More than 80 delegates attended last month’s Ireland Branch Conference in Naas, County Kildare.
The event, called ‘Managing health and safety in times of change’, saw a number of speakers talk about the challenges faced in the current economic climate and how the country’s health and safety professionals need to maintain standards, particularly when budgets and staffing levels are being cut.
Opening the conference, branch chair Bruce Phillips said: “The current economic climate is having a huge impact on the way we work. We are in a transitional period and we need to be best placed to deal with whatever changes there are likely to be.”
The conference featured a number of speakers, including Avine McNally, assistant director for the Small Firms Association, who warned against businesses cutting health and safety budgets because of the current financial uncertainty. Martin O’Halloran, chief executive of the Health and Safety Authority (HSA), outlined the Authority’s new strategy, and pointed to recent research that suggests an increase in accident rates due to the economic changes.
Speaking after the conference, Bruce Phillips said: “The conference was a great success, particularly when you consider the current climate. We are now looking forward to a bigger and brighter conference next year.”
Sarah Hamilton, IOSH’s networks and international director, added: “Judging by the many positive comments we had from delegates, the conference proved to be a real benefit. The economic climate has a huge impact on our profession, so it’s very important that our members maintain standards in these turbulent times.”
