Safe Pass – Health and Safety Awareness Training Programme

Extract from SOLAS Safe Pass programme website

About 

Safe Pass is a mandatory one-day health and safety awareness programme.

The aim of the programme is to raise the standard of safety awareness in the construction industry and to ensure that, over time, all site personnel undergo basic health and safety awareness training to enable them to work onsite without being a risk to themselves or others who might be affected by their acts or omissions. Candidates who successfully complete the programme will receive a Safe Pass Registration Card.

Under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Construction) Regulations 2013, all construction workers in Ireland - including apprentices and trainees - are legally bound to hold a valid Safe Pass Registration Card.

Note: Construction workers are legally bound to hold a valid Safe Pass Registration Card.  

Legislation

The Safety Health and Welfare at Work (Construction) Regulations 2013 (Part 1, Section 4) provides details on the categories/occupations for which a SOLAS Safe Pass Registration Card is required. Construction Apprentices registered under the Standards Based Apprenticeship Scheme and trainees undergoing Traineeships in the Construction Industry are also required to have a SOLAS Safety Awareness Registration Card.

Safe Pass Programme

SOLAS Approved Training Organisations and tutors deliver the Safe Pass Programme. 

Course Information

Safe Pass is a one-day health and safety awareness programme. The aim of the programme is to improve your knowledge and awareness of health and safety standards and practices in the construction industry. During the day, you’ll cover the following learning units:

1. Introduction of Site Safety

2. Legislation and Site Safety

3. Site Accident Reporting

4. Introduction to Risk Assessment

5. Risk Assessment for Electricity

6. Risk Assessment for Excavations

7. Risk Assessment for Heights

8. Behaviour-Based Safety

9. Site Safety and Construction Equipment

10. Site Safety and Construction Vehicles

11. Personal Health and Welfare

12. Noise and Vibration

13. Personal Protective Equipment

Your ATO provider or tutor will charge a fee for participating in the Safe Pass Programme. The fee covers the cost of the training programme and a charge for the administration of the SOLAS Safe Pass Registration Card.

When you complete the programme, your tutor will upload your results to our National Construction Scheme Database. Your Safe Pass Registration Card will be issued to your tutor about five working days after they upload your information to the system. If there are any errors or queries about the information provided by your tutor, your Safe Pass Registration Card could be delayed.

What is Safepass Renewal? 

Safe Pass Registration Cards are issued for four years, after which the cardholder must attend a Safe Pass course to update their safety awareness training. From 23rd January 2023, a new alternative option to renew your Safe Pass Card will be available to all Safe Pass Cardholders. In this alternative model, there is no face-to-face or online tutor-led course. Candidates register with SOLAS, where they can access, study or revise the material and undertake the test in a registered and controlled test centre. A learner portal containing self-study resources will be made available to candidates wishing to renew their Safe Pass card using the alternative test-based option. This allows learners to revise for the test and update their knowledge through self-directed learning, where they can take a test in a designated test centre. A new Safe Pass Registration Card will be issued on successfully completing the training course. You can continue to renew your card by sitting the existing tutor-led programme delivered by our SOLAS-approved Safe Pass Tutors. 

FAQs for new Alternative Safe Pass Renewal Test

1. When will the new Safe Pass Renewal Test become available to Safe Pass card holders?

Answer: 23rd January 2023

2. Who can apply for the Safe Pass Renewal Test?

Answer: If you are a current Safe Pass card holder you can renew your card by sitting a computer-based test in an approved Pearson Vue exam centre. 

3. What is the cost of the Safepass Renewal Test?

Answer:  The test costs €93.84 which includes the fee for your Safe Pass Card

4. How do I make payment?

Answer: Payment can be made using debit/credit card when making your online booking.

5. Can my employer pay for the renewal of my Safe Pass card?

Answer: Yes. Employers will be able to purchase vouchers for their employees through the Pearson Vue Voucher Store.  A link to the store will be available on www.constructioncourses.ie   or www.solas.ie Employers can email the voucher to their employees who can use the voucher when booking their test. 

6. Where is the Pearson Vue exam centres located?

Answer: There will be 29 exam centres throughout the Republic of Ireland.  You will see a full list of these centres through your SOLAS online account

7. How long is the test?

Answer: The test is 45 minutes long and consists of 50 multiple choice questions.  You must answer 45 questions correctly to pass the test.

8. Will I receive any revision material for the test?

Answer: Yes. When you log into your SOLAS account you will have access to revision material and access to purchase the official 500 questions that make up the tests.

9. How do I apply?

Answer: First you need to register for your SOLAS online account, to do this you will need your PPSN, Date of Birth and Family Name (Surname) and an active email address.  This email address will become your username for logging into your account.

10. How do I register for a SOLAS online account?

Answer: You will be able to register from 23rd January 2023 on www.constructioncourses.ie or through the SOLAS website www.solas.ie  

11. What do I do if I don’t have a Safe Pass Card. 

Answer: You will need to sit the existing one day Tutor led programme.  To find a list of scheduled courses go to www.constructioncourses.ie

12. What do I do if I have lost my Safe Pass Card

Answer: If your card is still in date and you want to apply for a replacement you can do so online here Safe Pass Card Replacement Online Application .

If your card has expired and you want to renew it, you can register for a SOLAS online account and book the new Safe Pass Renewal test or attend a tutor led programme to renew your card.