Fire Risk Assessments: What’s Involved and Why They Matter Fire risk assessments are a critical element of effective fire safety management and legal compliance. At ORS, as Ireland’s largest fire safety consultancy, we carry out high-level fire risk assessments across a wide range of existing building types, including hospitals, warehouses, apartment blocks, commercial premises, and
Construction Safety Week – Working Safely with Hazardous Substances The standard reaction to hazardous substances on construction sites is often, “Do you have the Safety Data Sheet?” (This will be Material Safety Data Sheet for those of a certain vintage!). It is a mistake to think that once the SDS is on file, the hazard
Construction Safety Week: Safe Lifting Operations in Ireland The number of tower cranes on the Dublin skyline is often seen as an indicator of the economic health of the construction sector. With about 100 tower cranes currently visible in Dublin, the importance of safe lifting operations cannot be underestimated. Of course, lifting operations are not
Construction Safety Week – Driving for work risk assessment For many organisations in the construction sector, large portion of time is spent behind the wheel, attending meetings, visiting sites etc. This is one of the greatest risks workers face on a daily basis. Some of the factors that increase the risk with when driving include;
Construction Safety Week Key Considerations for Working at Height Work at height continues to be one of the main causes of serious and fatal injuries in the Irish construction industry. Work at height can vary from tasks just a step or two off the ground to work suspended by ropes 50 metres in the air.
Mental Health & Well-Being in Construction One of the key topics in the 2019 CIF Safety Week is Mental Health and Wellbeing in Construction. The Rising Importance of Psychological Risk on Construction Sites As accidents on site may be declining, we believe there is a shift in trend in the sector and that the “accidents”
U.N Climate Change Summit 2019 Some 40 years ago, the first World Climate Conference was organised by a committee chaired by Robert M. White, an American meteorologist from the USA. Negotiations on several disciplines like agriculture, energy, environment and ecology to name a few were discussed by 350 specialists from 53 countries, along with numerous
Understanding International Property Measurement Standards (IPMS) The new International Property Measurement Standards (IPMS) for commercial office space have become mandatory for the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland (SCSI). They apply to members operating in this area since February 2016. The new RICS Property Measurement Professional Statement, stipulates that gross internal area (GIA) will be the
Are We Prepared for Increased Flood Severity Across Europe? The increasing severity of flood events is both a global and national issue. In Northern Kyushu, Japan 670,000 people were ordered to evacuate their homes at the end of August 2019 due to flooding. The impact has been felt in Ireland too. In recent years significant