Introduction

 

 

 

 

 

'Real' Health & Safety in a Building / Workplace

 

1. The necessity of carrying out a Health & Safety Survey is established, and notified to us. These Surveys should always include an examination of Fire Safety for All .... covering those people living, working, generally occupying or visiting the building / workplace .... but also including, as a matter of routine practice, 'people with activity limitations'.
   
   See Fire Evacuation-for-All
   
   Allow for 10% of People Using the Building (occupants, visitors and other users) having an Impairment (visual or hearing, physical function, mental or cognitive, some not being identifiable and others not wanting to self-identify).
   
   
   
2. Based on our Survey Recommendations, an Implementation Plan is developed - usually in co-operation with a local architect and/or engineer, contractor(s), suppliers, etc. These local people must be 'competent persons' ... and specify / use / supply products which can be properly shown to be 'fit for their intended use'.
   
   See our Technical Guidance Notes
   
   
   
3. A Health & Safety Management System should then be put in place - to maintain, and continually re-assess at regular intervals (i.e. at least once a year), a satisfactory level of 'real' health and safety in the building / workplace.
   
   
4. A concise Health & Safety Manual is developed - supported by a comprehensive Health & Safety File. In the case of Large Organizations, the Corporate Health & Safety Statement at the beginning of every local Manual must be consistent with the Corporate Health & Safety Statement (and Corporate Social Responsibility Statement) of the Organization's Head Office.
   
   
   
   Trans-National Organizations
   
   
5. All Health & Safety Documentation should be produced in at least Two Languages - on each and every page (as appropriate). On the left hand side of the page: the Local Language ... and on the right hand side: English. Documentation should be available for viewing / inspection by all local employees .... and the Organization's Head Office.
   
   
6. Typically, and In the absence of adequate local legal requirements, the Template for our Health & Safety Survey shall be Annex I of European Union Council Directive 89/654/EEC. With regard to ensuring compliance with Local National Law, actual copies of relevant local legislation should be present in the local Health & Safety File. Applicable requirements should be known by local management. Compliance with local legislation is always cross-checked.
   
   European Union Council Directive 89/654/EEC
   Click Here to Download PDF
   (PDF File, 68kb)
   
   
   
7. The Responsibility for maintaining an adequate level of 'real' health and safety in the local building / workplace shall be that of local management. Adequate resources must be devoted by the management to that objective. Ignorance of the law can be no defence, in the event of an accident or any significant incident of Building Related Ill-Health.
   
   The Responsibility of local management in a workplace extends not only to local employees, but also to any local visitors .... and commences when the employees / visitors enter the workplace - whether or not the entrance and entrance circulation spaces are under the control of local management. This Responsibility extends until the employees / visitors leave the workplace in normal circumstances - or, they can reach a pre-designated 'place of safety' in the case of a fire or other emergency.
   
   A specific person, along with his/her deputy, in an Organization's Head Office shall be designated as the People with Overall Responsibility for Health & Safety in the local workplace.

 

 

National Disease Surveillance Centre - Ireland January, 2005 - re-named Health Protection Surveillance Centre and integrated into National Health Service Executive (HSE)