The Health and Safety Authority is the State body charged with responsibility for the administration, enforcement and promotion of all workplace health and safety legislation. The Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act, 1989, is the principal legislation dealing with occupational health and safety. It sets out the responsibilities of both employers and employees in relation to providing a safe working environment. The Act applies to all places of work and to all employers, employees and the self-employed. The 1989 Act is supplemented by a series of regulations. One such set is the European Community (Protection of Workers) (Exposure to Noise) Regulations, 1990. These regulations, which apply to all workers, lay down certain standards and requirements which should be met in order to minimise hearing damage caused by loud noise.
The monitoring and inspection of workplaces is a day to day matter for the authority in which I have no direct function. However, I been informed by the authority that their inspection and awareness programme will continue this year, and 125 inspections of places of entertainment took place in 2001. In addition, 24 improvement notices were issued and 42 advice letters issued. Furthermore, 93 premises had levels above 85 dBA and 62 had levels above 90 dBA. Draft guidelines for noise in the entertainment section have been drawn up by the HSA and are being discussed with the industry.