Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 24 March 2021
165. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of Covid-19-related compliance checks undertaken by the HSA since June 2020 and January 2021, respectively; the number of inspections undertaken at sites of known outbreaks since these dates; the number of enforcement actions taken and completed since these dates; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14818/21]
View answerBetween 1st June 2020 and the 31st December 2020, the HSA carried out a total 5,979 workplace inspections of which 4,455 involved a compliance assessment of measures taken relating to the Work Safely Protocol.
These inspections found:
- 93% of workplaces had COVID-19 measures in place;
- 79% of workplaces had COVID-19 Response plans in place; and
- 73% of workplaces had a Lead Worker Representative appointed.
Between 1st January 2021 and 12th March 2021, the HSA carried 1,621 workplace inspections of which 1,581 included an assessment of compliance with the preventative measures of the Work Safely Protocol.
This cohort of inspections found:
- 95% of workplaces had COVID-19 measures in place;
- 82% of workplaces had COVID-19 Response plans in place; and
- 78% of workplaces had a Lead Worker Representative appointed.
Under the Public Health Act (Infectious Diseases) Regulations, all infectious diseases are required to be reported to the Public Health Computerised Infectious Disease Reporting system (CIDR), which is managed by the Health Protection Surveillance Centre of the HSE, COVID-19 was included under the Infectious Diseases (Amendment) Regulations 2020 (S.I. No.53 of 2020) on the 28 February 2020.
The management of outbreaks of COVID-19 is a matter of Public Health and comes under the relevant HSE Departments of Public Health and specifically the Medical Officer of Health. The role of the Medical Officer of Health includes convening an outbreak control team (OCT), which should comprise the necessary expertise to manage/control the outbreak.
The HSA has no statutory role in relation to outbreak management. However, the HSA has been asked to participate in Outbreak Control Teams by local Medical Officers of Health, when the HSA’s expertise of a workplace is deemed necessary. The HSA assist the public health experts in understanding the work processes that take place across the various sectors and work settings.
The HSA has participated in a total of 51 public health led local outbreak control teams in response to COVID-19 outbreaks across several business sectors.
It is not HSA policy to record, as part of their inspection, details on whether a COVID-19 outbreak is or has taken place in the workplace that they visit. The HPSC can provide a full list of workplaces where cases and outbreaks of COVID-19 have happened, and a breakdown of sectors and workplaces should therefore be made to them.
As part of its enforcement powers the HSA can issue Improvement Notices and Prohibition Notices. Improvement Notices are legal directives requiring specific improvement to be made within a required timeframe while Prohibition Notices are a legal instruction directing that specified work activity be immediately stopped because of a high level of danger or the possibility of serious personal injury. No Improvement or Prohibition Notices issued due to failure to comply with the provisions of the Work Safely Protocol in the periods in question.
For the period 1st June to the 31st December 2020, 45% of the Work Safely Protocol inspections resulted in a report of inspection, i.e. a written direction was provided to the employer educating and advising where further efforts needed to be made, e.g. to formally document a COVID-19 response plan or improve physical distancing and hand hygiene practices. From 1st January to the 12th March 2021, 38% of the inspections assessing compliance with the Work Safely Protocol resulted in a report of inspection.
Based on the inspections it has carried out the HSA has found that the level of adherence with the Work Safely Protocols across all sectors, been very high. This should be looked upon as a positive indication that the vast majority of employers and employees throughout Ireland and in the many different sectors of employment are taking a responsible and proactive approach to meeting the requirements of the Work Safely Protocol.
