Page 66 - DFB-Annual-Report-2024-Low-Res

7.3 HEALTH, SAFETY
& WELFARE UNIT

HEALTH AND SAFETY

Dublin Fire Brigade is committed to providing safe In 2024, 305 incidents were reported to the Health

places, equipment, systems of work and people by and Safety Unit from across all sections of Dublin

maintaining legislative and regulatory compliance and Fire Brigade, this represented an increase in reported

adopting/applying standards and standardisation. The incidents over the previous year and was reflected

DFB Health and Safety Unit support Dublin Fire Brigade’s across all incident types. The increase in accident

senior management team in this commitment. The DFB numbers over 2023 is of concern and DFB aims to

Health and Safety Unit is a full-time specialised unit, review the incident data to identify any trends in specific

which is based in DFB Headquarters and reports directly incidents and determine what additional controls can

to an Assistant Chief Fire Officer. The DFB Health and be applied to try to address this rise in incidents and

Safety Unit liaises and consults with industry peer reduce accident figures going forward.

groups in Ireland and the UK and works closely with

Dublin City Council’s Health, Safety and Wellbeing Unit Dublin Fire Brigade’s Safety Management System (SMS)

and the Local Government Management Association is certified to ISO 45001:2018, and this certification,

(LGMA). which applies to all sections within DFB, benefits the

organisation by requiring consistent assessment,

In 2024, the DFB Health and Safety Unit delivered direction and involvement of senior management

detailed training modules to newly promoted District and ultimately, improvement in safety management.

Officers, Station Officers, Sub Officers, and ERCC Sub This standard was externally appraised in June 2024

Officers and Supervisors. The Health and Safety Unit by an auditor from the National Standards Authority

also provided safety induction training to DFB Recruit of Ireland (NSAI), requiring each section within DFB

classes and Emergency Services Call-taker classes and to demonstrate compliance to the requirements

other new entrants to Dublin Fire Brigade. The Health of the standard. In 2024, Dublin Fire Brigade (DFB)

and Safety Unit conducted risk assessments of new successfully maintained certification of its Safety

equipment, training courses, activities and work and Management System (SMS) to ISO 45001:2018. DFB

training locations. In line with the DFB Consultation and is the only section within Dublin City Council to be

Participation procedures, members of the Health and certified to this standard.

Safety Unit met with elected Safety Representatives on

a quarterly basis and contributed to Standard Operation The DFB Ancillary Safety Statement 2024 was reviewed,

Guidelines (SOGs) and operational processes. updated and published in February 2024, and issued to

all senior managers and work locations. This document

Dublin Fire Brigade encourages all staff to bring any sets out the safety policy of Dublin Fire Brigade and

health and safety concerns to the attention of their line outlines the responsibilities of all staff regarding health

managers, initially, and onto the Health and Safety Unit and safety. The Ancillary Safety Statement is available

where necessary. The organisations formal procedure to all staff at their work location and on CitiDesk, on the

for raising and reporting health and safety issues is the DFB private Hub.

Good Catch Safety Observation Process. This system

allows individual members of staff throughout the The DFB Health and Safety Unit is available to discuss

organisation, irrespective of work location or section, to and advise all DFB staff on matters relating to health and

identify and report health and safety issues of concern safety and may be contacted at DFBHSU@dublincity.ie.

which may otherwise go unnoticed and potentially

result in an incident. Throughout 2024, the Health and

Safety Unit received and processed fifteen (15) Good

Catch Safety Observations (GCSOs).

66 Bhriogáid Dóiteáin Bhaile Átha Cliath DUBLIN FIRE BRIGADE