HEALTH AND SAFETY LAW

What you should know, Your health, safety and welfare at work are protected by law. Your employer has a duty to protect you and to keep you informed about health and safety. You have a responsibility look after yourself and others.

If there is a problem, discuss it with your employer or your safety representative, if there is one.

Below is a brief guide to health and safety law. It does not describe the law in detail; but it does list the key points.

Your employer has a duty under the law to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, your health, safety and welfare at work.

In general, your employers duties include:

Making your workplace safe and without risks to health; 
Keeping dust, fume and noise under control; 
Ensuring plant and machinery are safe and that safe systems of work are set and followed; 
Ensuring articles and substances are moved, stored and used safely; 
Providing adequate welfare facilities; 
Giving you the information. instruction, training and supervision necessary for your health and safety. 

Your employer must also:

Draw up a health and safety policy statement if there are 5 or more employees, including the health and safety organization and arrangements in force, and bring it to your attention;

Provide free any protective clothing or equipment specifically required by health and safety law, report certain injuries, diseases and dangerous occurrences to the enforcing authority, provide adequate first-aid facilities, consult a safety representative. if one is appointed by a recognised trade union, about matter affecting your health and safety, 
Set up a safety committee if asked in writing by 2 or more safety representatives. 

In many workplaces employers may have other specific duties:

To take precautions against fire, provide adequate means of escape and means for fighting fire. and provide training on what do in the event of a fire; 
To take adequate precautions against explosions of flammable dust or gas and when welding and soldering container which have held an explosive or flammable substance; 
To maintain a workroom temperature of at least 16oC after he first hour of work where employees do most of their work sitting down; 
To keep the workplace clean; 
To provide, maintain and keep clean washing and toilet facilities and accommodation for clothing and to supply drinking water; 
To see that workrooms are not overcrowded and that they are well ventilated and lit; 
To ensure that floor, steps, stain, ladders. passages and gangways are well constructed and maintained, and not obstructed; 
To take special precautions before allowing employees to enter and work in a confined space 
To ensure that employees do not have to lift. carry or move any load so heavy that it likely to injure them; 
To guard securely all dangerous parts of machines: 
To see that employees, especially young people, are properly trained or under adequate supervision before using dangerous machinery; to ensure that lifting equipment hoists, lifts, chains, ropes, cranes and lifting tackle) and steam boilers, steam receivers and air receivers are well constructed well maintained and examined at specified intervals; 
To give employees suitable eye protection or protective equipment for certain jobs; 
To take proper precautions to prevent employees being exposed to substances which may damage their health; 
To take precautions against danger from electrical equipment and radiation. 

As an employee, you have legal duties too. They include: taking reasonable care for your own health and safety and that of other who may be affected by what you do or do not do;

Co-operating with your employer on health and safety; 
Not interfering with or misusing anything provided for your health, safety or welfare. 

If you think there is a health and safety problem in your workplace you should first discuss it with your employer, senior or manager. You may also wish to discuss it with your safety representative, if there is one.

If the problem remains or you need more help, health and safety inspector can give advice on how to comply with the law. They also have power to enforce it,

The Health and Safety Executive's (HSE's) Employment Medical Advisory Service can give advice on health at work and first aid. Contact them at the addresses below.

Name and address of enforcing authority (e.g. the HSE or your Local Authority's Environmental Health Department) Address of HSE's Employment Medical Advisory Service. You can get advice on general fire precautions etc. from the Fire Brigade or your fire officer.

The main Act of Parliament is the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, but for particular purposes the Factories Art 1961, the Mines and Quarries Act 1954, the Offices, Shops and Railway Premises Act 1963,the Nuclear Installations Ad 1965, the Agriculture (Safety, Health and Welfare Provisions) Act 1956, the Fire Precautions Act 1971 and other Acts and Regulations made under any of these may be equally relevant.

Useful HSE publications: A Guide to the Health and Safety at Work Etc. Act 1974 (HS(R)6);

For more information go to the website of 

The Health and Safety The Health and Safety Executive http://www.hse.gov.uk/hsehome.htm