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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.
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
look after the health and safety of others, for example the public
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.
It will be safe when being set, used, cleaned or maintained by a person at work
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 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.