Task 5 legislation and regulation in the workplace

The health and safety work act of 1974 is a primary piece of legislation which places a duty on
employers and manufacturers to ensure as reasonable degree the health, safety and welfare at work
of all their employees. This act was primarily created to create a single wide wide-ranging system of
regulatory law, the main aims of the health and safety at work act are:
To ensure the health, safety and welfare of people in the workplace

To protect people other than employees against the health and safety risks which emerge as a
result of the activities of employees at work

To control the storage and use of explosive, highly flammable or generally dangerous
substances, and preventing the illicit purchase, possession and use of dangerous substances

Responsibilities of employers
Since the act places a duty on employers to ensure a reasonable degree the health, safety and welfare
at the workplace, their general duties consist of:
To ensure the safe operation and maintenance of the working environment, and to talk
to safety representatives

To ensure

To control the storage and use of explosive, highly flammable or generally dangerous
substances, and preventing the illicit purchase, possession and use of dangerous substances.

provide and maintain safety equipment and safe systems of work

ensure materials used are properly stored, handled, used and transported

provide information, training, instruction and supervision - ensure staff are aware of instructions
provided by manufacturers and suppliers of equipment

provide a safe place of employment

provide a safe working environment

provide a written safety policy/risk assessment

look after the health and safety of others, for example the public

talk to safety representatives

An employer is forbidden to charge his or her employees for any measures which he or she is required
to provide in the interests of health and safety (for example, personal protective equipment).

Employees responsibilities
Duties owed by employees at work
There are also duties imposed upon employees in the workplace including the following:

To take care for the health and safety of themselves and other persons.

To cooperate with any requirement imposed by the Employer in order for the Employer to perform and
comply with any required duty.

Not to intentionally or recklessly interfere or misuse anything provided in the interests of health, safety or
welfare.

Duties of manufacturers (articles and substances for use at work)

There is duty on any person who designs, manufactures, imports or supplies any article for use at work
to ensure:

It will be safe when being set, used, cleaned or maintained by a person at work

There will be adequate testing and examination of such articles.

Persons using the article are provided with adequate information about its usage.

Persons using the article are provided with any revisions of information about the article.

The carrying out of any necessary research with a view to the discovery, elimination or minimisation of
any risks to health.

The erection or installation of any article is done so safely.

The impact this act has at the workplace is it ensures the health and safety of all employees or
others who may be affected by any work activity, and promotes and encourages high standards of
health and safety in the UK. Overall it is effective as in creating the act, the government has
consulted and engaged with employers and employees for the first time in order to develop a
health and safety system for modern Britain, it aimed to simplify the existing safety system, and it
has helped raise awareness of health and safety issues in the workplace.