"Workplace accidents responsibility of architect" says HSA
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http://www.unison.ie/breakingnews/index.php3?ca=9&si=46946
Report shows workplace accidents can often be responsibility of architect
15:41 Thursday November 27th 2003
The Health and Safety Authority says architects and designers can often be responsible for workplace accidents. A study published today reveals that a high proportion of design engineers has a poor understanding of their obligations under Health and Safety law. The Authority says lives have been lost as a result of poor design in the workplace. Senior Health and Safety inspector Jim Heffernan says its up to designers to know their obligations.
They’re actually quite accurate in that statement if you literally translate the regulations. EU Health and Saftey laws and hence our own split H+S into Design stage and Construction stage – the architect wouldbe responsible under legislation as the PSDS – project supervisor design stage, while the builder would be the PSCS – construction stage. The PSDS has to design to minimise or remove all risks/hazards identified in the preliminary health and safety plan (which the PSDS is also responsible for preparing).
In most cases the builder probably acts as the PSDS too – merely taking the architects schematics as the basis for preparing the preliminary HS plan – but it’ll only take one prosecution of an Architect by the HSA to change all that. Fear the HSA for they are the most powerful entity in Ireland today!
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