Safety Statement for a Fit-Out Contractor: What Makes It Different
A fit-out contractor's Safety Statement has specific requirements that differ from a groundworks or civils contractor.
# Safety Statement for a Fit-Out Contractor: What Makes It Different **Slug:** safety-statement-fit-out-contractor-ireland-guide **Category:** Safety Statements **Meta description:** A fit-out contractor's Safety Statement has specific requirements that differ from a groundworks or civils contractor. This guide explains what a fit-out Safety Statement must cover and the hazards it must address. **Focus keyword:** safety statement fit-out contractor Ireland --- A Safety Statement is a legal requirement for every employer in Ireland under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005. However, a Safety Statement is not a generic document that can be copied from one contractor to another. It must reflect the specific hazards and risks of the employer's actual work activities. For a fit-out contractor, this means a Safety Statement that addresses the particular hazards of internal fit-out work, which are quite different from those of a groundworks contractor, a civils contractor, or a structural steel erector. This article explains what a fit-out contractor's Safety Statement must cover, the specific hazards that are most relevant to fit-out work, and the practical steps involved in preparing a Safety Statement that is genuinely fit for purpose. --- ## What Is a Safety Statement? A Safety Statement is a written document that sets out how an employer manages health and safety in their business. Under Section 20 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005, every employer must prepare a written Safety Statement based on a risk assessment of the hazards in their workplace. The Safety Statement must specify: - The hazards identified in the risk assessment - The risks arising from those hazards - The control measures in place to manage those risks - The arrangements for the implementation of the Safety Statement - The duties of employees in relation to health and safety - The resources provided for health and safety The Safety Statement must be brought to the attention of all employees and must be reviewed whenever there is a reason to believe that it is no longer valid, or at least every year. --- ## What Makes Fit-Out Work Different? Fit-out work involves the internal finishing and fitting of a building: partitioning, suspended ceilings, raised access floors, mechanical and electrical installations, joinery, plastering, painting, floor finishes, and the installation of fixtures and fittings. It typically takes place inside an existing or newly constructed building shell, often in a multi-trade environment where several contractors are working in the same space simultaneously. This creates a set of hazards that are distinct from those of civil engineering or groundworks: **Working in occupied or partially occupied buildings:** Fit-out work frequently takes place in buildings that are occupied or partially occupied, or in buildings adjacent to occupied premises. This creates additional hazards, including the risk of dust and noise affecting occupants, the need to maintain emergency escape routes, and the requirement to coordinate with building management. **Multi-trade working:** Fit-out projects typically involve multiple trades working in close proximity. Electricians, plumbers, plasterers, carpenters, and decorators may all be working in the same space at the same time. This creates interface hazards that must be managed carefully, including the risk of one trade's activities creating hazards for another. **Dust:** Fit-out work generates significant quantities of dust, including plaster dust, timber dust, and potentially silica dust from cutting or grinding masonry. Dust control is a major health hazard in fit-out work that must be addressed in the Safety Statement. **Working at height:** Much fit-out work takes place at height, including the installation of suspended ceilings, the fixing of services to ceilings and high-level walls, and painting and decorating. The hazards of working at height in a fit-out environment are different from those on an open construction site: the spaces are often confined, the heights are typically lower (which can lead to complacency), and the use of mobile elevated work platforms (MEWPs) and podium steps is common. **Manual handling:** Fit-out work involves significant manual handling, including the movement of plasterboard sheets, suspended ceiling components, raised access floor panels, and mechanical and electrical equipment. Manual handling injuries are one of the most common causes of injury in fit-out work. **Electrical hazards:** Fit-out work involves extensive electrical installation work, including the installation of distribution boards, lighting, power outlets, and data cabling. The risk of contact with live electrical conductors is a significant hazard, particularly during testing and commissioning. **Chemical hazards:** Fit-out work involves the use of a range of chemical products, including adhesives, sealants, paints, and solvents. Many of these products contain hazardous substances that require specific control measures under the Chemical Agents Regulations 2001. **Noise:** Power tools used in fit-out work, including drills, saws, and grinders, can generate significant noise levels. Noise control and hearing protection are important considerations in fit-out work. --- ## What the Safety Statement Must Cover A fit-out contractor's Safety Statement should address the following hazards and risks as a minimum: **Working at height:** The Safety Statement should identify the types of working at height that arise in fit-out work (suspended ceiling installation, high-level services, painting and decorating) and specify the control measures required, including the hierarchy of control (collective protection before personal protection), the types of access equipment that may be used, and the inspection and maintenance requirements for that equipment. **Manual handling:** The Safety Statement should identify the manual handling tasks that arise in fit-out work and specify the control measures required, including mechanical handling aids where appropriate, team lifting procedures, and training requirements. **Dust:** The Safety Statement should identify the dust hazards in fit-out work, including silica dust from cutting masonry and plaster dust from plastering and sanding. It should specify the control measures required, including on-tool dust extraction, respiratory protective equipment, and health surveillance where appropriate. **Electrical safety:** The Safety Statement should address the electrical hazards in fit-out work, including the risk of contact with live conductors during installation and testing. It should specify the control measures required, including isolation procedures, permit-to-work systems for live working, and the inspection and testing of portable electrical equipment. **Multi-trade coordination:** The Safety Statement should address the hazards that arise from multi-trade working, including the procedures for coordinating with other contractors, the management of interface hazards, and the arrangements for communication between trades. **Chemical agents:** The Safety Statement should identify the chemical products used in fit-out work and specify the control measures required under the Chemical Agents Regulations 2001, including substitution of hazardous products where possible, ventilation, and personal protective equipment. **Noise and vibration:** The Safety Statement should address the noise and vibration hazards in fit-out work, including the use of power tools, and specify the control measures required, including hearing protection, tool selection, and exposure monitoring where appropriate. --- ## The Difference Between a Safety Statement and a RAMS A Safety Statement is a standing document that describes how the employer manages health and safety across all of their work activities. It is not a project-specific document. A Risk Assessment and Method Statement (RAMS), by contrast, is a project-specific document that describes the specific risks and control measures for a particular task or project. For a fit-out contractor, a RAMS would be prepared for specific high-risk activities such as working at height, hot works, or working in confined spaces. The Safety Statement and the RAMS work together: the Safety Statement sets out the employer's overall approach to health and safety, while the RAMS provides the specific detail for individual tasks. A fit-out contractor needs both. --- ## Reviewing and Updating the Safety Statement A fit-out contractor's Safety Statement should be reviewed at least annually and whenever there is a significant change in the business's activities. If the contractor takes on a new type of work (for example, moving from commercial fit-out to healthcare fit-out), the Safety Statement should be reviewed and updated to address the new hazards. The Safety Statement should also be reviewed following any accident or near miss, to determine whether the control measures it specifies were adequate and whether any changes are required. --- If you need help preparing or reviewing a Safety Statement for your fit-out business, Safety Check can assist. [Contact us](/contact) for practical guidance from a consultant with over 24 years of construction safety experience.