Wm.O'Brien Plant Hire achieve upgrade to International OSHAS audit becoming the only Plant Hire Company in Ireland with these Safety Standards

Wm.O'Brien Plant Hire achieve upgrade to International OSHAS audit becoming the only Plant Hire Company in Ireland with these Safety Standards

27 February 2009

Wm.O'Brien Plant Hire has recently achieved an upgrade to their already awarded Occupational Health & Safety Management System. This makes Wm.0'Brien Plant Hire the only plant hire company in Ireland to have achieved such high safety standards.This much coveted award of the internationally recognised System Standard was recently upgraded from the OHSAS 18001:1999 to the improved 2007 standard. The organisation has established an Occupational Health & Safety Management System in order to:

* Comply with legislation * Continually improve occupational health & safety performance * Reduce safety risks.

The OHSAS standard was awarded to the company following an intensive two day audit by NQA (National Quality Assurance) which took place both at the Company's Head Quarters and also on an operational construction site at Whitegate, East Cork.

The safety standards provide companies with the framework necessary not only to react to dangerous situations and record specific incidents but also to prevent and pre-empt dangerous situations and to put operational systems in place to ensure best work practices.

Wm O'Brien plant Hire has always led the way in Ireland in terms of "best practice" policies. They have invested heavily in staff training and education. Indeed they were one of the first companies in Ireland to appoint a full time Health and Safety Officer in order to meet the demands of being one of the largest plant hire companies in Ireland. The company also owns the largest mobile telescopic crane in the country which saw the introduction of new safety policies created specifically for this.

 Health and Safety Officer Claire Waterman says of the achievement"This award is the culmination of all of the hard work we have put into ensuring we are compliant with best practice standards. Our drivers as well as holding Crane Operator Tickets undergo rigorous training, testing and constant monitoring of skills. We have now achieved the upgraded OHSAS Standard of 2007 and we are thrilled that our perseverance has paid off. Management as well as our Safety Department have worked together to ensure the highest Health & Safety Standards are achieved and maintained. We really feel we have raised the bar higher and are setting safety standards that other companies should aspire towards"