During the first six months of this year, officers from the Occupational Health and Safety Authority (OHSA) carried out 2,177 inspections in different workplaces both during and outside normal working hours.
These ranged from micro to large enterprises in the manufacturing, construction and services sector, among others.
As has always happened, the OHSA said that during the inspections, the officers looked at a number of things in the work activity that was being carried out and took action according to the level of risks.
After the inspections, the officers had almost 400 private meetings with whoever was responsible for health and safety to discuss themes related to the inspection.
In situations where the danger was “significant but not high, improvement notices” were issued, which instruct the employer to remedy the situation within a reasonable period of time. Between January and June 2022, 357 of this type of improvement notices were issued, the Authority said.
In 403 workplaces that were inspected, the hazards presented were considered serious enough to potentially cause death or serious physical harm. In these cases, OHSA officials issued orders to stop work activities immediately until the situation was remedied.
The OHSA stated that “these cases continue to be followed up to ensure that workplaces become compliant. In all these cases, administrative fines are issued or judicial proceedings are initiated once the OHSA investigations are finalised.”
During the same time period, 253 entities and individuals were issued with administrative fines for breaches of occupational health and safety legislation committed during the previous months, amounting to just over €100,000. Legal proceedings were also initiated in court in 74 individual cases, the Authority said.
The most common deficiencies encountered by officials were the lack of provisions to prevent falls from height, construction site project supervisors who do not adhere to the general principles of health and safety prevention and clients of the construction site that do not follow the recommendations of the project supervisors.
During the same time period, OHSA also audited 2,466 equipment examination reports and 951 construction notification forms, among others.
Photos OHSA: Examples of “blatant health and safety hazards” discovered by OHSA inspectors during the last few days. “Despite existing laws and campaigns, irregularities of this kind with makeshift ladders and free access construction sites with all dangers to anyone who enters, are discovered.”