Irish and US agencies collaborate on health and safety

Details of an historic partnership between the United States and health and safety agencies in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, have been announced in Dublin today.

The US Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI) and the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) in Ireland are collaborating on the development of an EU model of the US health and safety recognition scheme, the Voluntary Protection Programme (VPP).

The joint Ireland North-South initiative plans to transpose the successful programme to Ireland by initiating a pilot scheme with eight companies. These companies all have US parent companies already participating in the scheme.

Speaking in advance of the launch in Farmleigh House, Liam McBrinn, Chairman of the Health and Safety Executive, Northern Ireland, said: “I am delighted that HSENI and two companies from Northern Ireland are participating in this groundbreaking initiative and I welcome the tremendous support offered to us by OSHA in assisting us introduce VPP to Ireland over the next two to three years.

"The recognition of excellence in health and safety management within the business community and the potential for good practice to cascade to others in the local supply chain are crucial steps in raising the standards of health and safety in Ireland.”

OSHA has operated the programme successfully in the United States for many years as a means of recognising work sites which manage health and safety at work to an exemplary standard.

The average VPP worksite has an illness and injury rate which is 50% below industry average.

Sites obtaining either Star or Merit recognition are exempt from routine proactive inspections by OSHA Compliance Officers.

(MB)