Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 27 May 2020
406. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation her plans to hire new Health and Safety Authority, HSA, inspectors to investigate complaints and enforce social distancing requirements in the workplace; the number of inspectors she plans to hire; when she expects these to be fully trained and available; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7233/20]
View answer407. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation her plans to allocate additional resources to the HSA to regulate and enforce social distancing requirements as set out in the return to work protocols; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7234/20]
View answer415. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the number of inspectors available to carry out enforcement of the Roadmap for Reopening Society and Business; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7330/20]
View answer416. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation if additional inspectors will be recruited or seconded to the HSA to carry out inspections in the workplace to police compliance with the HSA guidelines on companies reopening during the Covid-19 emergency. [7331/20]
View answer429. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation if she plans to redeploy staff from other Departments to the Health and Safety Authority to assist with Covid-19 inspections; if so, the number; the Departments from which; when these staff will be redeployed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7549/20]
View answer463. Deputy Imelda Munster asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the number of new inspectors that will be recruited or seconded to the Health and Safety Authority; and the timeline for same. [8023/20]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 406, 407, 415, 416, 429 and 463 together.
The national Return to Work Safely Protocol is designed to support employers and workers to put measures in place that will prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace. The Protocol should be used by all workplaces to adapt their workplace procedures and practices to comply fully with the COVID-19 related public health protection measures identified as necessary by the HSE and the Department of Health. It is operating in parallel with existing workplace health and safety statutory requirements.
The Health and Safety Authority is the lead Agency in relation to oversight and compliance with the Protocol. It will ensure compliance with the Protocol through a range of measures including advice, guidance, inspection and enforcement action as appropriate and as provided for in the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005.
The HSA is deploying all of its available field inspectors across all sectors to carry out both spot checks and other inspections to check compliance with the Protocol. However, the Government will ensure that the HSA inspectorate will be supplemented significantly by deploying, under the authority of the HSA, other inspectors from across the system who already have an environmental health, agriculture or other workplace/business inspection responsibilities.
While details of these additional resource are currently being finalised, the numbers working with the HSA will be in the hundreds, from across the system. These will be specialist officials who already have sectoral business inspection responsibilities. The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine has given a commitment that inspectors from his Department will work with the HSA to ensure the implementation of the Protocol in workplaces. Compliance with the COVID-19 Return to Work Safely Protocol will become part of the normal inspection regime. It will start shortly with around 200 officials from the Environmental Health Service, and this number will increase steadily as officials from other parts of the system, with varying sectoral inspection and oversight responsibilities are brought on board, in line with the Government Roadmap. The details are being finalised at present. The HSA will carry a mix of unannounced inspections, along with providing advice and information through the HSA's Workplace Contact Unit email and phoneline. If, following contact from a worker, and follow-up engagement with the employer, they feel that an inspection is warranted, they will follow up with an on-site visit. Importantly, if, on foot of an inspection, the inspector forms the opinion that further action is required, the appropriate action - up to and including the closure of a workplace - will be taken using the relevant powers. Where relevant, the public health authorities will be involved.
However, even with the support of resources from other Government Departments, the inspectorate cannot be expected to go into every business in the country. That would be entirely unrealistic and unachievable. Therefore, In the first instance, and in line with what is set out in the Protocol, employers and workers have a responsibility to actively and jointly take responsibility for applying the clear and mandatory measures to protect the health and safety of all concerned.
As we have seen with the general public health measures over the past two months, most people are complying with the rules. We can expect the same from employers and workers, most of who want to get back to work, and want the workplace to be safe, for them and for the families that they are returning to in the evenings.
