Safety Statement

A Safety Statement is required by every employer, including the self employed, in Ireland. Business Safety produce safety statements based on risk assessments which are conducted on site at the place(s) of work. Your safety statement is drafted by us before being forwarded to you for review. Once amendments have been made, we provide you with a soft copy which you can edit and change as you wish.

Cost

To ensure compliance with health and safety legislation, each Safety Statement is priced separately.  Please call us on 0818 333 212, use the contact box opposite or email info@BusinessSafety.ie to discuss your requirements.

Content

Contact Business Safety on 0818 333 212 or use the form at the top right of this page to find out more about a Safety Statement and Risk Assessment.

Legislation

Section 19 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 (the 2005 Act) places a duty on employers to identify hazards in the workplace and assess the risks attached.  Risk assessments are the foundation on which any safety statement is based.  It is important that risk assessments be conducted on-site or at the place of work in order to establish the degree of risk and the controls that exist.

Section 20(1)  requires all employers to have a safety statement and reinforces the point above that it is to be based on an identification of the hazards and the risk assessment referred to under Section 19.

Sub-section 20(3) obliges employers to bring the safety statement to the attention of employees. The Act states that the safety statement must be communicated in a form, manner and language that is reasonably likely to be understood by the employee.  This may therefore necessitate the translation of the document, or relevant extracts, into foreign workers native languages.

Our Approach to Safety Statements

At BusinessSafety.ie we can create a high-quality Safety Statement written to suit your organisation’s specific needs.  Our format strictly follows the requirements of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005, and in particular

So your Safety Statement accurately reflects your operations and business model, we will visit your premises, meet with relevant staff and conduct all necessary risk assessments. This information is then used to create your organisation-specific safety statement. Importantly, in writing your Safety Statement we use straightforward language only and no jargon.

Our Safety Statements provide excellent value for money. Knowing your Safety Statement is being prepared by an industry leader provides you with peace of mind.

Safety Statements are supplied in soft-copy format (MS Word etc.) for you to make changes as required.

Safety Statements – FAQ

26-September-2011
Do I need to make reference to the 2005 Act in the Safety Statement?

No. Section 20 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 stipulates the various elements required to be in a safety statement. Nowhere does the Act require employers to refer to the 2005 Act or any other piece of legislation. Some clients express a preference for including reference to the Act in the policy and whilst the Act does not require any mention of the Act, there is nothing to prevent you referring to this or any other piece of legislation in your safety statement.

06-September-2011
What is the difference between hazard and risk?

A hazard is defined as “a source, situation, or act with a potential for harm in terms of human injury or ill health, or a combination of these”.

Risk is defined as “combination of the likelihood of an occurrence of a hazardous event or exposure(s) and the severity of injury or ill health that can be caused by the event or exposure(s)”

05-September-2011
Can I have other safety documents outside the Safety Statement?

Yes. You may have operating instructions, site rules, safety procedures and similar which are central to the smooth running of the overall safety management system but which are not incuded in the safety statement. Despite this, it is a legal requirement that the employer ensure his or her employees are made aware of all hazards, risks and control measures.

05-August-2011
What is a risk assessment

Section 19 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 requires employers to identify the hazards in the place of work under their control and assess the risks of those hazards. Risk assessments must be written and must take account of individuals or groups who may be affected by any unusual or other risks in the workplace.

A risk assessment is a careful analysis of what can cause harm to employees, members of the public, contractors, visitors and anyone else. This will give an indication as to whether enough is being done to protect these people or whether more must be done.

Risk assessments must take account of the likelihood of an unplanned event taking place as well as the severity of the consequences of such an event.  They

Risk assessments must be reviewed if there has been a significant change in circumstances or if there is any other reason to believe it is no longer valid. Irrespective of change in circumstances, risk assessments should be reviewed annually to ensure they remain up to date.

21-Dec-2010
What’s in a Safety Statement?

The contents of Safety Statement are set in Section 20 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 and are explained in the HSA’s guide to safety statements.

14-Dec-2010
What is a Safety Statement?

Section 20 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 requires all employers, including the self employed, to have a Safety Statement. A Safety Statement is a written document which specifies the manner in which health and safety is to be secured and managed.

The Safety Statement is based on the identification of the hazards and the risk assessment carried out under Section 19 of the Act.