The Tánaiste and Minister for Health, Ms Harney, today said she welcomed a call from the Health and Safety Authority for hospitals to carry out a risk assessment of their A&E wards.
"I very much welcome it," she said. "It is not the first time it has happened. It is important that clinicians and management work together to ensure the highest possible standards of health and safety operate in our hospitals.
"There may well be issues around how facilities are managed within hospitals and I very much welcome this intervention. I think this will be a very good thing."
The Health and Safety Authority wrote to the chief executive of the Health Service Executive, Mr Kevin Kelly, yesterday requesting that hospitals carry out the risk assessment and report back to the authority by February 25th.
It also wants confirmation by that date that steps are being taken to tackle the problems identified.
The move follows a claim by the Irish Hospital Consultants' Association (IHCA) this week that overcrowding of A&E units is posing a "serious risk" to patients.
At least 248 patients were on trolleys in A&E departments yesterday awaiting admission to beds, according to the Irish Nurses' Organisation.