BACK TO WORK – ACCIDENTS IN THE WORKPLACE ON RETURN FROM POST COVID-19 LOCKDOWN

Under the Health & Safety at Work regulations in Ireland there are very clear obligations for employers to ensure the safety of staff and visitors on their premises and prevent workplace accidents.

If you are an employer, you have legal obligations to safeguard all people in your workplace. There are health and safety rules covering a wide range of issues such as the use of computers in the workplace, regulations on working with hazardous materials, construction regulations, manual handling regulations and many others.

Nervous about returning to work?

There is a need for increased vigilance when it comes to implementing health and safety procedures for employees soon returning to work. Hazard audits may not have been carried out during lockdown and there has certainly been reduced consultation between employers and employees in regards to real and perceived hazards.

The implementation of safety procedures to minimise new hazards has been sporadic, inconsistent or non-existent as a result of lockdown. Furthermore, resuming normal workplace activities after such a long period of enforced inactivity may result in a significantly altered workplace and new dangers and hazards. This comes with an increased risk around health and safety policy, procedures, and hazard audits.

It is at times like this, when we are most likely to forget about safety audits, that we must remember to proceed with them the most.

3 Easy Steps for Employers

Here are some simple steps that employers should consider in order to ensure that they are putting the safety of staff and visitors first.

1) Consideration should be given to possible changes in the workplace with an emphasis on new hazards. Carry out a full safety audit and hazard audit, ergonomic review and brief all employees before recommencing work.

2) After such prolonged absence, all staff should be refreshed on existing health and safety procedures, and updated on new health and safety procedures. These procedures will come about following the safety and hazard audit

3) New procedures and health & safety measures identified in the hazard audit of the new or enhanced work environment should be discussed fully with employees, and should be implemented comprehensively .

Had a workplace accident ?

Doctor’s appointments to attain medical reports for the Injuries Board process can be difficult to organise at the moment, but we can help you to arrange a medical review. The Injuries Board will accept applications filed by applicants or their injury solicitor without a medical report, which will help to speed up your case.

If you’ve experienced an injury in the workplace, please feel free to contact us here at Martin A. Harvey & Co. Solicitors on 021-4963400 freephone or email us at maharvey@martinharvey.ie.