Introduction 
In this section you will find information and guidance developed by the Health & Safety Authority which may be applicable for your business. We have included the most relevant documentation that will help you expand your knowledge in these areas. Further information and guidance is also available to download at our publications section on the Health & Safety Authority webpage.
NOTE: Dairy, Beef, Sheep, Deer, Tillage or Mixed farming business types are not included in BeSMART.ie. If you have one of these farms you should visit the Health & Safety Authority Agriculture webpage or go to the farm safely online tool at www.farmsafely.com to prepare your risk assessments as part of the HSA Agricultural Code of Practice for 3 or less employees.
Publications
See also 'Top Tips & Videos' for more information on Electricity, Fire, Manual Handling, Slips/Trips/Falls, Chemicals, Working at Height, Workplace Transport, Display Screen Equipment and Maintenance
Bale Handling
Working Safely With Bales on the Farm Information Sheet (PDF, 514KB)
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Bullying in the Workplace
Code of Practice on the Prevention and Resolution of Bullying at Work (PDF, 1009KB)
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Children, Young Persons & Pregnant Employees
Guidance on the Protection of Children and Young Persons (PDF, 488KB)
Code of Practice on Preventing Accidents to Children and Young Persons in Agriculture (PDF, 1.26MB)
Child Safety On the Farm Information Sheet (PDF, 124KB)
Guidance on the Protection of Pregnant, Post Natal and Breastfeeding Employees (PDF, 473KB)
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Chemicals
Practical advice on managing Chemicals (PDF, 538KB)
Your Steps to Chemical Safety (PDF, 1973 KB)
Safety Data Sheets (SDS) for Hazardous Chemicals Information Sheet (PDF, 252KB)
Chemical Distributors Duties REACH and CLP Information Sheet (PDF, 296KB)
Storage of Hazardous Chemicals in Warehouses and Drum Stores (PDF, 238KB)
A Guide to Non-Respiratory Personal Protective Equipment PPE for use with Chemical Agents in the Workplace (PDF, 1.21MB)
Use Chemicals Safely on the Farm (PDF 2268KB)
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Confined Spaces
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Display Screen Equipment
Practical advice on managing Display Screen Equipment (PDF, 525KB)
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Electricity
Guidelines for Working Safe Near Overhead Lines in Agriculture (PDF 2,200KB)
Practical advice on managing Electricity (PDF, 752KB)
Guidance Note on Periodic Inspection and Testing of Electrical Installations (PDF 1179KB)
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Ergonomics
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Fire
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First Aid
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Fumes, Dusts and Ventilation
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Horticulture
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Maintenance
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Manual Handling
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Machinery
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Management of Asbestos-Containing Materials
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Night & Shift Work
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Safety Management
- A Guide to Risk Assessments and Safety Statements (PDF, 4.1MB)
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Safety Signs
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Slips, Trips and Falls
Preventing Slips Trips and Falls at work (PDF, 0.4MB)
Watch Your Step - Choosing Slip Resistant Footwear (PDF, 0.4MB)
Practical advice on managing Slips, Trips and Falls (PDF, 538KB)
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Slurry Handling
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Swine
Health and Safety for Swine Workers Information Sheet (PDF, 353KB)
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Timber and Chainsaws
Chainsaw Safety Training Advice Information Sheet (PDF 347KB)
Using Petrol-Driven Chainsaws IFS Guide (PDF, 1681MB)
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Vehicles
Practical advice on managing Workplace Transport (PDF, 886KB)
Essential Tractor Safety Checks Sheet (PDF, 292KB)
Load Security Information Sheet (PDF, 319KB)
Safe Driving for Work (PDF, 13.7MB)
Driving for Work Employer's Guidelines CD rom/Videos
Pedestrian Safety in the workplace Information Sheet (PDF,531KB)
Workplace Transport Safety Reversing Vehicles (PDF, 60KB)
Delivering Safely Information Sheet (PDF, 377KB)
Car Daily Checks Information Sheet (PDF, 830.7 KB)
Vehicle Safety Check Car Poster (PDF, 175 KB)
Vehicle Safety Check Van Poster (PDF, 2232 KB)
Safe Driving for Work Drivers Handbook (PDF, 2MB)
Safe Use of All Terrain Vehicles in Agriculture and Forestry Information Sheet (PDF, 409KB)
Guidance on the Safe Use of Tractors and Farm Machinery on Farms (PFD, 4821KB). Appendix 10 has summary information on revised standards for agricultural vehicles on the road
Safe Load Securing of Plant and Machinery (PDF 1.3MB) New Apr 16
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Vets
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Working at Height
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Positively supporting employee engagement and wellbeing
Work PositiveCI is a FREE State and stakeholder supported psychosocial risk management process that helps organisations identify ways to improve employee wellbeing.
Use Work PositiveCI to improve employee wellbeing
Work PositiveCI is a completely confidential psychosocial risk management process. It involves a ‘whole workforce’ approach which can be rolled out over a three to six month period and be re-used every few years.
Identify and measure psychosocial risk including critical incident exposure
Work PositiveCI assesses workplace stressors, employee psychological wellbeing and critical incident exposure in the workplace. If not properly managed these stressors can lead to poor mental health and wellbeing, increased sickness absence, presenteesim and lower productivity.
Receive actionable feedback
It provides easy-to-understand online reports, identifies risk areas and provides clear guidance on ways to improve employee wellbeing, enabling focused action to be taken. Work PositiveCIprovides specific support and guidance in addressing critical incident exposure in the workplace.
Improve performance
Work PositiveCI can lead to high impact results, such as reducing sickness absence and turnover, and increasing employee engagement, wellbeing and productivity.
Comply with current legislation
Work PositiveCI helps employers comply with health and safety legislation at a national and European level. Employers are obliged under the Irish Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 to ensure safe places of work for all employees, which covers mental as well as physical health and safety.
Free and easy to use
There is no software to download. The surveys take ten to fifteen minutes to complete. You can log in to create surveys, access your response rates and view results 24/7, using any Wi-Fi enabled device. The surveys are completely FREE to use.
Confidential
Work PositiveCI is completely confidential. The data is processed by an independent service provider in compliance with applicable Data Protection legislation.
Link
Free Online Learning:
Use the elearning tab at the top of the page or visit Health and Safety Authority Courses for Small Businesses to access free, short courses for employers, employees and those starting their own business.
These courses will give you a quick, free and invaluable guide to getting health and safety right from the outset. All you have to do is register, take the course whenever you wish and then download your certificate of completion when finished. You can also register a group of employees to take a course.


HSA Agri-Youth Survey Privacy Statement
Who we are
The Health and Safety Authority (HSA) has overall responsibility for the promotion and enforcement of safety and health at work and the safe use of chemicals. It also provides the national accreditation service. We are also the national centre for information to employers, employees and self-employed on workplace health and safety and the safe use of chemicals.
The HSA also promotes education, training and research in the field of safety, health and chemicals.
The purpose of the Survey
The purpose of this survey is to inform our thinking around the development of an agricultural resource for post-primary students. We want to understand:
- what activities and tasks young people undertake on the farm
- how young people currently receive and act upon information related to farm settings.
- the most appropriate medium to reach young people with farm safety messages
What data we are collecting and how
In relation to this short survey, we are giving respondents the opportunity to enter a draw to win one of six Amazon Vouchers at a specified value. To enter the draw we require an email address. We will not retain any personal details in relation to this survey. Once the draw has concluded on a specified date, the email addresses provided will not be used to contact you thereafter. The information obtained in this survey is solely to inform us around the development of an agricultural resource for post-primary level. We will not share the information obtained from the survey with any third parties.
Data Security
The security of your data is a priority at the Health and Safety Authority and we are committed to respecting your privacy rights. We will handle your data fairly and legally at all times. We will also be transparent about what data we collect about you and how we use it. We are registered with the data protection commissioner and our in-house Data Protection Officer can be contacted at dpo@hsa.ie .
You have the right to:
- ask what personal data we hold about you at any time,
- ask us to update and correct any out-of-date or incorrect personal data that we hold about you free of charge, and
- have any personal data about you deleted.
If you wish to exercise any of the above rights, please email your request to our data protection officer at dpo@hsa.ie