Safety Course Work, NUI, Ireland

THE SAFETY, HEALTH & WELFARE ACT. 2005

The Act places responsibility for occupational health and safety on all stakeholders. It develops the role of employers, employees, and Government in framing and implementing occupational safety and health policy in Ireland. An important development under this Act is that it has defined the term reasonably practicable SCSI (2016)

Reasonably Practicable means that it is required by the employer to ensure the highest possible level of duty of care is in place which includes preventative measures to limit and prevent any accidents and to minimize any hazards in the workplace.

All risks & hazards in the workplace should be identified and recorded in the health and safety statement. Appropriate measures should be put in place to minimize the risk of any accidents or injuries occurring in the workplace. Below is one of the main elements of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act, 2005.

General Duties

 It is the employer’s duty to introduce preventative measures that may endanger the Health & Safety of employees. This could be by means of activity, improper conduct, or behaviors that could occur daily. To prevent this, an employer should arrange for monitoring and supervision of employees, report feedback, and take disciplinary action, if necessary. An employer must ensure the following, regarding design, provision, and maintenance of the place of work:

• It is in a condition that is safe and without risk to health and Safety
• It has a safe means of both entry and exit from it
• It operates plant and machinery, and uses other articles, in a manner that is safe and without risk to the Health & Safety of the Employees.