Legislation

Regulation 3 of the Management of Health & Safety at Work Regulations 1992/1999 states: “Every employer shall make a suitable and sufficient assessment of:

• the risks to the health and safety of his employees to which they are exposed while they are at work; and

• the risks to the health and safety of persons not in his employment arising out of or in connection with the conduct by him or his undertaking for the purposes of

• identifying the measures he needs to take to comply with the requirements and prohibitions imposed upon him by or under the relevant statutory provisions”.

The findings must be recorded if five or more are employed. Any employee cannot take civil action against an employer if there is a breach of duty on the part of the employee.

Control of substances hazardous to health regulations 1999

Hazardous substances include: paints, cleaning chemicals, reactive agents, dusts, fumes and waste products. Employers are required to assess health risks and to select suitable control measures in the use of a particular hazardous substance.

Electricity at work regulations 1989

Employers have to assess risks such as: letting employees wire plugs or employing contractors to maintain electrical equipment.

Provision and use of work equipment regulations 1992

Work equipment includes any machinery, appliance, apparatus, or tool and any assembly of components, in order to achieve a common end, which are arranged and controlled so that they function as a whole. Use means stopping, starting, erecting, installing, dismantling, programming, setting, using, transporting, repairing, modifying, maintaining, servicing and cleaning. Employers are required to identify the risks to health and safety, and provide employees with appropriate information, protection, training, instruction and supervision.

Workplace (health, safety and welfare) regulations 1992

Risk assessments may show that the workplace or the work should be re-organised so that the need for people to work at an unguarded edge or to work in temperatures which may induce stress does not arise in the first place.

Health: Ventilation, temperature, lighting, cleanliness, etc., are factors which can affect the health of employees.

Safety: This includes the maintenance of workplaces, devices and systems, condition of floors, windows, doors, lifts, etc. Welfare: This includes sanitary conveniences, washing facilities, drinking water, etc.

Training: This includes providing adequate training to each employee for the purpose of safely carrying out their tasks.

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