A comparative study of how the National Park Services in the United States of America and the Republic of Ireland approach health and safety

Abstract

This project is a comparison study of how the United States of America and the Republic of Ireland park services manage health and safety in their National Parks. The project looks at the legislation of both countries, how the National Parks approach safety for both employees and visitors and how the two park service’s record incidents. By comparing the two countries approach to health and safety at National Parks it should be possible to discern if one country has a system that is working better than the other country’s. It then may be possible to use that country’s system as a template for the other country. By analyzing both systems it may be possible to identify issues in the current procedures in health and safety that need to be reassessed. Also, on an international scale the different park services may use this study to adapt their health and safety programme. It was found that the two countries approach health and safety in national parks was in a similar fashion and that the two park services had a system where there was nationallevel guidelines, duties and procedures set in place, but the main health and safety decisions were left up to the individual park managers. This approach leads to variations in how the different parks within the same country approached health and safety. In both countries safety issues are being reexamined at the park services and safety guidelines are being revised. This is mainly due to recent changes in safety legislation. Both of the countries national parks had a low percentage of injuries. However, both of the park services’ methods of recording visitor numbers and incidents mean that the data on injuries area not accurate. It is recommended that both countries’ park services improve their recording system so that they are informed as to where to focus their resources.