Mark Cullen, Assistant Chief Executive of the Health & Safety Authority, was interviewed by Karl Fitzpatrick on South East Radio's Business Matters show last Saturday (16th May 2020). In the course of the interview, Mr. Mullen commented extensively on the Government's Return to Work Safely Protocol.
The Protocol sets out a number of expectations in terms of actions to be taken by both employers and employees as businesses reopen over the coming months. Employers, for example, are expected to develop COVID-19 response plans, deliver training to employees and keep logs of contact/group work to facilitate contact tracing.
Almost inevitably, some concerns have arisen in relation to the cost for employers of implementing the measures set out in the Protocol. Those concerns are particularly significant for smaller businesses. It is interesting in that context to note that, in response to questions from the interviewer, Mr. Cullen commented that the cost of implementing the measures "remains to be seen". He confirmed that the HSA has "not looked at the costs of implementing" the Protocol.
The full interview is available here: