Pictured from left to right: Brenda O’Brien, Dr Patricia Ennis, William Maher, Kate McMahon, Darren Arkins, Rosemary Ryan, Ivor Heavey and Stephen Geary.

On Thursday 12 October, IPB welcomed delegates to a conference on Managing Chemicals in the Workplace to support the European Healthy Workplaces Campaign 2018/2019 which is aimed at managing the risks of dangerous substances in EU workplaces.  This conference aimed to assist Members in demonstrating compliance with the Chemicals Legislation and to ensure that appropriate risks are identified so that staff safety and health is not compromised.

The conference included topics such as employer’s legal responsibility, the potential impact of chemicals on employees’ health and managing the risk of chemicals including the safe storage and disposal of chemicals. The keynote speech was given by Brenda O’Brien (Manager, Brussels Liaison Office, European Agency for Safety and Health).

Delegates also heard presentations by Darren Arkins (Senior Inspector, Health and Safety Authority), Dr Patricia Ennis (Chemistry Lecturer, Dublin Institute of Technology), Kate McMahon (Solicitor, Kate McMahon and Associates), William Maher (District Officer, Dublin Fire Brigade), Stephen Geary (Risk Advisor, IPB Insurance) and Ivor Heavey (Risk Advisor, IPB Insurance).

The conference was attended by 100 delegates from Local Authorities and Education and Training Boards. Brenda O’Brien also commended IPB Insurance for being proactive in the area of chemical risk and will mention the conference in the European Parliament later this month.