Health and safety

NSAI has certified that Aurora Telecom has been assessed and deemed to comply with the provisions of the standard below in respect of:

• ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System
• ISO 45001:2018 Occupational Health and Safety Management System
• ISO 14001:2015 Environmental Management System

for “The development, design, construction maintenance and operation of dark fibre network and co-location facilities in the Republic of Ireland.”

Mandatory training, accreditations and compliance expectations for third‑party contractors.

Safety Measures and Compliance

• Training & Certification: Personnel must complete accredited training (e.g. SOLAS Safepass in Ireland etc).
• PPE: Use of safety gear, including helmets, safety boots and high-vis clothing etc.
• Risk Assessment Process: Pre-task assessments must identify site-specific hazards before work begins. This is for each site.
• Documentation: Clear statement of mandatory contractor documentation (Risk Assessment Method Statements (RAMS), insurance, safe digging practices, Safety Statement / Policy, environmental documents etc.)
• Permit to Work (PTW)/Licences: Systems for managing hazardous tasks like excavations, working in confined spaces, hot works, electrical isolations, or other hazardous activities subject to PTW control.
• Training & Certification: Ongoing training for specific tasks like fibre optic safety and co-location environment preventative work
• Competency Framework: Minimum level of competency to carry out task with periodic renewal

Adherence to Irish Legislation

• All work is carried out in accordance with applicable Irish Health and Safety legislation, including the Safety, Health and Welfare Act 2005 and Construction Regulations 2013 (as amended).

Risk Management

• Routine inspections of equipment, co-location sites and chamber infrastructure to identify defects and plan remediation works where required.

• Induction training for all personnel
• Strict rules on Access with controlled access processes in place
• On-going training updates e.g. fire suppression
• Clear rules for behaviour in co‑lo (e.g. electrical isolation rules)
• Emergency evacuation procedures for co‑lo environments
• Certain AGI sites where gas and telecoms infrastructure co-exist have enhanced access controls, including restrictions on hot works and requirements to maintain emergency vehicle access routes.

Promoting:

• Standards for:
  • civil works
  • fibre installation
  • underground infrastructure
  • site safety controls
• Adherence to the Dept of the Environment publication (aka Purple book) on standards in respect of the work of forming openings, backfilling and the reinstatement of road surfaces and the associated materials to be used on all roads other than National Roads.

We follow recognised industry standards for civil works, fibre installation and underground network construction, including compliance with relevant Departmental reinstatement guidelines.

Supervision and assurance processes are applied to ensure work affecting the Aurora Telecom network meets required safety and quality standards.