The Health and Safety Authority currently has 175.5 whole-time equivalent staff in administration and inspector grades. The total current inspector headcount is 105.3 whole-time equivalents. These inspectors operate across all of the Health and Safety Authority’s statutory mandates covering occupational health and safety, chemicals and market surveillance of products and can be involved in either general inspection, specialist inspection or policy implementation at national, European and international level.
In relation to Covid-19 and the Return to Work Safely Protocol, there are 67 Health and Safety Authority inspectors and an additional 500 inspectors checking compliance with the Protocol as part of their normal inspection programme. These additional resources are being drawn from the Workplace Relations Commission, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the cohort of Environmental Health Officers.
The information requested by the Deputy in relation to HSA inspections only is attached below;
|
Week Ending
|
Inspections Investigations
|
Improvement Notices
|
Prohibition Notices
|
Report of Inspection
|
|
19 June
|
428
|
7
|
8
|
245
|
|
26 June
|
259
|
8
|
9
|
155
|
|
3 July
|
214
|
5
|
10
|
125
|
|
10 July
|
207
|
5
|
8
|
112
|
|
17 July
|
261
|
14
|
10
|
155
|
|
24 July **
|
Not Yet Available
|
Not Yet Available
|
Not Yet Available
|
Not Yet Available
|
** Please note this number will not be available until the week beginning July 27th
Please note the following explanation for the specific enforcement actions;
- Improvement Notice applies to any breach of occupational safety and health legislation;
- Prohibition Notice applies to a breach of occupational safety and health legislation where there exists a risk of serious personal injury to workers;
- Report of Inspection is written advice from an inspector on how to further improve health and safety practices;
The majority of HSA inspections are unannounced. However, in a small number of cases, an inspector may need to announce an inspection to ensure the appropriate individuals are available at a workplace.
