The HSA just unveiled its new strategy statement—but what does it mean for your business?

The Health and Safety Authority (HSA) recently unveiled their strategic plan for 2025-27, highlighting several key priorities, including enforcing compliance, collaboration, and organisation excellence.

These priorities aim to ensure safer workplaces and better outcomes for businesses and workers. But what does this actually mean in practice, and how can you align your approach to meet these goals?

Read on for jargon-free, actionable advice to help you prepare, implement, and support the new strategy.

1: Build and support compliance

The HSA emphasises fostering a culture of compliance and collaboration, with a focus on identifying high-risk areas and staying agile in addressing emerging issues. So, what can your business do to make sure it’s hitting the back of the net for its compliance goals?

Staying agile starts with risk assessments. Regularly evaluate workplace risks and ensure your processes are up-to-date. Identify the area’s most vulnerable to incidents and create tailored action plans.

It’s also important to keep your staff informed with regular health & safety online training to deal with emerging risks like new technologies and working conditions.

To showcase that you’re meeting compliance requirements, you’ll need to maintain clear records of compliance activities. Including incidents and preventative measures. If you’re storing these in old filing cabinets, a word of advice—don’t! Use secure, online document storage to keep all your policies and records in one location you can access in a flash.

2: Influence, educate and collaborate

The HSA is also targeting smaller businesses, self-employed individuals, and vulnerable workers. Their goal is to enhance collaboration across industries and influence policy decisions. How can you support this?

First things first, make sure your health & safety procedures are accessible for all employees, especially part-time or vulnerable workers. If you’re unsure about where to start, look into ready-made templates like risk assessments for temporary or contract workers. And utilise technology like on-the-go apps, so everyone, (regardless of the manner of work they do for your business), can access health & safety training and procedures.

In the long-term, partner with industry organisations or join forums to exchange the best practices. You’ll be surprised about the kind of knowledge you can gain from others in the industry. And try to simplify your policies and training materials as much as possible to ensure every employee understands how to best comply with safety standards.

3: Organisational excellence

The HSA is aiming to modernise systems, maximise technology investments, and empower their team to achieve better outcomes. While this is more of an internal goal, focused on improving their scope, reach, and efficiency, it provides a great opportunity for you to do the same for your business.

Invest in health & safety software to streamline efficiency and better future-proof your business. Good use of software can help give you strong foundations for the future, as well as minimising time spent on other aspects of health & safety in your business.

Create opportunities for training and upskilling in the long term, encouraging workers to take ownership of safety practices. And use data to measure the outcomes of your safety initiatives to help give you oversight of the areas for improvement.

Why this matters

Following the lead of the HSA is not just a box ticking exercise, it’s a smart move to safeguard your employees and business for the future. Neglecting health & safety can lead to severe consequences, including hefty fines in legal action.

Individual fines in 2023 reached as high as €750,000, and one employer in Tipperary was even sentenced to 12 months in prison. Beyond financial penalties, failing to properly align yourself with the HSA’s regulation and guidelines can damage your reputation and employee morale.

Proactive adoption can helps mitigate risks and lessen the workload for the future, ensuring a safer workplace environment.

Stay ahead with BrightSafe

Navigating health & safety regulations can be complex, but BrightSafe is here to simplify the process. With BrightSafe's health & safety software, you can focus on running your business while we help you create a safer work environment and adapt to changing regulations.

Contact us today—book a free demo or give one of our friendly experts a call on 1800 279 841 to see it in action.