Health & Safety is administered by the Health & Safety Policy Unit (HSPU), which operates from Service HQ in Lisburn.

The Unit is currently staffed by:

Assistant Group Commander Mark Darrall
Mr William Finlay, Health & Safety Adviser
Watch Commanders Sandy Thompson and Andy Burns
Admin support is provided by Paula Scott and Andrea Smyth

You can contact the HSPU on

02892 664221 extension 2216

What do we do?

Health & Safety is an important part of every aspect of life in NIFRS, and this means that the department is always busy.

The following list gives a summary of the functions of the HSPU, but if you are interested in finding out more, or perhaps you are considering a career move into the HSPU in future, don’t hesitate to get in touch.

The Health and Safety Policy Unit is responsible for:

Developing, installing, maintaining, monitoring and reviewing the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service Safety Management System.
Monitoring the implementation of the Authority’s Health and Safety Policy Framework, advising on changes to policies or procedures for the improvement of health and safety management.
Monitoring accident, injury, near-miss and dangerous occurrences recording, reporting and investigating procedures to identify trends and seek remedies.
Arranging for the collection and analysis of data relevant to health and safety performance through safety audits, inspections, environmental monitoring and accident investigations. Reporting to the Health and Safety Forum.
Liaising with the Training Centre Manager to identify health and safety training needs within the organisation, and to advise on the provision of the required training.
Maintaining, encouraging and promoting a positive working relationship with employees’ representatives.
Maintaining an up-to-date knowledge of current and new health and safety legislation and assess its impact upon the organisation.
Ensuring that suitable and adequate information and advice is made available to all personnel who have a key responsibility for management of health and safety in the organisation, and provide that information in an appropriate form for communication to all personnel.
Introducing measures to reduce and minimise the number of accidents and injuries, and associated costs.
Actively promoting health, safety and welfare matters within the organisation.

The Health and Safety Policy Unit is accountable to the Director of Community development.

Suggestions?

Your views matter to us and we would like to hear any suggestions you might have that could lead to an improvement in health and safety.

If you have anything you would like to suggest, discuss it first with your manager and ask him/her to forward it to us here at the HSPU by completing the form below.