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Consultancy Division – Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What form does the client now use to notify the Authority before the design process begins?
A. The Client must fill in the AF (1) before the design process begins. [Notification is required for work planned to exceed 30 working days or 500 worker-hours]
Q. What form does the PSCS now use to notify the authority before construction work begins?
A. The Project Supervisor (Construction Stage) must fill in the AF2 before construction work begins and must be displayed clearly on the site (and updated as necessary). [Notification is required for work planned to exceed 30 working days or 500 worker-hours]
Q. I only have one employee; do I need a safety statement? A. If an employer who employs 3 or fewer employees is engaged in an activity for which there is a code of practice for that type of activity, they can fulfil their duty in relation to safety statements by complying with such code of practice. This only applies where specific code(s) of practice are issued by the Health and Safety Authority.
The Health and Safety Authority has not yet issued such codes of practice and, accordingly, the provisions of section 20 of the 2005 Act apply in full to all employers.
Q. Do all excavations have to be fenced off?
A. According to section 25 of the Construction Regulations 2001 every accessible part of an excavation near to which persons are working and as deep as 2 metres should either be fenced or securely covered unless fencing is not present to allow access of persons/equipment.
Q. What are the duties of the Project Supervisor Construction Stage (PSCS) relating to the safety file?
A. The PSCS must:
- coordinate arrangements among contractors to ensure the provision of relevant information, in writing, necessary for the project supervisor for the design process to complete the safety file
- monitor the implementation of the arrangements
- take any necessary corrective action if the contractors fail to provide the relevant information to the PSDP
- provide in writing to the PSDP all relevant information necessary for that project supervisor to complete the safety file
Q. Who prepares the safety file if the design stage commenced before the 6th of November 2006 and no PSDP has been appointed?
A. In this case the Project Supervisor Construction Stage must prepare the safety file.
Q. What is the Control of noise at work (Protection of Employees) Regulations?
A. The Regulations are the Safety Health and Welfare at Work (Control of Noise at Work) Regulations 2006 (S.I. No. 371 of 2006). These Regulations revoke and replace the European Communities (Protection of Workers) (Exposure to Noise) Regulations 1990 (S.I. No. 157 of 1990). The purpose of these Regulations is to transpose Directive 2003/10/EC of the European Parliament on the minimum health and safety requirements regarding the exposure of employees to the risks arising from physical agents (noise).
Q. What are exposure action values?
A. The Noise Regulations require an employer to take specific action at certain action values. These are the daily noise exposure level or the peak sound pressure level which, if exceeded, for an employee, action will need to be taken to reduce the risk.
These relate to:
- The levels of exposure to noise of your employees averaged over a working day or week; and
- The maximum noises (peak sound pressure) to which employees are exposed in a working day.
The values are:
lower exposure action values:
- daily or weekly exposure of 80 dB;
- peak sound pressure of 135 dB;
upper exposure action values:
- daily or weekly exposure of 85 dB;
- peak sound pressure of 137 dB.
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