UK workplace safety legislation and employer responsibilities

United Kingdom Laws and Regulations on Safety in the Workplace

The objective of this study is to examine workplace safety specific to the United Kingdom and to review the laws in the UK on what constitutes safety in the workplace. Included in the issues addressed are such as lack of ventilation, high workloads, as well as safety rails requirements and material storage issues. This work will describe the benefits to management of a safe controlled working environment and describe the concept of hazard and risk control. This study will additionally describe the management system that may be introduced to plan, control, and monitor the working environment and provide an explanation of the concept of total loss control and cost/benefit analysis when applied to hazard and risk management in Health and Safety.

Legislation for Occupational Health and Safety in the UK

It is reported that the primary legislation that covers occupational health and safety in the United Kingdom is the 'Health and Safety at Work Act' which is reported to set out specific duties for health and safety on employers, employees, and others including landlords, manufacturers, suppliers and designers. Those reported to have primary responsibilities include employers and individual directors. It is the responsibility of employers and individual directors to: (1) ensure the health, safety and welfare of all their employees; (2) produce a written policy statement explaining how this will be accomplished; (3) conduct a consultation with union to representatives. (Prospect, 2013, p.1) The duties of employees include: (1) taking care not to put themselves and others at risk of danger; and (2) cooperating with the employer's arrangements for ensuring health and safety." (Prospect, 2013, p.1) It is stated that it is critically important that H & S. reps are familiar with this law, as well as the regulations, the approved codes of practice and the guidance." (Prospect, 2013, p.1) It is reported that all of this information can be located in the H & S. reps' "bible known as the 'Brown Book'. " (Prospect, 2013, p.1) There are other stated regulations that make the duties that are implied in the Health and Safety at Work Act explicit including those stated as follows:

(1) Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations;

(2) Manual Handling Operations Regulations;

(3) Display Screen Equipment Regulations;

(4) Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations;

(5) Lifting Operations & Lifting Equipment Regulations;

(6) Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations;

(7) Noise at Work Regulations;

(8) Workplace (Health, Safety & Welfare) Regulations;

(9) Electricity at Work Regulations; and (10) Personal Protective Equipment Regulations. (Prospect, 2013, p.1)

Various Responsibilities of Employer and Employees

It is the responsibility of the employer to inform he employees about risk to their health and safety from working practices that are in use or that may come into use in the future as well as to inform the employees about things or changes that might result in harm to their health and safety. The employer is responsible to relate to the employees how they can perform their job safely and what is being done to protect the health and safety of employees. It is the responsibility of the employer to provide protection for employees at work when needed and health checks if there is any chance of ill health due to working conditions or environment. (Prospect, 2013, p.1) Employers must additionally make provision of their health and safety policy statement and an up-to-date Employer's Liability (Compulsory Insurance) certificate visible in the workplace. (Prospect, 2013, p.1)

Training and Educational Needs

It is noted that certain staff will have special needs for training including such as: (1) new recruits; (2) people changing jobs or taking on extra responsibilities; (3) young employees who are particularly vulnerable to accidents; and (4) health and safety representatives. ( ) According to the UK law on workplace safety, employers are required to consult with workers on health and safety. Consultation is such that does not speak of "telling workers about health and safety. It means discussing health and safety with them, or their safety reps, allowing them to raise concerns and influence decisions.

Total Loss Control and Management of Risk

Reported is that the total loss approach holds that "organizations need to learn from both accidents and incidents to achieve effective control. They should also look beyond their own organization to draw lessons from elsewhere." (Health and Safety Executive, 2003) This involves the examination of all possible outcomes in the prevention of loss control which has a focus on the causes of incidents because outcomes may be random and uncontrollable." (Health and Safety Executive, 2003) It is important to note the requirement of the "planned and systematic approach to implementing the health and safety policy through an effective health and safety management system" with an aim on minimizing risks. Risk assessment methods are utilized in making decisions about priorities and for setting of objective that eliminate hazards and bring about a reduction in risks. Risks can be eliminated through selecting and designing facilities, processes, and equipment and where risks are such that cannot be eliminated then those risks can be minimized by using "physical controls…[and] systems of work and personal protective equipment." (Health and Safety Executive, 2003) It is necessary to establish performance standards and then use those standards in measuring the level of achievement. There are reported to be three levels in risk control as follows:

(1) Level 1 -- eliminate the hazards;

(2) Level 2 -- Substitute the hazard with something safer, Isolate the hazard from people and reduce the risks through engineering controls;

(3) Level 3: Reduce exposure to the hazard using administrative actions; and user personal protective equipment. (Health and Safety Executive, 2003)

Summary and Conclusion

The Health and Safety at Work Act Law in the United Kingdom is such that regulates the health and safety of the work environment with a focus on protecting the workforce health and safety. The responsibilities and roles of both the employer and the employee have been set out in this study.