Topics

Agriculture

Injuries and illness can ruin lives and businesses. Solutions are often simple and cheap and the people best placed to make farms safer are farmers and their employees

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Appointed doctors

Under certain regulations, employers have a duty to ensure workers are placed under ‘statutory medical surveillance’ by an ‘appointed doctor’.

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Asbestos

Asbestos can be found in any building built before the year 2000, including houses, factories, offices, schools or hospitals, and causes around 5000 deaths every year in the UK.

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Asthma

Asthma can be caused in a workplace simply by breathing in certain dusts, gases, fumes and vapours that can damage your lungs

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Most people encounter back pain at some point in their life.Usually, back pain is not caused by anything serious and will settle within a matter of days or weeks. For most people affected by back pain, episodes are nearly always short-lived.

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Biocides

This topic area will help you identify biocides and work out whether your products are affected by the laws that govern them.

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Bouncy castles and other play inflatables

Serious incidents have occurred where inflatables have collapsed or blown away in windy conditions. Read this topic page for more information and guidance

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Carbon monoxide

Appliances fuelled with gas, oil, kerosene, or wood may produce carbon monoxide (CO)

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Carriage of dangerous goods

Dangerous goods are those substances and articles which are subject to the provisions in ADR

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Chemicals

This page provides access to health and safety information relating to the onshore chemical manufacture and storage industry.

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CLP (Classification, Labelling and Packaging)

On 1 June 2015 the old classification and labelling system known as CHIP4 came to an end. The direct acting Classification, Labelling and Packaging (CLP) Regulation has taken over

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COMAH

The Control of Major Accident Hazards (COMAH) Regulations ensure that businesses take all necessary measures to prevent major accidents involving dangerous substances

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Compressed Air

When working in an environment under compressed air, employers must take all reasonably practicable steps to minimise the number and severity of exposures

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Confined spaces

A number of people are killed or seriously injured each year working in confined spaces

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Construction

Construction is a high risk industry and a major employer throughout Northern Ireland with an average of 54,000 people currently working throughout our construction sites. Unfortunately Northern Ireland's construction Industry continues to have a high accident rate with a high percentage of fatalities caused by falls from height .

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Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH)

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Corporate manslaughter

Companies and organisations can be found guilty of corporate manslaughter as a result of serious management failures resulting in a gross breach of a duty of care

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COVID -19: Advice and guidance for places of work

This advice and guidance has been developed to assist you in managing the spread of Coronavirus(COVID -19) within your workplace.

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Display Screen Equipment

Display Screen Equipment are devices which have a graphic display and include computer monitors, laptops, touch screens and other similar devices.

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Diving

The diving industry can be considered as a number of sectors where people need to go underwater to work

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Driving at work

Health and safety law applies to work activities on the road in the same way as it does to all work activities

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Drugs and alcohol

Drug, alcohol and other substance misuse is everyone's concern. It damages health, causes absenteeism and reduced productivity

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Education

HSENI continually works with the various agencies associated with all stages of education in Northern Ireland

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Electrical safety

Electricity is a familiar and necessary part of everyday life, but electricity can kill or severely injure people and cause damage to property

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Employment Medical Advisory Service (EMAS)

The Employment Medical Advisory Service (EMAS) is a statutory advisory body within HSENI.

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Epilepsy

This is a common neurological condition which affects approximately 1 in 200 people

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Ergonomics

Ergonomics is a science concerned with the ‘fit’ between people and their work

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Exercise and fitness

As employers, it is important to remember that your most important assets are your employees

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Farm safety

Find information about farm safety issues, the Stop and Think SAFE farm safety campaign and the Farm Safety Partnership

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Fire and explosion

Each year many people suffer burns caused by the uncontrolled ignition of the flammable chemicals and other materials they work with

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First aid at work

HSENI is responsible for the Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1982.

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Flour dust

This page is currently under construction

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Forklift trucks

Forklift trucks (FLTs) are involved in a large percentage of accidents in the workplace and users are being seriously injured, sometimes fatally, in accidents that are entirely preventable

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Gas

This page contains information about natural gas and LPG that consumers, installers, distributors and transmission operators need to know.

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General Practitioners (GPs)

As a GP you may have a number of responsibilities involving occupational health issues

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Getting started

Good practice in health and safety is good for your business – and it's the law

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Hand Arm Vibration

By law, as an employer, you must assess and identify measures to eliminate or reduce risks from exposure to vibration so that you can protect your employees

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Health and social care sector

The health and social care sector employs in excess of 115,750 staff in Northern Ireland providing services at a range of sites as well as into people’s own homes

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Ionising radiation

New Ionising Radiation Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2017 (IRRNI17) came into force on 1 January 2018 and replace the existing regulations (IRRNI2000). One of the biggest changes introduced by these revised Regulations is the introduction of a risk-based approach to telling HSENI of your work with ionising radiation.

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Lead

Working with lead and its compounds can pose a health risk if exposure is not controlled and good practices and good personal hygiene are not followed.

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Legionella

Legionellosis is a collective term for diseases caused by legionella bacteria including the most serious, Legionnaires' disease, and the similar but less serious conditions of Pontiac fever and Lochgoilhead fever

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Legislation

Links to health and safety legislation applicable in Northern Ireland

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LEV – Local exhaust ventilation

Workers can contract lung disease or asthma because they have breathed in too much dust, fume or other airborne contaminants at work, including flour dust in bakeries, mist from paint spraying, fumes from welding or solvents from painting

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Lower Limb Disorders (LLDs)

A lower limb disorder (LLD) is the term used for a range of conditions affecting the hip, thigh, legs, knees, ankles and feet.

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Making health and safety work for your business

This section is aimed at employers of small to medium businesses and provides information on the essential health and safety basics which should be implemented.

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Manual handling

Manual handling activities (including lifting/lowering of loads) regardless of weight, contribute to a significant proportion of accidents in the workplace

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Manufacturing

The general manufacturing industry in Northern Ireland employs approximately 86,000 people

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Manufacturing - Occupational Health

To find more information on the potential health risks that exist in your workplace, please click on this link to find out

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Mental well-being at work

Mental well-being at work is determined by the interaction between the working environment, the nature of the work and the individual

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Metal Working Fluids

Metalworking fluids (MWFs) - sometimes referred to as suds, coolants, slurry or soap are used during the machining of metals to provide lubrication and cooling.

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Migrant workers

All workers get the same protection under Northern Ireland health and safety law whether they are working here legally or not. Your employer has to protect your health, safety and welfare

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Mining and quarrying

There are approximately 160 quarries and sand pits which employ about 3,800 people in Northern Ireland

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Motor vehicle repair

Motor vehicle repair is a complex and challenging industry to work in

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MSD

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) include problems such as low back pain, joint injuries and repetitive strain injuries of various sorts

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Musculoskeletal Disorders

MSDs are conditions affecting the musculoskeletal system. The term MSDs covers any injury, damage or disorder of the joints, muscles, tendons, nerves or other tissues in the upper limbs (e.g. neck, shoulders and/or arms), lower limbs (e.g. hips, knees, ankles and/or feet) and/or the back.

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New and expectant mothers

This section provides useful information on what must be considered if there are new or expectant mothers in the workplace.It will help employers and employees understand what their responsibilities are and what they need to do to comply with the law.

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Noise

The Control of Noise at Work Regulations aim to ensure that workers' hearing is protected from excessive noise at their place of work

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Occupational Health

The field of Occupational Health focuses on the” effects of work on health and work on health”. This topic area is designed to help occupational health providers, appointed doctors and employers with this.

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Occupational lung disease

Occupational, or work-related lung diseases are conditions that have been caused or made worse by the substances employees have been exposed to and inhaled whilst at work

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Older Workers

Today's workforce is likely to contain a higher proportion of older workers as many people want, and feel the need, to continue working. A separate risk assessment is not required specifically for older workers. Employers have the same responsibilities for the health and safety of older employees as they have for all employees.

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Petrol

Petrol is a highly flammable liquid which, when improperly stored, poses a risk to you, people nearby and the emergency services if there is a fire.

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PIC – Prior informed consent

Update for importers or exporters of chemicals that are subject to the Prior Informed Consent Procedure

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Product Safety

The main provisions of the legislation concerned with the design, manufacture and supply of new products

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Radiation

Every day in Northern Ireland, several types of radiation are used in a diverse range of industrial, medical, research and communications applications

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REACH

This regulation concerns the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and restriction of Chemicals.

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Respiratory Protective Equipment (RPE)

Respiratory Protective Equipment (RPE) is a particular type of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), used to protect the individual wearer against the inhalation of hazardous substances in the workplace air.

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Risk assessment

A risk assessment is simply a careful examination of what, could cause harm to people, to enable precautions to be taken to prevent injury and ill-health

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Sickness absence

In general it is accepted that work is essential to health, well-being and self-esteem

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Silica dust

Silica is a naturally occurring mineral found in varying amounts in most rock, sand and clay, as well as products like bricks and concrete.

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Skin care

Skin problems as a result of workplace activities are very common

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Slips and trips

Slips and trips are the most common cause of major injuries at work and make up over a third of all major injuries

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Temperature and Work

Whilst there is no legal standard set for a maximum working temperature, especially when it feels too hot to work indoors in offices and similar work environments, there is a legal requirement to ensure that the temperature is reasonable i.e. by keeping the indoor working temperature at a comfortable level, sometimes known as thermal comfort and providing clean and fresh air.

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Upper Limb Disorders (ULDs)

The term upper limb disorders (ULDs) is an umbrella term used for a range of musculoskeletal conditions affecting the hand, wrist, arm, shoulder and neck.

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Waste and recycling

HSENI’s primary role is to protect those who work in waste and recycling and anyone who might be affected by that work, for example, members of the public

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Welding Fume

Welding fume is produced when metals are heated above their melting point, vaporise and condense into fumes. Exposure to welding fume can cause a range of serious health effects. There is no known level of safe exposure to welding fume and employers are required to put in place suitable exposure control measures.

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Whole Body Vibration (WBV)

Whole Body Vibration (WBV) is caused when vibration from mobile plant or equipment is transferred through the seat or feet into the body of the person operating it. This can also occur when work vehicles are driven over uneven or rough surfaces regularly.

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