Pictured (left-to-right) at the recent safety awards were: Fergal McKevitt, NISO Secretary, Aiden Hassett, John Carley, Paul L’Estrange and Amanda Richards – all from Wexford County Council
WEXFORD COUNTY Council’s Fire Services Department has won a south east regional award for its Health and Safety Management System.
The announcement was made at the 25th annual National Irish Safety Organisation/Northern Ireland Safety Group (NISO-NISG) awards which took place recently in Killarney.
The local authority Fire Services shared the award with Honeywell Aerospace and in beat off competition from the public and private sectors across the region.
The awards are aimed at recognising best practice in health and safety throughout Ireland.
Speaking in the wake of the announcement Wexford’s Chief Fire Officer, Paul L’Estrange, said health and safety is something very important to him.
“I am very keen to champion health and safety across the Fire Service,” he said.
“The safety, health and well-being of all officers and fire-fighters is essential to our organisation [and] this award is well deserved by all of those who have worked hard to achieve an extremely high standard of health and safety across the Fire Service.”
Director of Services with Wexford County Council, John Carley, accepted the award on behalf of the local authority.
He said health and safety is a priority issue for the County Council and added: “ I am delighted with the quality of work carried out in the Fire Services Department – supported by the Council’s Health and Safety team. This work demonstrates our genuine commitment to the well-being and safety of all our staff and the public we serve.”
The award follows on from the local authority’s implementation earlier this year of the international quality standard OHSAS 18001:2007 by the Fire Services Department in respect of its Health and Safety Management System.
