2021 appears determined to continue what 2020 started . There is however some reason to hope that the most immediate pressing concern for all of us may become more manageable in our society and our workplaces.

With that in mind it is useful to look at the more normal drivers of injuries and deaths in our workplaces. The Health and Safety Authority recently released its analysis of the causes of injury and it may be found here.

Key takeaways include the continued danger which more “normal” mundane tasks pose in the workplace. Manual handling and slips trips and falls continue to be the two biggest drivers of workplace accidents (29% and 24% respectively). Continued focus on the fundamentals within all workplaces seems not only to be required but also to be the most rewarding.

The Health and Safety Authority’s Biological Agent Code of Practice has also been updated to take account of Covid 19 and may be found here. This code of practice applies to activities in a place of work where exposure to a biological agent may occur and therefore has applicability to all workplaces in the current environment.

The Health and Safety Authority has created a number of resources and tools to aid employers in the management of Covid 19 within their workplaces. These may be found at this link.

In standards news the wiring guidelines were introduced in March 2020. A series of informative webinars have been prepared by Safe Electric and may be viewed on their Youtube page. These are mainly focused at contractors and electrical designers but they provide useful information for those commissioning maintenance, refurbishment or upgrade works on electrical installations.