United Kingdom Laws and Regulations on Safety

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)

Duties of Employers

Reported as duties on employers under the Health and Safety at Work Act and many of the Regulations are "qualified by the phrase 'as far as is reasonable practicable' which recognizes that a balance must be achieved "between the degree of risk in a particular job or workplace against the time, cost and physician difficulty of taking measures to avoid or reduce the risk." (Prospect, 2013, p.1) The guiding principle is stated to be "except where these factors are grossly disproportionate to the degree of risk the measures should always be taken." (Prospect, 2013,

p.1)

Rights and Responsibilities of Employees

The rights and responsibilities of employees are stated as well and the stated rights of employees include the following:

(1) The right to work in places where all the risks to health and safety are properly controlled;

(2) To stop work and leave the area if there is a reason to believe that there is serious and imminent danger;

(3) Inform the employer about safety issues or concerns;

(4) BE a Prospect H & S. representative;

(5) If a safety representative the right exists to receive paid time off work for training and carrying out functions. (Prospect, 2013, p.1)

Employee responsibilities include the following stated responsibilities:

(1) take care of their own health and safety and that of others who may be affected by action or inaction on the part of the employee;

(2) Cooperate with others on health and safety, and not interfere with or misuse anything provided for health, safety, or welfare. (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