Health and Safety At Work Act (1974)

1. Health and Safety At Work Act (1974)

2. The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 is the primary piece of legislation covering occupational health and safety in the United Kingdom. • The main principles are below: • Securing the health, safety and welfare of people at work • Protecting others against health or safety risks in connection with the activities of people at work • Controlling the keeping and use of dangerous substances • Preventing the unlawful possession and use of dangerous substances • Controlling certain emissions into the atmosphere • To amend the law relating to building regulations, and the Building (Scotland) Act 1959 The main aims / principles of the law and Reasons

3. Who / What does it protect or prevent • It protects employees, employers, contractors, suppliers, maintainers and managers from risks to health, safety and welfare. • Protects from accidents concerning equipment, work areas, machines, substances, emissions, dirt and work activates.

4. This piece of legalisation needs to be complied by all organisations that could potentially pose a risk to people, • Organisations must comply with these regulations or they can be at risk of termination. • The negative affects include increased monetary cost, large amounts of time spent on introducing or improving current measures and systems to comply with the legalisation • As a result profits could decrease and the company may not be able to afford to add these changes, however the legalisation does emphasise the phrase ‘so far as is reasonably practicable’ which means if the cost or effort/sacrifice outweighs the benefits in averting risk then it is not reasonably practicable and so alternatives should be though of. • The positive benefits include increase safety, and therefore decreased risk of accidents concerning health, safety and welfare. How it affects organisations

5. What must they do to comply with the Act • It is the duty of every employer to ensure, the health, safety and welfare at work of all his employees. • Must ensure that the provision and maintenance of plant and systems of work are safe and without risks to health • Arrangements for ensuring safety and absence of risks to health in connection with the use, handling, storage and transport of articles and substances • Provision of information, instruction, training and supervision to ensure, the health and safety at work of his employees • The maintenance of any workplace under the employers control must be in a condition that is safe and without risks to health • The provision and maintenance of means of access to and must be safe and without such risks