Introduction

As we move through the latter half of 2025, a stark warning from Ireland’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has brought a critical, often invisible, workplace issue into sharp focus. The agency’s latest findings on air quality are clear: we are not doing enough to protect clean air across our towns, villages, and cities. While we might associate significant air pollution with megacities abroad, the EPA’s data confirms it is a pressing domestic issue. Their report highlights that fine particulate matter (PM2.5), primarily from burning solid fuels, contributes to an estimated 1,300 premature deaths in Ireland each year.

What is PM2.5 and Why is it So Dangerous?

Particulate matter (PM2.5) refers to incredibly fine, inhalable particles with a diameter of just 2.5 micrometres or smaller. To put this into scale, it is approximately 30 times smaller than the width of a single human hair. Because of their microscopic size, these particles can easily bypass the body’s natural defences, penetrating deep into the lungs and even passing directly into the bloodstream.

The health implications are severe. According to health bodies like Ireland’s own HSE (Health Service Executive), long-term, cumulative exposure to these particles is scientifically linked to a range of serious health problems, including:

• Cardiovascular diseases, such as heart attacks and strokes
• Chronic respiratory illnesses, like COPD
• The development of lung cancer
• Adverse birth outcomes for exposed mothers

As emphasised by Dr. Micheál Lehane in recent EPA reports, there is no safe threshold below which air pollution is harmless. This is a vital concept for employers to grasp: even air quality that meets the current legal limits can still be damaging the health of your workforce.

A Nationwide Issue It’s Not Just a City Problem

A crucial takeaway from the report is that this is not an issue confined to major urban centres like Dublin or Cork. The EPA’s monitoring has shown that the highest levels of particulate pollution are frequently recorded in towns and villages across the country. You can monitor this in real-time using the official Air Quality Index for Ireland. This means that businesses operating anywhere in Ireland need to be acutely aware of the local air quality and its potential impact on their staff particularly on employees with pre-existing health conditions.

Authoritative Link: You can read the full press release from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on their website to understand the specifics of their findings.

Agency (EPA) on their website to understand the specifics of their findings.

Your Legal and Ethical Responsibilities as an Employer

The EPA report has direct and serious implications for your duties under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005. This Act requires employers to provide a safe working environment and to proactively identify, assess, and control all potential hazards that could affect their employees’ health. An invisible hazard like airborne particulate matter is absolutely no exception.

Defining Your ‘Duty of Care’ in the Context of Air Quality

Your ‘duty of care’ is an active responsibility. In the context of air quality, it requires you to consider all factors that could harm your employees, which can be broken down into three key areas:

1. Indoor Air Quality (IAQ): The quality of the air inside your premises is your most direct responsibility. This involves ensuring your ventilation systems are correctly specified, fully functional, regularly maintained, and not inadvertently drawing polluted external air into the building without adequate filtration.

2. Occupational Exposure for Outdoor Workers: For employees whose roles require them to work outdoors for significant periods (e.g., in construction, logistics, grounds maintenance), you must assess the risks posed by poor ambient air quality, especially on high-pollution days.

3. Protecting Vulnerable Employees: You have a heightened duty of care towards employees with known, pre-existing respiratory conditions. For individuals with conditions like asthma, which affects hundreds of thousands in Ireland, a high pollution day could trigger a serious health event. For information and support, a key resource is the Asthma Society of Ireland.

Practical Steps to Fulfil Your Health and Safety Obligations

• Conduct a Specific Air Quality Risk Assessment: Your general workplace risk assessment must be reviewed to include air quality as a potential hazard. The HSA provides detailed guidance on how to conduct a proper Risk Assessment, which should be the model for your process.
• Audit and Maintain Your Ventilation Systems: Your HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) system is your most important line of defence for IAQ. Ensure it is professionally serviced on a regular schedule, and that all filters are cleaned or replaced according to the manufacturer’s guidance.
• Develop a Communication and Action Plan: Raise awareness among your staff. Monitor the EPA’s air quality forecasts. On days with poor air quality warnings, be prepared to implement practical measures, such as advising vulnerable employees to work from home, rescheduling non-essential outdoor tasks, or ensuring appropriate Respiratory Protective Equipment (RPE) is used.

Authoritative Link: For a complete understanding of your legal duties, refer to the primary legislation explained on the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) website.

From Compliance to Excellence The Strategic Role of ISO Management Systems

• Meeting your minimum legal duties is the baseline. Building a truly resilient and responsible business requires a more structured approach. This is where internationally recognised standards from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) become invaluable.

ISO 14001 Systematically Managing Your Environmental Impact

• ISO 14001 provides a world-class framework for creating an Environmental Management System (EMS). In the context of the EPA’s report, implementing an EMS would involve systematically reviewing and reducing your own environmental footprint through actions like:
  • Energy Consumption Audits: Analysing energy use to identify inefficiencies and create a strategy to switch to cleaner sources, a key national goal supported by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI).
  • Fleet and Transport Management: If you operate a vehicle fleet, implementing strategies to optimise routes, reduce fuel consumption, or plan a transition to electric vehicles.

Supply Chain Engagement: Considering the environmental performance of your key suppliers as part of your procurement process.

ISO 45001 A Proactive Framework for Protecting Worker Health

ISO 45001 is the global standard for occupational health and safety. It moves a business away from a reactive approach to a proactive, preventative culture. Using its ‘Plan-Do-Check-Act’ model for air quality would look like this:

• Plan: Formally identifying air quality as a significant health hazard in your risk register.
• Do: Implementing robust control measures, such as engineering controls (enhanced ventilation) or administrative controls (policies for high-pollution days).
• Check: Monitoring the effectiveness of these controls through methods like periodic indoor air quality testing or health surveillance.
• Act: Using the data gathered to continually improve your processes and further reduce the risk to your employees.

Implementing these standards demonstrates a powerful, verifiable commitment to the wellbeing of your staff and the environment, enhancing your corporate reputation.

Authoritative Link: The National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) is the primary national resource for businesses looking to understand and achieve ISO certification.

Partner with Acornstar for a Healthy, Safe, and Compliant Future

The EPA’s 2025 report is an undeniable call to action for Irish business leaders. Air quality is a complex challenge that sits at the critical intersection of environmental responsibility, public health, and occupational safety.

Navigating your legal obligations and implementing best-practice standards like ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 requires deep expertise and a structured, methodical approach. If you are ready to move beyond basic compliance and build a truly resilient business that places the health of your people and the planet at its core, contact the expert team at Acornstar.