"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.
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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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