Vol. 518 No. 6
281 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Health and Children the plans, if any, he has to ban the use of mercury in hospitals in view of the fact that, in Sweden and the Netherlands, the use of mercury is no longer permitted. [12350/00]
The Health and Safety Authority has overall responsibility for advising on and enforcing health and safety legislation and regulations. Health agencies, as with all other employers, have the responsibility for ensuring workplace health and safety.
Health agencies need to be aware of the importance of their responsibilities under health and safety legislation. The Health and Safety Authority promote their common objectives in the area of workplace health and safety. The Health and Safety Authority will work with health agencies to identify and prioritise the principal factors affecting safety and health in the health sector and encourage and support the development of good practices.
The question of health and safety provisions is essentially one for the individual agencies to deal with on a day to day basis within their annual determination, service planning process and legal requirements under the health and safety acts.
