Safety, Health and Welfare At Work Act, 1989

PART VII

Special Reports and Inquiries

Investigations and special reports.

46.—(1) (a) The Authority may at any time direct any of its staff or any other competent person as it considers appropriate to investigate the circumstances surrounding any accident, disease, occurrence, situation or any other matter related to the general purposes of this Act and make a report to it, to be known and in this section referred to as “a special report”, on such matter.

(b) A person who is not an inspector undertaking an investigation under this section shall, for the purposes of such investigation, have all the powers of an inspector under this Act.

(2) In the case of an investigation and special report made under subsection (1), (otherwise than by a member of the staff of the Authority) the Authority may pay to the person making it such fees and expenses as the Minister may, with the approval of the Minister for Finance, determine.

(3) The Authority may, to such extent as the Minister may determine, defray the costs, other than those incurred under subsection (2), if any, incurred in the preparation of a special report.

(4) The Authority may cause a special report, or part of such special report, to be made public within a reasonable time and in such manner as it thinks fit.

(5) In the case of an air or rail accident or an accident at sea the Authority shall not conduct an investigation into such accidents save with the consent of the Minister given with the concurrence of any other Minister of the Government he considers appropriate.