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Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations 2007 (S.I. No. 299 of 2007)

These Regulations were signed by Tony Killeen, Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, on 14 June 2007 and they came into operation on 1 November 2007.

The regulations replace, simplify and update 25 existing sets of regulations and orders and apply to all places of work. Comprehensive guidelines are available form our Publications Section.

The General Application Regulations have been amended several times since 2007 – details of the amending Regulations are outlined below.  The Law Reform Commission has prepared a consolidated version of the General Application Regulations 2007 updated to 31 December 2017 – available on the Law Reform Commission website here. 

Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) (Amendment) Regulations 2016 (S.I. No. 36 of 2016)

These Regulations amend the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations 2007 (S.I. No. 299 of 2007) as previously amended by the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) (Amendment) Regulations 2007 (S.I. No. 732 of 2007), the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application)(Amendment) Regulations 2010 (S.I. No. 176 of 2010) and the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application)(Amendment) Regulations 2012 (S.I. No. 445 of 2012) by inserting Part 11 (Woodworking Machines), Part 12 (Abrasive Wheels) and Part 13 (Abrasive Blasting of Surfaces) as well as adding Schedule 13 (Woodworking Machines) and Schedule 14 (Training and Instruction) to the Regulations. The collective Regulations shall be cited together as the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations 2007 to 2016.

The purpose of the Regulations is to bring specific workplace safety matters relating to Woodworking Machines, Abrasive Wheels and Abrasive Blasting of Surfaces within the scope of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 following the repeal of corresponding Regulations made under the Factories Act 1955, as amended by the Safety in Industry Act 1980.

The Regulations are designed to retain, by means of amendments to the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations 2007, the aspects of the provisions of Regulations under the Factories Act that remain relevant and are therefore reproduced in line with the new legislative format.

These Regulations revoke and replace 3 individual sets of Regulations—

(a)   Factories (Woodworking Machinery) Regulations, 1972. (S.I. No. 203 of 1972),

(b)   Factories (Abrasive Blasting Of Surfaces) Regulations, 1974. (S.I. No. 357 of 1974), and

(c) Safety in Industry (Abrasive Wheels) Regulations, 1982. (S.I. No. 30 of 1982).

These Regulations shall come into operation from 1 July, 2016

Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) (Amendment) Regulations 2012 (S.I. No. 445 of 2012)

These Regulations which amended S.I. No. 299 of 2007, were signed by Richard Bruton, Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, on 12 November 2012 and they will come into operation on 1st January 2013. The Regulations insert a new Part 10 and Schedule 12 to the Regulations relating to Pressure Systems.

The new Part 10 and Schedule 12 set out the requirements for the design, construction, safe operation, examination and testing of pressure equipment. They also provide for the maintaining of records of tests and examinations of such equipment. These provisions apply to all workplaces, in all industry sectors, that utilise pressure systems as part of their operations. These Regulations revoke and replace 7 individual sets of Regulations-

(a) Factories (Preparation of Steam Boilers for Examination) Regulations 1956 (S.I. No. 174 of 1956),
(b) Factories (Report of Examination of Steam Boiler) Regulations 1956 (S.I. No. 183 of 1956),
(c) Factories (Report of Examination of Steam Receivers) Regulations 1956 (S.I. No. 184 of 1956),
(d) Factories (Report of Examination of Air Receivers) Regulations 1956 (S.I. No. 185 of 1956),
(e) Factories (Report of Examination of Air Receivers) (Amendment) Regulations 1978 (S.I. No. 357 of 1978),
(f) Factories (Report of Examination of Steam Receivers) (Amendment) Regulations 1978 (S.I. No. 358 of 1978), and
(g) Factories (Report of Examination of Steam Boiler) (Amendment) Regulations 1978 (S.I. No. 359 of 1978).

Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) (Amendment) Regulations 2010 (S.I. No. 176 of 2010)

These Regulations, which amended S.I. No. 299 of 2007, were signed by Batt O'Keeffe, Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, on 5 November 2007 and they came into operation on the 29th of April 2010.

Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application)(Amendment) Regulations 2007 (S.I. No. 732 of 2007)

These Regulations, which amended S.I. No. 299 of 2007, were signed by Billy Kelleher, Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, on 5 November 2007 and they came into operation on 12 November 2007.