Every year, thousands of people are injured at work, and many more become ill because of the work they do. Most of these accidents and illnesses could have been prevented.

This course gives you a practical understanding of health and safety at work: the law, risk assessment, workplace safety and welfare, and the most common hazards you are likely to meet. It is suitable for employees, supervisors and managers in any type of workplace.

In this module you will learn about:

• Why health and safety matters.
• The main causes of ill health and accidents at work.
• The main health and safety law, and the duties of employers and employees.
• Who enforces health and safety law.
• Reporting accidents and dangerous occurrences.

Good health and safety brings real benefits:

• People go home safe and well at the end of every working day.
• Fewer accidents, less sickness absence and lower staff turnover.
• Lower costs from damage, lost production, insurance claims and fines.
• A better reputation with customers, and better morale among staff.
• Compliance with the law.

Accidents and ill health cause pain and suffering to the people involved and their families, and can cost a business far more than prevention would have.

The most common causes of work-related ill health are:

• Stress, depression and anxiety.
• Musculoskeletal disorders, such as back pain, often caused by manual handling and poor posture.

The most common causes of injuries are slips, trips and falls, manual handling, and being struck by moving objects. Falls from height, and being struck by vehicles or caught in machinery, are among the leading causes of deaths at work.

In Ireland, the main law is the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005. It applies to every employer, employee and self-employed person, in every workplace.

It is supported by regulations, most importantly the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations 2007, which cover topics such as the workplace, manual handling, display screen equipment, work at height, electricity, noise, vibration, first aid and accident reporting.

Under section 8 of the 2005 Act, employers must ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the safety, health and welfare at work of their employees. This includes:

• A safe place of work, with safe access and exit.
• Safe equipment, and safe systems of work.
• Safe handling, storage and use of articles and substances.
• Information, instruction, training and supervision.
• Welfare facilities, and protective equipment where risks cannot be avoided.
• Emergency plans, and consultation with employees on safety.

Under section 13 of the 2005 Act, employees also have legal duties. You must:

• Take reasonable care of your own safety and health, and that of anyone affected by what you do.
• Co-operate with your employer on health and safety.
• Use equipment, protective clothing and safety devices correctly, as you have been trained.
• Report hazards, defects and unsafe practices as soon as possible.
• Never interfere with or misuse anything provided for safety.
• Not be under the influence of alcohol or drugs at work, in a way that could endanger anyone.

Every employer must identify the hazards in the workplace, assess the risks, and put controls in place. This is the risk assessment, covered in the next module.

Every employer must also prepare a written safety statement. It sets out how safety and health will be managed, the hazards and risks identified, the controls in place, the emergency arrangements, and the people responsible. It must be brought to the attention of all employees.

In Ireland, the Health and Safety Authority, or HSA, enforces health and safety law. HSA inspectors can enter workplaces, investigate accidents, and take samples and photographs. Where they find problems, they can:

• Give verbal or written advice.
• Issue an Improvement Direction or an Improvement Notice, requiring the problem to be put right.
• Issue a Prohibition Notice, stopping a dangerous activity immediately.
• Prosecute. On conviction on indictment, fines can reach 3 million euro, with up to two years in prison.

Under the General Application Regulations, employers must report certain accidents and dangerous occurrences to the HSA:

• Any accident that kills an employee, or leaves them unable to carry out their normal work for more than three consecutive days, not counting the day of the accident.
• Any accident to a person who is not an employee, such as a visitor, that requires medical treatment.
• Certain dangerous occurrences, even if nobody was hurt.

Fatal accidents must be reported immediately. All accidents should be recorded and investigated, so that they do not happen again.