Ireland is one of the few countries in the world to lead the way in legislating for clean indoor air quality standards in our workplaces.

The Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations 2007 (S.I. No. 299 of 2007), as amended by S.I. No. 255 of 2023 requires that employers take into account the measures set out in the HSA Code of Practice in taking measures to ensure that sufficient fresh air is provided in enclosed places of work.

In line with Section 2(6) of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005, all employer duties for which the HSA Code of Practice provides guidance should be carried out as far as is reasonably practicable.

Section 2(6) of the 2005 Act provides: “For the purposes of the relevant statutory provisions, “reasonably practicable”, in relation to the duties of an employer, means that an employer has exercised all due care by putting in place the necessary protective and preventive measures, having identified the hazards and assessed the risks to safety and health likely to result in accidents or injury to health at the place of work concerned and where the putting in place of any further measures is grossly disproportionate having regard to the unusual, unforeseeable and exceptional nature of any circumstance or occurrence that may result in an accident at work or injury to health at that place of work.”

Complaints can be made to the HSA using their online complaints form: Complaints Form

For more information, visit the HSA and HSA Contact Centre

I