Health and safety regulations

Health and Safety Legislation

Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 is the primary piece of legislation covering occupational health and safety in the UK. It outlines the duties of employers, employees, manufacturers and suppliers to ensure a safe environment.
Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 enforce employers to make a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks to the health and safety of employees and to inform these to them.
Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 specifies minimum workplace standards, covering a wide range of basic health, safety and welfare issues.

Risk Assessment and Control

Carrying out a risk assessment is a fundamental duty under all health and safety regulations. This process identifies hazards, determines the potential harm that could result, and puts measures in place to control each risk.
Preventative and protective measures should be put in place, prioritising collective protective measures over individual measures.
Employers must provide free health and safety training for employees to ensure understanding and adherence to protocols.

Emergency Procedures

Under the Fire Safety Order 2005, employers are required to establish fire precautions and safety measures to reduce the risk of fire and allow people to safely escape if a fire does occur.
Employers must provide adequate first aid facilities and personnel, depending on the nature of the work and size of the organisation.
Emergency evacuation plans should be established and communicated with all employees, and regular drills should be conducted.

Workplace Facilities and Equipment

Employers must ensure adequate lighting, ventilation, temperature, and space in the workplace.
Workstation and seating set-up should seek to prevent posture-related injuries; necessary adjustments should be accommodated for those with disabilities.
All equipment provided for use at work, including machinery, appliances and tools, must be safe to use and maintained regularly under the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998.

Reporting and Record Keeping

The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR) requires employers to report and record certain workplace incidents and injuries.
Employers must keep a record of all accidents and incidents, no matter how minor, and review these to identify any trends or areas for improvement.
An accident book is a useful tool for recording incidents; however, all recorded information needs to comply with the Data Protection Act.

Health and Safety Policy

Every organisation should have a written health and safety policy if they employ five or more people, which should be communicated to all employees.
The policy should reflect the specific nature of your organisation’s operations and clearly outline responsibilities for health and safety.
The effectiveness of the policy should be regularly reviewed and updated as necessary, particularly when there are major changes to the organisation, processes or personnel.