WORKING TO IMPROVE MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLBEING 
As yet it is not clear what the mental health impacts of the pandemic will be and the phased return to the ‘new normal’, led by the Roadmap for Reopening, will not automatically see a return to wellbeing, according to Dr Kara McGann, Head of Social Policy at Ibec. In fact, she claims that for many it is likely to exacerbate the strain being experienced. LIVING THE DREAM OR IT IS A NIGHTMARE?
The increasing practice of working from home, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, may be turned into a catalyst that will deliver a culture where we will all more actively care for each other, as Ireland’s economy gets back on track and people return to what will be a very different working environment, writes safety consultant Tom Beegan. BEHAVIOURAL SAFETY TAKES CENTRE STAGE
Behavioural safety in the workplace took centre stage recently when ‘Theatre at Work’ presented workshops on risk awareness, culture, procedures and responsibility, including compliance with Covid-19 protocols, in association with Collen Construction.
MODULAR BUILDING BUSINESS MEETS COVID-19 CHALLENGE
Tadhg Twomey, MD of Cabinpac, outlines how his company has met the Covid-19 challenge by evolving ISO management systems and processes. The modular building business has successfully transformed work practices, which has resulted in a negligible impact on workflows compared to many others in the industry. MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID TO THE RESCUE
Free resources to provide support to work colleagues struggling with anxiety due to the pandemic have been published by Mental Health First Aid Ireland, and it's also running a survey that aims to help assess how working at home for an extended period is affecting the Irish workforce. THE VIRTUAL REALITY OF WORKING FROM HOME
Digital communication tools have been supporting, enhancing and facilitating more people to work from home, while innovative companies are leveraging more advanced technologies – such as the
Internet of Things (IoT) and 3D printing – to deal with the frontline challenges of the pandemic. REMOTE WORKERS SUFFER ONLINE FATIGUE – ICS SURVEY
While some employees struggled with home broadband or mobile coverage and facilities not suitable for remote working during the pandemic, others experienced fatigue with less chance for downtime and feeling pressure to be ‘always on’, according to a recent Irish Computer Society survey. E-LEARNING: A CASE OF BUYER BEWARE
The Covid-19 pandemic has changed the teaching, training and skills development landscape, with e-Learning touted as the solution to maintaining effective health and safety training, it's vital to know what to watch out for when sourcing and selecting e-Learning solutions for your business, writes Ryan Parker. TESTING TIMES AHEAD DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC
A range of new testing initiatives that will include Covid-19 risk management and hygiene training has been launched by Complete Laboratory Solutions – Ireland’s largest privately-owned contract laboratory – to support the safe reopening of business during the pandemic. PANDEMIC HAS CHANGED WORKING WORLD – NISG PRESIDENT
With people now preparing for a return to normality, Wilson Lambe, President of the Northern Ireland Safety Group (NISG) shares his own thoughts on facing a very different workplace in the future due to the havoc created by the Covid-19 pandemic in recent months.
STRATEGY AIMS TO STOP ASTHMA DEATHS BY 2030
Ireland’s Asthma Society has experienced a huge surge in demand for its services due to the coronavirus. Following the launch of its new five-year strategic plan, which commits to stopping asthma deaths by 2030, the organisation is now calling for a national review of the number deaths. NCBI ON THE LOOK-OUT FOR WORKPLACE PARTNERS
The National Council for the Blind of Ireland is looking for new companies to collaborate with its Workplace Partner Programme, to provide a two to eight-week work experience for people with sight loss to enter or re-enter the workforce. NSAI COVID-19 PROTECTION GUIDE IS JUST THE BUSINESS!
The NSAI's new ‘Covid-19 Workplace Protection and Improvement Guide outlines financial supports for businesses to implement preventative and recovery measures, with practical guidance on physical distancing, home working and workplace rotas. PPE SUPPLIER WARNS OF SUB-STANDARD PRODUCTS
Lennox recently launched its ‘Safe at Work’ employee PPE kits, and is now mobilised to produce up to 100,000 kits per week. The MD of the Irish supplier of PPE and laboratory safety equipment has warned of the risks of substandard products entering the market as employers prepare a return to work. STRATEGIES TO ENHANCE CONSTRUCTION SAFETY SUPPLY
A Construction Safety Symposium, organised by Jacobs Engineering Group Inc in Dublin's Aviva Stadium at the end of February, highlighted the need for collective responsibility and a collaborative approach to driving safety excellence across the industry, as well as the far-reaching benefits of a sustainable safety culture.