LEGISLATION SETS STALKING APART FROM HARASSMENT AS STANDALONE CRIMINAL OFFENCE 
Gender-based violence and harassment of women has come to the fore more than ever this year, and legislation has finally been passed to protect against crimes based on gender, and to categorise stalking as a standalone criminal offence. FLEXIBILITY TO THE FORE IN NEW WORKPLACE PROTOCOLS
Flexibility has become a key trait for employers and employees to cope with increasing levels of changes over the last two years, notes John Gallagher, Founder and Chief Health Officer of Cognate Health Ltd. He writes that many employers have come to realise the benefits of allowing employees to work from home during these uncertain times. AIR ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION REPORT SIGNALS SAFETY SHORTCOMINGS
Shortfalls in safety practices were highlighted in the Air Accident Investigation Unit’s final report into the Coast Guard’s ‘Rescue 116’ fatal accident (off the North Mayo coast in March 2017). Kevin Byrne, Security and Safety Aviation Auditor, says the implementation of the report’s recommendations would now be welcomed by the whole aviation community. ENTRIES OPEN FOR ALL-IRELAND OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AWARDS
The closing date for this year's NISO/NISG All-Ireland Occupational Safety Awards competition is Thursday 16 June, with an early bird date of Thursday 12 May, while all late entries will be accepted on 7 July (subject to notification by 16 June). IS IT TIME TO MOVE ‘SAFE PASS’ TRAINING ONLINE?
Safe Pass – the mandatory one-day health and safety awareness training programme for construction workers, managed by SOLAS – looks set to undergo the most significant overhaul since it was first launched 20 years ago, with plans by SOLAS to provide an alternative online assessment facility, writes safety consultant Declan Gibney.
LATEST HSA STRATEGY RENEWS RANGE OF SAFETY GOALS
The HSA's Strategy Statement for 2022-2024 sets out continued goals to promote, regulate and influence the culture of workplace health and safety. These include emerging from the pandemic, the fall-out from the UK’s exit from the EU and addressing new ways of working. MARINERS BUOYED UP BY NEW WAVE SENSORS FOR SAFER NAVIGATION
Met Éireann and Irish Lights have collaborated on a trial project to improve safety for mariners which will involve adapting existing navigation buoys with new wave sensors and providing quality control near real-time meteorological and hydrographic data. FIRE & RESCUE SERVICE TOPS GRENFELL TOWER INQUIRY AGENDA
The UK’s Fire Brigades Union lawyer told the Grenfell Tower Inquiry that any assessment of the fire and rescue service must take place “in the wider political and economic context”. Martin Seaward noted that the disaster was caused by individual private companies and government, with “widespread” systematic failings.