Under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005, the Health and Safety Authority is the State body charged with overall responsibility for administration, enforcement and promotion of workplace safety and health. A lack of clear communication and of understanding in any workplace could potentially pose a risk to the health and safety of the workers therein. It is clear that there are many workers who do not have English as a first language and, accordingly, it is appropriate that employers and those who are in control of workplaces in this country put in place clear systems of communication to ensure that all safety critical information is conveyed clearly to all workers in the workplace.
The Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act at section 9 sets out the type of information on safety, health and welfare required to be given by employers to employees. It specifies that the information must be in a form, manner and language that can be understood. It must include information on hazards, risks and measures taken as regards safety, health and welfare as well as the names of emergency staff and safety representatives.
Furthermore, the 2005 Act, at section 20, provides that an employer is obliged to prepare a written safety statement, based on the identification of hazards and an assessment of risks. This statement, which sets out how the safety, health and welfare of the employees will be secured and managed, must also be in a form, manner and, as appropriate, language that can be understood.
In addition to the statutory obligations set out above, the Health and Safety Authority recognises the new challenges that the growth of non-English speaking people within the workforce brings. This is evidenced by the launch this year of a new authority initiative, safe system of work plan, aimed at reducing injuries and deaths in construction and allied work.
The initiative relies heavily on pictograms to explain and clarify hazards and controls, thereby creating a wordless document where safety can be communicated to all workers regardless of literacy or language skills. The safe system of work plan aims to focus on those who are most at risk, allowing them to ensure that all necessary safety controls are in place prior to the commencement of planned work. In addition, the Health and Safety Authority is working on the production of explanatory leaflets in a number of different languages.
The new statutory provisions in the 2005 Act and the safe system of work plan initiatives are aimed at meeting the new challenges evolving in our economy due to the changing nature of the workforce. Signage and instruction to motorists is a matter for the Minister for Transport and his Department.
