LIMERICK City and County Council has been asked to outline the safety mechanisms in place to protect its frontline workers, including traffic wardens and street cleaning teams.
At last week’s Metropolitan District meeting, Social Democrats councillor Elisa O’Donovan inquired as to how staff are protected against aggression, intimidation, difficult and challenging situations as part of their work.
Head of Human Resources James Clune told her that it is council policy to protect, as far as reasonably practicable, the safety, health, and welfare of all its employees and of anybody who may be affected by its activities.
“The Council will conduct its activities in a way that complies with the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act, 2005, and associated regulations, and any other legal or other requirements,” he explained.
He went on to say that all reasonable measures will be taken to avoid risk, including the provision of a properly designed and maintained safe place of work, safe systems of work, safe plant and equipment.
“The Council is committed to the the identification of hazards and to their elimination or reduction where practicable. It will provide training and information to employees and personal protective clothing and equipment as required,” Mr Clune added.
At the same meeting, Fine Gael councillor Sarah Kiely called for body cameras for traffic wardens after “lots of incidents of assaults”.
