Safety, Health And Welfare At Work Act (SHWW) 2005

The Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act (SHWW) 2005 applies to all workers in every single job. Its aim is to prevent accidents and ill health in the workplace by reducing the risk and encouraging safe places of work as is reasonably practicable.

It places a duty on employers to give instruction and training, and on employees to look after their own health and safety, behaving in a safe manner. It also places expectation for them to look after co-workers and co-operate with employers, attending any necessary training.

Display Screen Equipment Regulations (Ch 5 of Part 2)

Legislation that specifically relates to workstations is covered by the General Application Regulations 2005, Chapter 5 of Part 2: Display Screen Equipment.

This states that the workstations of your employees must be evaluated and, where any risks are identified, appropriate steps must be taken to control such risks. The analysis of the workstation must be conducted by a competent person with the necessary skills, training and experience. The analysis must also take account of the minimum requirements in Schedule 4 of the General Application Regulations.

General Application Regulations (GAR) 2007: Workplace Regulations (Ch 1 of Part 2)

• Workplace Regulations (Ch 1 of Part 2)
• Emergency routes
• Fire
• Loading bays and ramps
• Rest
• Rooms and rest areas
• Temperature
• Ventilation
• Lighting
• Employees with disabilities
• Room dimensions
• Movement of pedestrians and vehicles
• Escalators
• Loading bays and ramps
• Accommodation areas

Protection of the Pregnant, Postnatal and Breastfeeding Employees Regulations (Ch 6 of Part 2)

• Employee must inform employer of the pregnancy
• Responsible for Identifying any hazardous tasks
• Control measures activated (if required)
• Provide alternative duties (if required)
• Offer health and safety leave (if required)

Is it sufficient to use a Software Package for Training?

Under Irish legislation, it is not sufficient to allow employees to use a software package or other means to assess their own workstations, it is a duty of the employer to carry out an analysis or risk assessment of an employees workstation.

Is it sufficient to work off a Laptop?

A laptop is not covered by these Regulations due to the fact that under these Regulations the keyboard shall be tiltable and separate from the screen so as to allow the user to find a comfortable working position which avoids fatigue in the arms or hands. A laptop does not have a separate keyboard and should not be used for long periods of time and a risk assessment must be carried out to assess the usage of the laptop and the set up of the temporary laptop workstation