What Must a Safety Statement Include? A Practical Checklist for Irish Employers
Find out exactly what your Safety Statement must contain under Irish law. A practical checklist for employers and contractors based on the SHWW Act 2005.
# What Must a Safety Statement Include? A Practical Checklist for Irish Employers ## What Is a Safety Statement? A Safety Statement is a written programme, based on the hazard identification and risk assessment process, that sets out how the health and safety of employees will be secured and managed. It is not a generic document that can be downloaded from the internet and used without modification. It must be specific to your workplace, your activities, and the actual hazards your employees face. The HSA is clear on this point: a Safety Statement that does not reflect the specific risks in your workplace is not compliant, even if it is a lengthy and professionally presented document. --- ## The Legal Requirement Section 20 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 sets out what a Safety Statement must contain. It must be based on the identification of hazards and the risk assessment carried out under Section 19 of the Act, and it must specify: 1. The hazards identified and the risks assessed 2. The protective and preventive measures taken, and the resources provided, to safeguard the safety, health, and welfare of employees 3. The plans and procedures to be followed in the event of an emergency or serious and imminent danger 4. The duties of employees in relation to safety, health, and welfare at work 5. The names and, where applicable, the job titles of the persons responsible for performing the tasks assigned to them under the Safety Statement 6. The arrangements for the co-operation of employees in relation to safety, health, and welfare at work 7. The arrangements for consultation with, and participation by, employees in relation to safety, health, and welfare at work These are the minimum statutory requirements. A well-prepared Safety Statement will typically go beyond this minimum to provide a comprehensive and practical guide to managing safety in the workplace. --- ## Section by Section: What to Include ### 1. Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment This is the foundation of the Safety Statement. It must document the hazards that exist in your workplace and the risks those hazards present to your employees. For a construction contractor, this will typically include: - Working at height (falls from scaffolding, ladders, roofs, and excavations) - Manual handling (musculoskeletal injuries from lifting, carrying, and repetitive tasks) - Plant and equipment (struck-by incidents involving vehicles and mobile plant) - Excavations (collapse, buried services, falling objects) - Electricity (contact with live services, overhead lines, temporary electrical installations) - Noise and vibration (hearing damage, hand-arm vibration syndrome) - Hazardous substances (cement, silica dust, solvents, asbestos) - Fire (ignition sources, flammable materials, emergency evacuation) - Welfare (access to toilets, washing facilities, rest areas, drinking water) For each hazard, the risk assessment must consider the likelihood of harm occurring and the severity of the potential consequences, and must identify the control measures in place to reduce the risk to an acceptable level. ### 2. Protective and Preventive Measures The Safety Statement must describe the specific measures taken to control each identified risk. This is where many Safety Statements fall short: they identify hazards but fail to describe the controls in sufficient detail to be useful. For each significant risk, the controls should be described clearly enough that a new employee or a visiting inspector can understand what is required. Vague statements such as "appropriate PPE will be worn" are not sufficient. The statement should specify what PPE is required, when it must be worn, and who is responsible for ensuring it is available and used. ### 3. Emergency Plans and Procedures The Safety Statement must include plans and procedures for emergencies. For a construction site, this typically covers: - Fire evacuation procedures, including the location of assembly points and the identity of fire wardens - First aid arrangements, including the location of first aid kits and the names of trained first aiders - Procedures for dealing with a serious injury or illness on site - Procedures for dealing with a dangerous occurrence, such as a structural collapse or a gas leak - Contact details for emergency services The emergency procedures must be communicated to all workers on site, not just filed in the Safety Statement document. ### 4. Employees' Duties The Safety Statement must set out the duties of employees in relation to health and safety. Under Section 13 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005, employees are required to: - Take reasonable care of their own safety and the safety of others who may be affected by their acts or omissions - Co-operate with their employer in complying with safety legislation - Use any equipment, personal protective equipment, or safety device provided in accordance with their training and the instructions given - Report any hazard, defect, or dangerous situation to their employer - Not engage in improper conduct or behaviour that is likely to endanger themselves or others The Safety Statement should describe these duties in terms that are relevant to the specific workplace and activities involved. ### 5. Named Responsible Persons The Safety Statement must name the individuals who are responsible for specific safety functions. This should include: - The person with overall responsibility for health and safety (typically the employer or a senior manager) - The safety officer or safety representative, if appointed - First aiders and their locations - Fire wardens - Any other persons with specific safety responsibilities, such as a Responsible Person for electrical safety or a Confined Space Entry Supervisor Named individuals must be aware of their responsibilities and must have the competence and authority to carry them out. ### 6. Arrangements for Employee Co-operation The Safety Statement must describe how employees are involved in health and safety management. This includes the arrangements for consulting with employees on safety matters, the role of any safety representative, and the arrangements for safety committee meetings if applicable. Under Section 26 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005, employees have the right to select a safety representative, and employers are required to consult with that representative on matters relating to health and safety. ### 7. Consultation and Participation Arrangements Related to the above, the Safety Statement should describe the mechanisms through which employees can raise safety concerns and contribute to the improvement of safety standards. This might include toolbox talks, safety briefings, suggestion schemes, or formal safety committee meetings. --- ## The Requirement to Review and Update A Safety Statement is not a one-off document. Section 20(3) of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 requires employers to review and revise their Safety Statement whenever: - There is reason to believe it is no longer valid - There has been a significant change in the matters to which it refers - An accident, dangerous occurrence, or near miss has occurred - An inspector or the HSA has required a review In practice, a Safety Statement should be reviewed at least annually. For construction contractors, it should also be reviewed at the start of each new project to ensure that it reflects the specific hazards of that project. --- ## Practical Checklist Use the following checklist to assess whether your Safety Statement meets the minimum legal requirements. | Requirement | In Place? | |---|---| | Based on a written hazard identification and risk assessment | | | Identifies all significant hazards in the workplace | | | Describes specific control measures for each significant risk | | | Includes emergency plans and procedures | | | Sets out employees' duties in relation to health and safety | | | Names the persons responsible for specific safety functions | | | Describes arrangements for employee consultation and participation | | | Has been reviewed within the last 12 months | | | Has been brought to the attention of all employees | | | Is specific to the workplace and activities involved (not a generic template) | | If you cannot tick every box on this list, your Safety Statement needs attention. --- ## Who Must Have a Safety Statement? Every employer with three or more employees must have a written Safety Statement. Employers with fewer than three employees are not required to have a written Safety Statement, but they are still required to carry out hazard identification and risk assessment under Section 19 of the Act. Self-employed persons who employ others are employers for this purpose. Sole traders who work alone are not required to have a Safety Statement, but they are still subject to the general duty to manage risks to their own health and safety. --- If your Safety Statement needs to be written from scratch, or if your existing document has not been reviewed in some time, Safety Check can help. We prepare Safety Statements that are specific to your business, legally compliant, and genuinely useful as a management tool. [Contact us](/contact) to discuss your requirements.