Sir, - Tom Walsh's letter (January 29th) is to be welcomed. As Director-General of the HSA his words will carry some authority. Anecdotal evidence is that there is no shortage of "cowboys" currently operating in the safety consultancy and safety training field. One operator is reported to be using the title "Member of the Health and Safety Authority" on his stationery! Personally, I have only once been asked to prove my competency.
The authority's report for 1999 shows that three-quarters of companies visited did not have a safety statement and the quarter that did exist were inadequate. To my mind this is a clear example of a failure on the part of company management to get expert advice. Mr Walsh's letter clearly shows that the law requires employers (and the selfemployed) to get this expertise from outside when it is not available in-house. Do they? I believe the records speak for themselves. An average of 50 people have died each year since 1992 in workplace accidents and up to 25,000 a year are injured. Your publication of the letter from Mr Walsh greatly clarifies the situation for your readers. Now that the HSA has published its official line on the subject there is no reason why this information should not be more widely disseminated on its website and in official documentation. Then no-one will be in any doubt about its responsibilities. I will know it's working when I am asked more often to explain my expertise. - Yours, etc.,
Liam Byrne, Valleycourt, Athlone, Co Westmeath.