Safety Statements
Phoenix STS provides expert safety statement preparation services for Irish businesses. Our CMIOSH qualified consultants develop comprehensive, compliant documentation based on thorough risk assessments. Required under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005, your safety statement demonstrates your commitment to workplace safety and provides clear frameworks for managing health and safety across your operations.
A professional safety statement is your organisation’s blueprint for workplace safety management, outlining hazards, risks, control measures, and responsibilities under Irish health and safety legislation.
Safety Statement Preparation Ireland
A safety statement is a written document required by the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 (Section 20) that sets out your organisation’s safety policy, identifies workplace hazards, assesses the associated risks, and specifies the control measures and protective equipment needed to safeguard employees. Every employer in Ireland must prepare and maintain this written documentation based on risk assessment.
Phoenix STS develops comprehensive workplace safety documentation tailored to your business operations. Our consultants conduct thorough risk assessments, identify workplace hazards specific to your operations, and prepare clear, practical documentation that complies with Irish legislation and provides effective frameworks for managing workplace safety.
⚖️ Legal Requirement for Safety Statements
The Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 (Section 20) requires every employer to prepare a written safety statement. This documentation must be based on risk assessment, specify the hazards identified and risks assessed, detail the protective and preventive measures taken, and include the resources allocated for safety management. Failure to have compliant documentation can result in HSA enforcement action including improvement notices, prohibition notices, and prosecution.
What is a Safety Statement?
This document is the cornerstone of your health and safety management system. It sets out your organisation’s commitment to workplace safety (the safety policy), identifies the hazards in your workplace, assesses the risks they present, specifies the control measures in place, assigns responsibilities for safety management, and details the arrangements for implementing your safety management system. The documentation must be in writing, based on risk assessment, brought to the attention of employees, and reviewed regularly.
CMIOSH
Qualified Consultants
Risk-Based
Documentation
SHWW Act
2005 Compliant
All Sectors
Nationwide
Why Your Business Needs a Safety Statement
⚖️ Legal Compliance
This documentation is a legal requirement under the SHWW Act 2005 Section 20. Every employer must have written workplace safety documentation. Non-compliance can result in HSA enforcement action including improvement notices, prohibition notices, fines, and prosecution.
📋 Safety Management Framework
Your safety statement provides the documented framework for managing workplace safety. It identifies hazards, assesses risks, specifies control measures, assigns responsibilities, and establishes procedures ensuring systematic safety management.
👥 Employee Protection
Comprehensive documentation protects employees by ensuring workplace hazards are identified, assessed, and controlled. Clear documentation of safety arrangements ensures employees understand their responsibilities and the procedures to follow.
💼 Insurance and Due Diligence
Insurers expect evidence of proactive safety management. A comprehensive safety statement demonstrates due diligence, supports insurance applications, and provides evidence of your commitment to workplace safety in the event of incidents or claims.
What Must Be Included
Under Section 20 of the SHWW Act 2005, your documentation must include:
Safety Policy Statement
- Organisation’s commitment to safety
- Safety objectives and priorities
- Management and employee responsibilities
- Arrangements for consultation
Hazard Identification
- Workplace hazard identification
- Work activity analysis
- Equipment and substance hazards
- Environmental hazards
Risk Assessment
- Risk evaluation for identified hazards
- Likelihood and severity ratings
- Persons at risk identified
- Vulnerable groups considered
Control Measures
- Protective measures specified
- Preventive measures detailed
- Personal protective equipment (PPE)
- Safe systems of work
Organisation and Resources
- Safety management structure
- Responsibilities assigned
- Competent person arrangements
- Resources allocated for safety
Plans and Procedures
- Emergency procedures
- Evacuation plans
- Incident reporting procedures
- First aid arrangements
Training and Information
- Employee training requirements
- Induction training arrangements
- Information provision
- Competency requirements
Monitoring and Review
- Safety performance monitoring
- Review arrangements
- Audit procedures
- Continuous improvement
Our Preparation Process
Initial Consultation and Site Visit
We meet with you to understand your business operations, review existing documentation, and conduct a comprehensive site visit. We examine your workplace, work activities, equipment, substances, and working environment to identify all relevant hazards and risks.
Comprehensive Risk Assessment
We conduct thorough risk assessments covering all aspects of your operations. We identify workplace hazards, evaluate the risks they present, assess existing control measures, and determine what additional actions are needed to reduce risk to acceptable levels.
Document Drafting
We prepare your comprehensive safety statement based on the risk assessment findings. The document includes your safety policy, identified hazards and assessed risks, control measures, responsibilities, emergency procedures, and all arrangements required by the SHWW Act 2005.
Review and Consultation
We provide the draft for your review and feedback. We incorporate your comments, ensure the document accurately reflects your operations, and support employee consultation as required by legislation.
Implementation Support
We provide the final documentation and support implementation. We can assist with bringing it to the attention of employees, arranging training, developing supporting policies and procedures, and establishing monitoring and review arrangements.
📄 Document Structure
Phoenix STS safety statements follow a clear, logical structure that meets legislative requirements:
- Safety Policy: Management commitment, objectives, organisation structure, and responsibilities
- Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment: Documented identification of workplace hazards and evaluation of associated risks
- Control Measures: Protective and preventive measures, safe systems of work, and PPE requirements
- Procedures: Emergency procedures, incident reporting, first aid, and other operational safety procedures
- Resources and Arrangements: Training, competent persons, consultation, monitoring, and review arrangements
- Appendices: Supporting documentation including specific risk assessments, safe operating procedures, and forms
This structure ensures comprehensive coverage of all legislative requirements while remaining practical and accessible for implementation.
What’s Included in Our Service
- Initial consultation and site visit
- Comprehensive risk assessments
- Hazard identification
- Legislative compliance review
- Fully documented compliance
- Clear, accessible language
- Implementation guidance
- Ongoing review support available
Legislative Requirements
Phoenix STS ensures compliance with Irish health and safety legislation:
- Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 (Section 20): Requires every employer to prepare written safety statements specifying the manner in which safety and health of employees will be secured. Documentation must be based on risk assessment, brought to the attention of employees, and reviewed regularly or after significant changes.
- General Application Regulations 2007: Detailed requirements for specific workplace hazards including manual handling, display screen equipment, personal protective equipment, work at height, electricity, and other topics that must be addressed.
- Sector-Specific Regulations: Additional requirements for construction (2013), chemicals (2015), biological agents (2013), and other sectors that must be incorporated for relevant businesses.
🔄 When to Review Your Documentation
Section 20 of the SHWW Act 2005 requires regular review:
- Regularly: At least annually to ensure continued relevance and effectiveness
- After significant changes: New equipment, work processes, premises modifications, or organisational changes
- Following serious incidents: Accidents, dangerous occurrences, or near misses that identify gaps in safety management
- When additional risks are identified: New hazards emerge or previously unidentified risks are discovered
- After HSA inspections: Following enforcement action, improvement notices, or HSA recommendations
- When legislation changes: New or amended health and safety regulations that impact your operations
Phoenix STS can provide ongoing review and update services to ensure your documentation remains current, compliant, and effective.
Why Choose Phoenix STS
✅ CMIOSH Qualified Consultants: Chartered Members of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health with extensive experience preparing safety statements across multiple sectors.
✅ Legislative Expertise: In-depth knowledge of the SHWW Act 2005, General Application Regulations 2007, and sector-specific requirements ensuring full compliance.
✅ Risk Assessment Based: Documentation based on comprehensive risk assessments conducted specifically for your operations, not generic templates.
✅ Clear, Accessible Documentation: Written in plain language that management and employees can understand and implement effectively.
✅ Comprehensive Coverage: All legislative requirements addressed including hazard identification, risk assessment, control measures, responsibilities, and procedures.
✅ All Sectors: Experience preparing workplace safety documentation for offices, manufacturing, hospitality, retail, healthcare, construction, and public sector organisations.
✅ Integration with Safety Management: Integrates with risk assessments, policies, and overall safety management systems.
✅ Implementation Support: Guidance on employee communication, training arrangements, and establishing monitoring and review procedures.
✅ Nationwide Coverage: We serve clients throughout Ireland from our Longford base.
Services for All Sectors
Phoenix STS prepares safety statements for businesses across all sectors:
🏢 Offices
🏭 Manufacturing
🏨 Hotels
🍽️ Restaurants
🛒 Retail
🏗️ Construction
🏥 Healthcare
🏛️ Public Sector
Frequently Asked Questions
Do all employers need written safety documentation?
Yes. Section 20 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 requires every employer to prepare written documentation. This applies to all businesses regardless of size, from sole traders to large corporations. The only exemption is for employers with three or fewer employees (including the employer), but even then documentation is strongly recommended.
What must be included under Section 20?
Section 20 of the SHWW Act 2005 requires documentation to specify: (a) the hazards identified and risks assessed, (b) the protective and preventive measures taken, (c) the resources provided for safety and health, (d) the manner in which cooperation will be ensured, (e) the names and job titles of persons responsible for safety, and (f) the plans and procedures for emergencies.
Can I write my own documentation?
You can write your own documentation if you have sufficient competence in health and safety. However, the General Application Regulations 2007 require access to competent health and safety advice. Many businesses benefit from professional assistance to ensure comprehensive hazard identification, proper risk assessment, and full legislative compliance.
Do employees need to see this documentation?
Yes. Section 20 of the SHWW Act 2005 requires that documentation be brought to the attention of employees. The document (or relevant extracts) must be available to employees, communicated during induction, referenced in training, and accessible for consultation. Employers must ensure employees understand the safety arrangements that apply to them.
How often should documentation be reviewed?
The SHWW Act 2005 requires review “as often as appropriate”. Best practice is annual review as a minimum. Documentation must also be reviewed following significant changes (new equipment, processes, premises modifications), after serious incidents, when additional risks are identified, or when legislation changes. Regular review ensures continued relevance and effectiveness.
What happens if I don’t have this required documentation?
Failure to prepare required documentation breaches Section 20 of the SHWW Act 2005. The Health and Safety Authority (HSA) can issue improvement notices requiring preparation within a specified timeframe. Serious or repeated failures can result in prohibition notices, prosecution, and substantial fines. This documentation is also typically required by insurance policies.
What’s the difference between documentation and risk assessment?
A risk assessment is the systematic process of identifying hazards and evaluating risks. Required documentation under Section 20 is the comprehensive written document that includes the risk assessment findings plus your safety policy, control measures, responsibilities, procedures, and all arrangements for managing workplace safety. Risk assessments form the foundation of the required documentation.
Can I use a template?
Generic templates rarely meet legislative requirements. Section 20 requires documentation to be based on risk assessment specific to your workplace. The HSA expects documentation to reflect your actual operations, identified hazards, assessed risks, and specific control measures. Professional preparation ensures your documentation is compliant, comprehensive, and effective.
How much does preparation cost?
Cost depends on your business size, complexity, number of sites, and scope of operations. We provide competitive quotations tailored to your specific needs. Contact us for a no-obligation quote.
Do you provide ongoing support after preparation?
Yes. We provide implementation guidance, employee communication support, training arrangements, and ongoing review and update services. We can act as your competent person, provide advice on implementation, and ensure your documentation remains current and effective.
Related Services
Workplace safety documentation works alongside our other consultancy services:
Protect Your Business. Comply with Legislation. Safeguard Your People.
Professional safety statements are the foundation of effective workplace safety management. Ensure compliance with the SHWW Act 2005 and demonstrate your commitment to employee protection.
CMIOSH qualified consultants. Risk assessment based. Legislative compliance. Nationwide service.
Page updated: January 2026
