Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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740. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the advice she would provide to a person who has had an accident in work due to lax health and safety practices and is dissatisfied with the outcome of the Health and Safety Authority's inspection; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4471/17]

Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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The Health and Safety Authority (HSA) investigates workplace accidents and fatalities under the provisions of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act, 2005. The Authority is independent of the Department and the Minister in the conduct of such investigations and in its decision-making (together with the DPP) on whether to prosecute or not based on the findings in each case.

In instances where an individual is dissatisfied with the outcome of an investigation this must be pursued directly with the Authority in the first instance. The HSA is committed to providing the highest level of customer service. In this regard the Authority has a Customer Service Charter which outlines its commitment and provides details of what a person can expect in their dealings with the Authority. If for any reason a person is not satisfied with the service that they receive from the HSA the Customer Charter outlines how a complaint can be made to the Authority and how that complaint will be dealt with.

This Charter sets out the procedures in relation to both the making of informal complaints and formal complaints. A formal complaint will tend to be of a more serious nature and will be thoroughly investigated by a senior Investigating Manager who will endeavour to resolve the complaint within thirty working days of receiving it. The Investigating Manager will advise the complainant (in writing for written complaints and verbally for verbal complaints) of the findings of the investigation, any recommendations considered appropriate and the reasons for such findings and recommendations. In a situation where a complainant is dissatisfied with the response they have received they have a right of appeal which will involve an independent review of the response by an Assistant Chief Executive (ACE) of the HSA (where the ACE might have acted as the Investigating Manager the appeal will be dealt with by the Chief Executive of the HSA). Reviews on foot of an appeal will be completed within twenty working days.

For more information please see the link to the HSA Customer Service Charter on the HSA website: .