The Health and Saftety Authority (HSA) is to inspect 11 A&E units over the next month amid rising concerns for patients lying on trolleys awaiting hospital beds.
The HSA is to carry out a series of safety inspections starting next week in Beaumont, Mater and Connolly Memorial hospitals in Dublin.
The remaining 8 hospitals will be inspected before April 8th.
HSA chief executive, Tom Beegan, said the "inspections aim to ensure that hospitals are putting in place all necessary control procedures to ensure that risks are minimised."
The 11 hospitals to be assessed are, Naas General Hospital, Wexford General Hospital, Limerick Regional Hospital, Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda, Sligo General Hospital, University College Hospital Galway, Clonmel Hospital, the Mercy Hospital in Cork and Dublin's Beaumont, Mater and Connolly Memorial hospitals.
Hospitals will be notified when the inspectors are to visit.
Meanwhile, the Irish Nurses Organisation said there were 339 patients on trolleys in A&E units today.
