The Health and Safety Authority (HSA) has launched the Safe Plan of Action (SPA), a practical one-page planning tool designed to help construction crews identify hazards, agree control measures and prepare to work safely on site before any task begins.

Developed in collaboration with the Construction Safety Partnership Advisory Committee (CSPAC) and launched at Dublin Airport, the SPA is built on the principle that safety starts with a plan, supporting workers, contractors and supervisors in translating high-level safety documentation into clear, actionable steps on the ground.

The A3 template can be completed at the start of each day or working week and sits alongside existing Risk Assessment Method Statements, helping to convert them into practical on-site actions. It covers task steps, required resources, common construction hazards, permits and authorisations, and control measures to eliminate or reduce risk.

Each SPA includes a dedicated space for supervisor, translator and crew signatures, reinforcing the legal obligation to communicate health and safety information in a language and form every worker can understand. The tool is particularly relevant on multilingual sites, with space to note languages used in briefings and confirm worker comprehension.

"Planning work safely is a core requirement under health and safety legislation," said Eibhlín O'Leary, assistant chief executive with the HSA. "By focusing on how individual tasks are carried out, the SPA will help to prevent incidents and support safer working practices across construction sites."

Eamonn Stapleton, co-chair of CSPAC, said the tool offers a proportionate solution for contractors of all sizes. "It is a proportionate tool that can be applied across projects of different sizes and supports safer, more organised site operations."

Read the Safe Plan of Action and explore its full guidance in the full report.