Keeping the workplace safe as employees return to the office As restrictions ease, and with the announcement that returning to the office can commence on a phased and staggered bases from the 20th of September, how can we keep ourselves and others safe as we return to the office? How to plan safe return to the office for employers: The Health and Safety Authority (HSA) has created an employer checklist to help employees return to the office safely. Below are some important points to keep in mind when preparing and returning to the office: Documentation review and updates should take place whe ..read more

Single use plastic products being restricted from the Irish Market as of the 3rd of July 2021 Some Facts: Almost 26 million tonnes of plastic waste are generated in Europe every year 80% of marine litter is plastic 87% of Europeans are worried about the impact of plastic products in the environment Background: The European Commission in 2018 set up “A European Strategy for Plastics in a Circular Economy”.  It was initiated out of the increased popularity of single use plastics in everyday life. While plastic has provided a useful role within the economy, and is essential in many sectors ..read more

CLIMATE CHECK- All new legislative proposals advanced by the EU Commission to be consistent with climate policy and align with decarbonisation target. On Wednesday the 21st of April, a bleary-eyed Jytte Guteland (Rapporteur Climate Law) and Pascal Canafin (Chair of the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Committee) held a press conference. They were announcing to the world the results of the negotiations between the European Parliament and the European Council that had lasted until 5.30 in the morning and will pave the way for the European Climate Law. They described this agreement and ..read more

As either a company or employee, it is your responsibility to minimise the health risks of working with display screen equipment (DSE). This includes, as a company, taking sufficient measures and regular risk assessments to protect them. As an employee, in turn, you must follow the guidelines to ensure best practice in this area. What is Display Screen Equipment? The Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992 place specific requirements on employers with the aim of protecting workers from the health risks associated with DSE. These duties also apply to the self-employed. Th ..read more

From 1 April 2021, all employees have an official right to disconnect from work after the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Leo Varadkar TD, brought in the Workplace Relations Commission’s Code of Practice for Employers and Employees on the Right to Disconnect. The purpose of the Code is to provide practical guidance and best practice to employers, employees and their representatives in relation to the Right to Disconnect. The Right to Disconnect promotes a better work-life balance giving all employees the right to switch off, disconnect from work and refrain from eng ..read more

As a company, it is your responsibility to protect people from harm. This includes taking sufficient measures to protect your employees and others from COVID-19. This is called a Coronavirus risk assessment and it’ll help you manage risk and protect your operations. What’s a COVID-19 Risk Assessment? All companies need to assess and manage the risks from COVID-19. This means you’re required by law to think about the risks your employees encounter and to do everything reasonably practicable to reduce them, recognising that you cannot eliminate the risk of transmission completely. You must there ..read more

With remote working likely to be a permanent feature of the ‘new normal’ for some time to come, many employees have been compelled to work from home. The lack of a proper office has led some employees to get creative by using temporary solutions as work spaces. However, companies could face legal repercussions if they don’t protect worker safety. Working from home? Almost a year into various levels of lockdown, and with no sign of the opening of offices any time soon, many home-based workers will likely have fitted their home office with a decent chair, a desk and perhaps even a computer moni ..read more

As vaccinations increase, in time, many companies will look to slowly reopen their premises as a way to impart a sense of normality for employees. In this blog, we set out the importance of good ventilation as part of this process. Why air flow is important Good air flow reduces the concentration of the virus inside the air and consequently reduces the dangers from airborne transmission. This occurs when employees breathe in small particles (aerosols) inside the air after a person with the virus has stayed with an enclosed area of the office. However, ventilation can have very little or no im ..read more

The Health and Safety Authority and the Workplace Relations Commission have jointly published a Code of Practice for Employers and Employees on the Prevention and Resolution of Bullying at Work. This Code of Practice entered into operation on 23 December 2020 and revokes and replaces the Code of Practice for Employers and Employees on the Prevention and Resolution of Bullying at Work 2007. The Code of Practice, which is set out in the Schedule to the Industrial Relations Act 1990 (Code of Practice for Employers and Employees on the Prevention and Resolution of Bullying at Work) Order 2020 (SI ..read more

(This blog post covers legislation & guidance relating to COVID-19 between 3rd November 2020– 7th January 2021) United Kingdom England/Wales The Environment Agency has published the following COVID-19 Regulatory Position Statements (RPS): Accumulating radioactive waste that you cannot transfer because of COVID-19 (RPS C13), Monitoring emissions from some environmental permitting activities (RPS C20) and Reporting for installations, radioactive substances and waste permits (RPS C21) The Personal Protective Equipment (Temporary Arrangements) (Coronavirus) (England) Regulations 2020 (SI ..read more