Safety inspection programme for engineering businesses

HSENI Inspectors will be visiting engineering businesses across NI to ensure that proper controls are in place to manage health and safety

The Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI) has announced an inspection and enforcement initiative within engineering companies, which is set to begin in May. The inspections will focus on compliance with industry standards specifically in relation to the control of welding fume.

Throughout the initiative, HSENI Inspectors will be focusing on the controls that are in place to ensure health risks associated with welding activities are adequately controlled, in line with current legislation. In particular, inspectors will require that:

• local exhaust ventilation (LEV) (On-tool extraction, fixed extraction, mobile extraction) is provided to control welding fume at source
• records exist and are available, showing that LEV has been thoroughly examined within the last 14 months, or evidence that you have it planned for a specific date
• Respiratory Protection Equipment (RPE) where appropriate is provided to the correct standard and properly used and maintained

To support businesses ahead of the initiative, HSENI working with industry professionals, has produced a series of six video presentations outlining the risks involved with welding and the controls that should be in place to protect workers.

• Safety in Welding Information Series Part 1 - Professor David Fishwick
• Safety in Welding Information Series Part 2 - Neil Pickering
• Safety in Welding Information Series Part 3 - John Saunders
• Safety in Welding Information Series Part 4 - Natalie Regan
• Safety in Welding Information Series Part 5 - South West College
• Safety in Welding Information Series Part 6 - McCloskeys International

For more advice and guidance about the health and safety controls businesses should have in place see the welding section of the HSENI website.

First published 22 April 2022