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Safety statement template (Ireland)

A safety statement for an employer in Ireland, in the order section 20 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 sets out. It starts from your own section 19 risk assessment, rated Low, Medium or High as in the Health and Safety Authority's guide, then records the measures, the emergency plan, the people responsible, how employees are consulted and told, and the review. If you do construction work, an extra section covers the PSDP and PSCS, Safe Pass and your Safe System of Work Plans. It is written to Irish law, so it is not the UK risk assessment template or RAMS.

For employers and the self-employed in Ireland who need a written safety statement, and for contractors whose client or PSCS asks for theirs or an extract from it.

  • Policy declaration signed at senior management level, with the director responsible named
  • Risk assessment row by row: who is at risk, current controls, Low, Medium or High, further action by whom and when
  • Each control tagged with the general principles of prevention, with a warning when it relies on PPE alone
  • Emergency plan, competent persons, responsible people and employee duties under section 13
  • Safety representative, safety committee, how employees are told, at least once a year
  • Construction section: PSDP and PSCS appointments, extract to the PSCS, Safe Pass and SSWP log
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Sections
10
Questions
116
Guidance notes
18
Photo fields
1
Signatures
2
Worked out
15

What must a safety statement include in Ireland?

Under section 20 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005, every employer must have a written safety statement, based on the hazard identification and risk assessment required by section 19, that specifies how the safety, health and welfare of employees will be secured and managed. It must specify the hazards identified and risks assessed, the protective and preventive measures and resources provided, the plans for an emergency or serious and imminent danger, the duties of employees, the names and job titles of the people responsible for tasks under it, and the arrangements for safety representatives and consultation. It must be brought to employees' attention at least once a year and reviewed when things change.

Last updated . Facts checked by the SiteSurvey team on 25 October 2026 against section 19 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 (risk assessment), section 20 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 (safety statement), section 11 of the 2005 Act (emergencies and serious and imminent dangers), section 25 of the 2005 Act (safety representatives), section 26 of the 2005 Act (consultation and safety committees), Health and Safety Authority, A Guide to Risk Assessments and Safety Statements (updated December 2016), Health and Safety Authority, Safety Statement and Risk Assessment FAQs, Health and Safety Authority, Safe System of Work Plan FAQs and Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Construction) Regulations 2013 (S.I. No. 291 of 2013).

How to write a safety statement in six steps

These follow the HSA guide and the form's pages. The statement has to fit your workplace; the HSA says a generic one is not compliant with sections 19 and 20.

  1. Write the policy

    Start with a declaration signed at senior management level: the commitment to a workplace as safe and healthy as reasonably practicable, how safety and health is managed, and this year's objectives. Name the director or senior manager responsible.

  2. Identify the hazards

    Walk each place of work and look at the activities, equipment, substances and people. Think about those not always there: cleaners, visitors, contractors and the public, and vulnerable groups such as young persons and pregnant employees.

  3. Assess and control the risks

    For each hazard, record who is at risk, what you already do and the level of risk left: Low, Medium or High. Add further controls with a name and a date for anything that is not low, working through the general principles of prevention, with PPE last.

  4. Set out the arrangements

    Record the protective and preventive measures and resources, the emergency plan with the people designated for it, the names and job titles of the people responsible for each task, the duties of employees, and how employees and their safety representative are consulted.

  5. Bring it to people's attention

    Go through it with employees in a form and language they understand, at least once a year and after every change; with new employees when they start; and with others exposed to a specific risk. Keep a copy or extract at or near every place of work.

  6. Review it

    Review it at least once a year, when something significant changes, when there is reason to think it is no longer valid, and within 30 days if an inspector directs you to amend it. Record what changed and sign the new version.

Safety statement, risk assessment, SSWP and safety and health plan: what each one is

In Ireland the safety statement is the employer's own document for the whole workplace. The others sit under it or alongside it on a construction project.

What it isWho prepares itRequired by
Safety statementHow the employer secures and manages safety and health: hazards and risks, measures, emergency plans, named people, consultationEvery employer (and the self-employed)Section 20 of the 2005 Act
Risk assessmentThe written identification of hazards and assessment of risks the safety statement is based onEvery employerSection 19 of the 2005 Act
Safe System of Work Plan (SSWP)An HSA form that applies the safety statement to one construction activity before it starts, ticking hazards and controlsUsually the supervisor, foreman or self-employed personHSA guidance; it does not replace the safety statement
Safety and health planThe project plan the PSDP prepares and the PSCS develops, with site rules and measures for particular risksPSDP, then PSCSRegulations 12 and 16 of the Construction Regulations 2013

Sources: section 19 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 (risk assessment), section 20 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 (safety statement), Health and Safety Authority, Safe System of Work Plan FAQs and Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Construction) Regulations 2013 (S.I. No. 291 of 2013).

What makes a safety statement fit your own workplace

Level of risk with the current controls, and the further action for anything not Low

Brackloon Fit-Out Ltd, a 14-person joinery and shop fit-out contractor, Rev 4 dated 12 January 2026. Eight hazards assessed across the workshop and its sites: work at height rated High with the current controls, so the further action (podium steps to replace the last stepladders, tower training for two new fitters) has a name and a date and was completed on 19 February. Every row has a control other than PPE, the safety representative is named, employees were taken through Rev 4 on 15 January with a Polish extract for two fitters, and on the pharmacy fit-out the company is PSCS with two signed Safe System of Work Plans, so the page reads zero points to resolve.

Fictional example. Record the actual evidence and approved arrangements for your job.

A common recording mistake

Buying a generic statement and changing the company name: the HSA says that is not compliant with sections 19 and 20. The other common gap is a statement that was right when written and never brought back to employees: section 20(3) needs at least once a year and after every change.

What happens next

Bring the signed version to every employee's attention, keep a copy or extract at or near each place of work, and give the relevant extract to any PSCS you work under. Diary the next review and revisit it sooner after an accident or a significant change.

Built so the statement fits your workplace, not a generic one

Each hazard gets its own row with who is at risk, what you already do and a Low, Medium or High level, and anything not low needs a further action with a name and a date. The last page counts the gaps section 20 cares about, from a missing name to a year since employees were last told, and the construction section keeps the PSCS, Safe Pass and Safe System of Work Plans with the statement they apply.

A hazard row in the completed safety statement on a phone: work at height rated High, the additional controls needed, who will do it, by when and the date completed

Risk assessment, row by row

The level of risk is the HSA guide's Low, Medium or High. Each control is tagged with the general principles of prevention in Schedule 3 of the 2005 Act, and a row that relies on PPE alone is flagged.

The construction page of the completed safety statement on a phone: the project, the client and the triggers for appointing a PSDP and PSCS

Construction work alongside the statement

Tick what applies to the project and the form asks for the PSDP and PSCS appointments, the extract for the PSCS when you are a contractor, Safe Pass, the safety officer above 20 people on site, and a log of signed SSWPs.

The review page of the completed safety statement on a phone: why this version was reviewed, the next review date and Points to resolve reading 0

Gaps counted before you sign

No senior manager named, a high risk with no further controls, PPE alone, a serious risk extract not given, no assembly point, more than a year since employees were told, or a construction item missing: each adds one to the count.

How calculated fields work →

A completed safety statement

Brackloon Fit-Out Ltd (fictional), a 14-person joinery and shop fit-out contractor with a workshop and client sites: Rev 4 signed by the Managing Director, eight hazards assessed with work at height rated High and its further action done, three designated emergency people, the safety representative named, employees taken through it on 15 January with a Polish extract for two fitters, and a pharmacy fit-out where the company is PSCS with two signed Safe System of Work Plans.

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Every question in the safety statement template

A safety statement for employers in Ireland under section 20 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005: policy, the section 19 risk assessment rated Low, Medium or High, protective and preventive measures, emergency plans, named responsible people, consultation and the safety representative, how it is brought to employees’ attention, and review. Optional construction section with the PSDP, PSCS, Safe Pass and Safe System of Work Plans. 10 sections and 116 questions. Follow-up questions and guidance appear only when an answer calls for them, so the person on site never sees the ones that do not apply.

Make it your own: every question is editable

This is a starting point, not a fixed form. Once it is in your SiteSurvey account you can reword any question, add or remove questions, sections and answer options, and add your own logo, so it fits the way your team works and the jobs you do.

Details you only enter once

Add this form to a project in SiteSurvey and it fills in what the project already knows, so nobody on site retypes it and every form on the job uses the same names. Anything filled in can still be changed.

  • Statement title: the project name
  • Main address: the site address, from the space or the project

Each section opens on its own. The first is open; tap a heading to see the rest.

Employer and scope

10 questions
  • Statement title*Short answer

    For example, Safety Statement 2026, Main office and depot.

    Fills in from the project name
  • Employer (company or trading name)*Short answer
  • Main address*Short answer
    Fills in from the site address, from the space or the project
  • Type of business or work activity*Short answer

    What you do, in a few words. The statement has to fit this work, not a generic one.

  • Number of employees*Number
  • CheckWith 3 or fewer employees, section 20(8) of the 2005 Act lets you observe a Health and Safety Authority code of practice for your type of work instead (codes exist for construction, agriculture and fishing, for example). You still need your written risk assessment under section 19.
    Shown only when the answers above make it relevant
  • Places of work this statement covers
    Repeat for each place of work. Each one asks:
    • Name or location*Short answer
    • AddressShort answer
    • Work carried out thereShort answer
    • Where the copy or extract is keptShort answer

      Section 20(7): at or near every place of work it relates to.

  • Do you carry out construction work?Yes or No

    Opens the construction section: PSDP and PSCS, Safe Pass and the Safe System of Work Plan.

  • Statement referenceShort answer
  • VersionShort answer
  • Date of this version*Date

Safety and health policy

6 questions
  • GuidanceThe HSA guide starts the statement with a declaration signed at senior management level: a commitment to a workplace as safe and healthy as reasonably practicable and to the relevant statutory requirements, the framework for managing safety and health, and your objectives.
  • Policy declaration*Notes
  • Safety and health objectives for this yearNotes

    Short, measurable targets. For example: every new starter inducted on day one; manual handling training for the warehouse team by March.

  • Person at senior management or director level with responsibility for safety and health*Short answer

    The HSA says this name is the minimum the statement must include.

  • Position*Short answer
  • SignatureSignature
  • Date signedDate

Hazards and risk assessment

9 questions
  • GuidanceSection 19 requires a written risk assessment and section 20 bases the statement on it. Walk the workplace, talk to the people doing the work and add one row per hazard: who is at risk, what you already do, the level of risk left, then any further action with a name and a date.
  • Risk assessment
    Repeat for each hazard. Each one asks:
    • Hazard*Choose one
      • Work at height
      • Falling objects
      • Excavation and underground services
      • Manual handling
      • Slips, trips and falls on the level
      • Electricity and live working
      • Power tools and work equipment
      • Hazardous substances and dust
      • Asbestos
      • Noise
      • Hand-arm vibration
      • Vehicles and mobile plant
      • Lifting operations
      • Hot works
      • Fire
      • Confined spaces
      • Members of the public and building occupants
      • Lone working
      • Fragile roofs and skylights
      • Overhead power lines
      • Chainsaws and cutting equipment
      • Temporary structures and rigging
      • Crowds at build and breakdown
      • Biological hazards and sharps
      • Weather, heat and cold
      • Display screen equipment
      • Work-related stress
      • Bullying and harassment
      • Violence and aggression
      • Driving for work
      • Pregnant, post-natal and breastfeeding employees
      • Young persons at work
      • Machinery and moving parts
      • Biological agents
      • Welfare facilities
      • Housekeeping and storage
      • Other
    • Describe the hazard*Short answer
      Shown when “Hazard” is “Other”
    • Where or during which activityShort answer
    • Who is at risk?Tick all that apply
      • Employees
      • New or inexperienced employees
      • Young persons
      • Pregnant, post-natal or breastfeeding employees
      • Night and shift workers
      • Employees whose first language is not English
      • Employees with a disability
      • Lone workers
      • Contractors
      • Visitors
      • Members of the public
      • Cleaners or maintenance staff
      • Other (describe)
    • Current controls (what you already do)*Notes
    • How the controls workTick all that apply

      The general principles of prevention in Schedule 3 of the 2005 Act. Personal protective equipment is the last resort.

      • Avoid the risk
      • Combat the risk at source
      • Replace with something safer or less dangerous
      • Adapt the work to the individual
      • Collective protective measures (guarding, barriers, extraction)
      • Safe system of work, procedure or permit
      • Training, instruction and supervision
      • Personal protective equipment
    • PPE onlyWorked out by the form
    • CheckThese controls rely on personal protective equipment alone. The HSA says PPE should be used only as a last resort, after other ways of controlling the hazard have been fully explored.
      Shown only when the answers above make it relevant
    • Level of risk with the current controls*Choose one
      • Low
      • Medium
      • High
    • Additional controls neededNotes
      Shown only when the answers above make it relevant
    • WarningHigh risk: the HSA guide says deal with high risk hazards first. Add the further controls, who will do it and by when.
      Shown only when the answers above make it relevant
    • Action by whomShort answer
      Shown when “Additional controls needed” is answered
    • By whenDate
      Shown when “Additional controls needed” is answered
    • Date completedDate
      Shown when “Additional controls needed” is answered
    • Is this a task that poses a serious risk?Yes or No

      Section 20(4): those affected get the relevant extract: the risk, the assessment and the measures.

    • Extract given to the people affected?Yes or No
      Shown when “Is this a task that poses a serious risk?” is Yes
    • PhotosPhotos
    • High risk without further controlsWorked out by the form
    • Action outstandingWorked out by the form
    • Extract not givenWorked out by the form
  • Hazards assessedWorked out by the form
  • High riskWorked out by the form
  • Actions still openWorked out by the form
  • High risk without further controlsWorked out by the form
  • Hazards relying on PPE aloneWorked out by the form
  • Serious risk extracts not givenWorked out by the form
  • Work that needs a permit to workShort answer

    The HSA asks you to write down which activities need a permit, for example confined spaces or isolating machinery for repair.

  • Other documents this statement relies on, and where they are keptShort answer

    For example safety data sheets, manufacturer instructions, procedures. The statement can refer to them rather than repeat them.

Protective and preventive measures and resources

4 questions
  • GuidanceSection 20(2)(b): the protective and preventive measures taken and the resources provided. Tick the arrangements you have and say briefly how each one works where it matters for your work.
  • Arrangements in placeTick all that apply
    • Welfare facilities (toilets, washing, drinking water, rest and eating)
    • Induction for new employees
    • Training and competence records
    • Personal protective equipment: issue, use and replacement, free of charge
    • Visitors
    • Contractors and others sharing the workplace
    • Young persons
    • Pregnant, post-natal and breastfeeding employees
    • Dignity at work: bullying, harassment and work-related stress
    • Accident and dangerous occurrence reporting and investigation
    • Health surveillance
    • Occupational health advice
    • Work equipment maintenance and inspection
    • Chemical safety data sheets and storage
    • Driving for work
    • Lone working
    • Other (describe)
  • How the main arrangements workNotes
  • Competent persons appointed under section 18
    Repeat for each competent person. Each one asks:
    • Name*Short answer
    • Functions*Short answer
    • Employed or external?Choose one
      • Our employee
      • External adviser
  • Resources providedNotes

    Budget, time, equipment and outside help for safety and health.

Emergency plans and procedures

9 questions
  • GuidanceSection 20(2)(c) and section 11: first aid, fire-fighting and evacuation, contacts with the emergency services, and the employees designated to carry out the plan.
  • Assembly point*Short answer
  • How the alarm is raisedShort answer
  • Location of the first aid kitShort answer
  • Nearest hospital emergency departmentShort answer
  • Emergency servicesShort answer
  • Other emergency contactsShort answer

    Garda station, gas and electricity emergency numbers, out-of-hours contact.

  • Employees designated for emergencies
    Repeat for each designated person. Each one asks:
    • Name*Short answer
    • RoleChoose one
      • Occupational first aider
      • Fire warden
      • Evacuation marshal
      • Spill response
      • Other
    • Training dateDate
  • Serious and imminent danger: how people are told to stop work and go to a safe place*Notes

    Section 11(3): nobody is penalised for leaving a place of serious, imminent and unavoidable danger.

  • Last evacuation drillDate

Responsibilities and duties

3 questions
  • GuidanceSection 20(2)(e): the name and, where applicable, job title of each person responsible for a task under the statement. Section 20(2)(d): the duties of employees.
  • People responsible for safety tasks
    Repeat for each responsible person. Each one asks:
    • Name*Short answer
    • Job title or positionShort answer
    • Tasks assigned to them under this statement*Notes
  • Employee duties set out (section 13)Tick all that apply
    • Comply with the law and take reasonable care of themselves and others
    • Not be under the influence of an intoxicant that endangers anyone
    • Co-operate with the employer on safety and health
    • Not engage in improper conduct that endangers anyone
    • Attend training and assessment the employer reasonably requires
    • Use equipment, substances and protective clothing correctly
    • Report dangerous work, defects and contraventions as soon as practicable
  • Other duties for your workplaceNotes

Consultation and safety representatives

8 questions
  • GuidanceSection 20(2)(f): the arrangements for safety representatives and for consultation with and participation by employees, including the names of the safety representative and the safety committee members if appointed (sections 25 and 26).
  • How employees are consultedTick all that apply
    • Safety representative
    • Safety committee
    • Regular team or toolbox meetings
    • One-to-one discussions
    • Suggestion or reporting system
    • Consultation before new equipment, chemicals or work methods
    • Other (describe)
  • Have the employees appointed a safety representative?Yes or No
  • Safety representative*Short answer
    Shown when “Have the employees appointed a safety representative?” is Yes
  • How to contact themShort answer
    Shown when “Have the employees appointed a safety representative?” is Yes
  • CheckEmployees may select and appoint a safety representative from among themselves at any time (section 25). Record how they can do that, and how they are consulted meanwhile.
    Shown when “Have the employees appointed a safety representative?” is No
  • Is there a safety committee?Yes or No
  • Safety committee members*Notes
    Shown when “Is there a safety committee?” is Yes
  • Last consultation on this statementDate
  • What was discussedNotes

Bringing the statement to people’s attention

6 questions
  • GuidanceSection 20(3): in a form, manner and language reasonably likely to be understood, to employees at least once a year and after every amendment, to new employees when they start, and to others at the workplace exposed to a specific risk it covers. It does not need to be displayed, but it must be accessible.
  • How it is brought to employees’ attentionTick all that apply
    • Copy or extract given to each employee
    • Talked through at induction
    • Talked through at a team meeting
    • Available on the intranet or app
    • In the employee handbook
    • Through training
    • Other (describe)
  • Languages usedShort answer

    Translated extracts or an interpreter where English is not the first language.

  • Last brought to the attention of all employees*Date
  • More than a year before this versionWorked out by the form
  • WarningThat is more than a year before this version. Section 20(3)(a) needs at least once a year.
    Shown only when the answers above make it relevant
  • New employees are told about it when they start?*Yes or No
  • Others told about the risks that affect themTick all that apply
    • Contractors
    • Temporary or agency workers
    • Delivery drivers
    • Self-employed people providing a service
    • Visitors
    • Other (describe)

Construction work

16 questions
  • GuidanceFor employers carrying out construction work under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Construction) Regulations 2013. Your safety statement still applies on every site; the Safe System of Work Plan applies it to the job, and the PSCS uses your relevant extract in the safety and health plan.
  • Project or site*Short answer
  • ClientShort answer
  • Which of these apply to the project?Tick all that apply

    Any one of these means the client must appoint a PSDP and a PSCS in writing (regulation 6).

    • More than one contractor
    • A particular risk listed in Schedule 1
    • Planned to last longer than 30 working days or more than 500 person-days
  • Appointments requiredWorked out by the form
  • Project Supervisor Design Process (PSDP)Short answer
    Shown only when the answers above make it relevant
  • PSDP appointed in writing?Yes or No
    Shown only when the answers above make it relevant
  • Project Supervisor Construction Stage (PSCS)Short answer
    Shown only when the answers above make it relevant
  • PSCS appointed in writing?Yes or No
    Shown only when the answers above make it relevant
  • Our role on this projectChoose one
    • Contractor
    • PSCS and contractor
    • Client
    • PSDP
  • Relevant extract of our safety statement given to the PSCS?Yes or No

    Regulation 24(1)(c): site specific information, including any relevant extract from your safety statement.

    Shown only when the answers above make it relevant
  • Safety and health plan seen and its site rules briefed to our workers?Yes or No
    Shown only when the answers above make it relevant
  • CheckNotifiable project: the PSCS gives written notice to the Health and Safety Authority before the work begins (regulation 22) and displays the particulars on site.
    Shown when “Which of these apply to the project?” includes “Planned to last longer than 30 working days or more than 500 person-days”
  • Everyone on site holds a valid Safe Pass card?*Yes or No
  • Our people normally on this site at one timeNumber
  • Safety officer appointed in writingShort answer

    Regulation 26: a contractor who normally has more than 20 persons on a site, or 30 in construction work.

    Shown only when the answers above make it relevant
  • Safe System of Work Plans
    Repeat for each sswp. Each one asks:
    • Work activity*Short answer
    • SSWP formChoose one
      • House building
      • Ground works
      • Civil engineering
      • Demolition
      • Commercial building
      • Roadworks
      • Other
    • DateDate
    • Prepared by (supervisor, foreman or self-employed person)Short answer
    • Hazards selected and the controls for each*Notes
    • Controls confirmed in place with the workers before work started?Yes or No
    • Signed off and brought to the attention of everyone it applies to?Yes or No
    • Kept at the work location withShort answer

      The HSA says the completed SSWP stays at the work location with the people doing the work.

    • Not confirmedWorked out by the form
  • GuidanceFill in a new SSWP when a new hazard is identified, the task changes or the environment changes. It complements the safety statement and does not replace it.
  • SSWPs not confirmedWorked out by the form

Review and sign-off

11 questions
  • Why this version was reviewedTick all that apply

    Section 20(5) and HSA guidance: at least annually, and on significant change, another reason to believe it is no longer valid, or an inspector’s direction.

    • Annual review
    • Significant change in the work, equipment, substances or people
    • Reason to believe it is no longer valid
    • Inspector directed it to be amended
    • After an accident, dangerous occurrence or near miss
    • New legislation or guidance
  • Date of the inspector’s directionDate
    Shown when “Why this version was reviewed” includes “Inspector directed it to be amended”
  • Amended within 30 days of the direction?Yes or No
    Shown when “Why this version was reviewed” includes “Inspector directed it to be amended”
  • What changed in this versionNotes
  • Employees or the safety representative consulted on this review?Yes or No
  • Next review due*Date
  • Points to resolveWorked out by the form
  • CheckEach open point is a gap the statement does not yet cover: a missing name, a high risk without further controls, a hazard relying on PPE alone, an extract not given, no assembly point, more than a year since employees were told, or a construction item not in place.
    Shown only when the answers above make it relevant
  • GuidanceNothing to resolve. Bring this version to the attention of employees and keep a copy at or near each place of work.
    Shown only when the answers above make it relevant
  • Signed for the employer by*Short answer
  • Position*Short answer
  • SignatureSignature
  • Date*Date
  • CheckThe Health and Safety Authority does not pre-approve safety statements. It is the employer’s responsibility to make it fit the workplace; an inspector may review it and direct you to revise it.

See it filled in

A completed safety statement report, made by SiteSurvey from a fictional site visit: every answer, the photos, the guidance that applied and the sign-off, ready to send as a PDF.

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Safety statement FAQs

Is a safety statement a legal requirement in Ireland?

Yes. Section 20 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 requires every employer to prepare a written safety statement, and section 19 requires the written risk assessment it is based on. The Health and Safety Authority says those required to prepare them are all employers, those who control workplaces to any extent, those who provide workplaces for use by others, and the self-employed. The HSA does not pre-approve safety statements, but an inspector may review yours and direct you to revise it within 30 days.

Sources: section 20 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 (safety statement), section 19 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 (risk assessment), Health and Safety Authority, Safety Statement and Risk Assessment FAQs and Health and Safety Authority, A Guide to Risk Assessments and Safety Statements (updated December 2016).

Do I need a safety statement with only one or two employees?

Section 20(8) says an employer with 3 or fewer employees complies by observing a code of practice on safety statements for their type of work, where one exists. The HSA has prepared codes for sectors including construction, agriculture and fishing; the construction code is used with the Safe System of Work Plan forms. Where no code covers your work you need a safety statement, and a written risk assessment is needed in every case.

Sources: section 20 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 (safety statement), Health and Safety Authority, Safety Statement and Risk Assessment FAQs and Health and Safety Authority, Safe System of Work Plan FAQs.

Can I use a generic safety statement?

No. The HSA says a safety statement is specific and unique to each place of work, and an employer using a generic one would not be compliant with sections 19 and 20. A template like this one, or the HSA's free BeSMART.ie tool, is a starting point: the hazards, controls, names and arrangements have to be your own. The form counts the gaps, such as a high risk with no further controls or a hazard relying on PPE alone.

Sources: Health and Safety Authority, Safety Statement and Risk Assessment FAQs and Health and Safety Authority, A Guide to Risk Assessments and Safety Statements (updated December 2016).

How often must the safety statement be reviewed and brought to employees' attention?

Section 20(3) requires you to bring it to the attention of employees at least annually and after any amendment, of new employees when they start, and of others at the workplace exposed to a specific risk it covers, in a form, manner and language they are likely to understand. Section 20(5) requires a review when there has been a significant change, when there is another reason to believe it is no longer valid, or when an inspector directs it to be amended within 30 days; the HSA recommends reviewing it at least once a year. It does not have to be displayed, but a copy or relevant extract must be kept at or near every place of work it covers.

Sources: section 20 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 (safety statement) and Health and Safety Authority, A Guide to Risk Assessments and Safety Statements (updated December 2016).

What goes in the emergency section?

Section 20(2)(c) asks for the plans and procedures for an emergency or serious and imminent danger, in line with sections 8 and 11. Section 11 covers first aid, fire-fighting and evacuation, contacts with the emergency services, and designating employees to carry out the plan, with enough of them, trained and equipped. In a serious, imminent and unavoidable danger employees must be able to stop work and go to a safe place without being penalised. The form records the assembly point, alarm, first aid kit, nearest emergency department, the designated people and the last drill.

Sources: section 11 of the 2005 Act (emergencies and serious and imminent dangers) and section 20 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 (safety statement).

Do we have to have a safety representative?

The employer does not appoint one: under section 25, employees may select and appoint a safety representative from among themselves. If they have, the safety statement must name them, and the members of the safety committee if there is one (section 20(2)(f)). Either way, section 26 requires you to consult employees, in advance and in good time, on matters including the risk assessment and the preparation of the safety statement.

Sources: section 25 of the 2005 Act (safety representatives), section 26 of the 2005 Act (consultation and safety committees) and section 20 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 (safety statement).

What does the construction section cover?

Under the Construction Regulations 2013, a client appoints a Project Supervisor Design Process (PSDP) and a Project Supervisor Construction Stage (PSCS) in writing where there is more than one contractor, a particular risk listed in Schedule 1, or the work is planned to last longer than 30 working days or more than 500 person-days. A contractor must give the PSCS any relevant extract from its safety statement (regulation 24). The section records those appointments, the extract, Safe Pass cards, the safety officer where you normally have more than 20 people on a site (regulation 26), and a log of your Safe System of Work Plans.

Source: Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Construction) Regulations 2013 (S.I. No. 291 of 2013).

Does a Safe System of Work Plan replace the safety statement?

No. The HSA says the SSWP complements the safety statement but does not replace it. It applies the statement to one construction activity: the person planning the work ticks the hazards and the controls, confirms the controls are in place with the workers before the work starts, and signs it off. A new SSWP is needed when a new hazard is identified, the task changes or the environment changes, and the completed form stays at the work location with the people doing the work.

Source: Health and Safety Authority, Safe System of Work Plan FAQs.

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