Under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act, 1989, the primary duty for ensuring the health and safety of employees at work, including employees working in the aviation industry, rests with their employer. The Health and Safety Authority is the national body charged with overall responsibility under the 1989 Act for the promotion of occupational safety and health and for the administration and enforcement of relevant statutory provisions on safety and health. Compliance with occupational health and safety law is a day-to-day matter for the authority.
The role of the authority in relation to the aviation industry centres on all ground operations, with a more limited role when aircraft are under the control of air crew. In the latter circumstances, the Air Accident Investigation Branch of the Department of Public Enterprise and the Irish Aviation Authority play key roles.
I am informed that a number of accidents at Dublin Airport have come to the attention of the Health and Safety Authority and have been the subject of investigations under its statutory investigative and enforcement powers. As these investigations and any subsequent action arising therefrom are essentially matters for the authority it would be inappropriate for me to comment on any possible outcome. Given the authority's role and involvement, I have no plans to initiate any other investigation.
