Content
Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 (UK)
Specific duties of care for:
Status in UK: legal requirement.
Notes:
The Health and Safety at Work Act covers nearly all occupations. It is
designed to protect people at work including staff, visitors, contractors
and members of the public. The HSWA supersedes nearly all of the previous
health and safety laws in the UK.
The main purposes of the Act are set out in section 1 as follows:
It sets out a framework of general duties, primarily on employers, but also
on employees and the controllers of premises, and on designers,
manufacturers, importers and suppliers in relation to articles and
substances used at work.
Regulations from the HSWA
Regulations are not acts of Parliament but do have the support of the law and therefore must be complied with.
Regulations are increasingly drafted by reference to European Directives (these will be discussed at a later stage in this module).
There are many sets of regulations applying to health and safety. Some apply to all places of work and others are specific to particular industries, operations, substances, materials or premises.
Here are a couple examples of such regulations:
Health and Safety at Work Act Section 2
Duties of the Employer
“Duty to ensure so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of all his/her employees”
· Safe use, handling, storage and transportation of articles and substances
· Information, instruction, training and adequate supervision
· Safe place of work and a safe means of access and egress
· Safe working environment and adequate welfare facilities
- To ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that articles they design, construct,
- make, import, supply etc. are safe and without risk to health at all times e.g. when it
- is being set up, cleaned, used or maintained by someone at work
- To carry out or arrange such testing and examination necessary to perform the duties above
- To ensure that those supplying the item have adequate information about its designed and tested use. This includes essential conditions for dismantling and disposal
- Take steps to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that those supplied are given updated information where it becomes known that the item gives rise to serious risk to health and safety
Health and Safety at Work Act Section 7
Duties of the Employees
· Also, they must co-operate with their employers; as long as this does not lead to an
This makes responsibility for safety a joint employer/employee effort
Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1992 (Revised
1999)
· MHSWR underlines the requirements for employers to provide instruction and training
· Employers must ensure that their personnel are properly trained to use any equipment necessary in the course of their work, but the regulations also place an obligation on employees to undergo such training and follow the instructions given by their employer
·
Operatives are required to only use equipment for which they are
trained and to use it in the manner and for the purpose for which
they have been trained
.png)
.jpeg)
.png)
 ){kind=link}
0 Comments