Health and Safety Authority
Declan Foster is currently working as an Occupational Health and Safety Inspector at the Health and Safety Authority. Prior to this, Declan held positions as a Swabber and Deputy Manager for Covid-19 testing at the Health Service Executive. Declan also worked as a Support Worker at Brothers of Charity Services Ireland. Declan has a Master of Science in Occupational and Environmental Health and Safety from the University of Galway, and a degree in Human Communication- Speech and language therapy from De Montfort University.
Health and Safety Authority
The Health and Safety Authority (HSA) is the national statutory body in Ireland with responsibility for ensuring that approximately 1.8 million workers and those affected by work activity are protected from work-related injury and ill health. We do this by enforcing occupational health and safety law, promoting accident prevention, and providing information and advice across all industry sectors. We also have a key role in protecting human health (workers and the general public) and the environment from risks arising from the use of chemicals. In addition, as the Competent Authority for EU Regulations such as REACH, we have an important role in enhancing competitiveness and innovation and ensuring the free movement of goods in the EU market. We are a key agency involved in market surveillance and ensuring the safety of specific products used in workplaces, homes and in consumer applications. In this context, we have a remit to protect our population of over 4.6 million people from unsafe products and articles and to enable the international movement and trade of goods manufactured in Ireland. The Irish National Accreditation Body (INAB), now part of the HSA, provides the national accreditation service which assures the quality and standard of Irish products and services. As an internationally recognised mark, accreditation allows Irish companies to market their products and services worldwide.