The Most Important Health And Safety Regulations

Under new government rules, all health and social care workers will be required to have a full course of Covid-19 vaccination with enforcement beginning in April. 

 

According to a press release on Gov UK, this could affect up to 10 per cent of NHS staff that the government claims have not received the two required parts of the vaccination. 

 

This is the latest of many rules, regulations and laws governing health and safety in the workplace, which is vital to preventing accidents, injuries, illnesses and potential liability to pay damages in any of these cases. 

 

Due to how varied the risks are in different workplaces and the need for specific laws to govern issues such as working at height or working with hazardous materials, several different pieces of legislation have been enacted that aim to protect people when working or in a workplace. 

 

Here are some brief, concise explanations of some of the most important health and safety laws and regulations on the books. 

 

 

The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 (HSWA or the 1974 Act) is the central piece of legislation that lays the foundations for health and safety provision and enforcement in workplaces, as well as the law that mandates adequate health and safety training for all employees. 

 

It requires that employers provide a safe working environment, as well as training, instruction, supervision and welfare provisions to enable employees to adhere to relevant procedures to ensure safety. 

 

This is the act that set up the Health and Safety Executive, the governing body that inspects and enforces health laws in England. 

 

It has since been built upon by many different pieces of legislation, including the “Six Pack” regulations that expand upon these provisions. 

 

 

An expansion on the requirements set out in the 1974 Act, the Workplace Regulations added more specific requirements to protect the health of staff in a wide range of specific contexts. 

 

It requires buildings to have adequate space, heating, lighting, general cleanliness as well as requiring windows to be made of safety glass, with equipment that works and is safe to use. 

 

It also requires suitable washing facilities, drinking water and protection from falling and from falling objects. 

 

 

The Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992 (the DSE Regulations) specifically establishes provisions for staff who use computers regularly as part of their job. 

 

This includes encouraging workers to take regular adequate breaks from looking at screens, providing free eyesight tests, as well as training and risk assessments. 

 

 

Also known as PUWER, this act requires work equipment to be suitable, safe, only used by trained staff, used in a sufficiently safe environment and used in accordance with other relevant legislation. 

 

 

The MHO regulations mandate the use of safe lifting, climbing, pushing and pulling objects, with a duty for employers to protect employers from being injured when manually handling heavy loads. 

 

 

The PPE regulations require all employers to provide suitable personal protective equipment to employees who are exposed to risks whilst at work. 

 

The use of the word “suitable” has become exceptionally important in several cases, most notably when a moulding company based in Leicester was prosecuted under the regulations for not providing the right type of gloves to an employee causing him to suffer serious burns due to the molten material. 

 

 

Managing the health and safety provision in workplaces is an important part of keeping people safe, so the 1999 act explicitly sets out what employers are required to do to keep people safe. 

 

This includes undertaking risk assessments, employing health and safety supervisors, providing safety information, training and sharing information as required.