Health & Safety at work

Both workers and employers have a legal responsibility to look after health and safety at work together. All workers do have a right to work in areas where risks to their health and safety are minimised and controlled properly. The primary responsibility for this is however down to the employer. Employees will help them selves by being more aware of their own safety because it has been found that workers who contribute to health and safety at work are safer and healthier than those who do not.

Everyone at work, whether they are permanent staff, contractors or agency, need to be aware of issues that affect their health and safety.

The responsibility for ensuring health and safety in the workplace lies with those who create the risk, and in particular employers need to make suitable and sufficient arrangements for managing health and safety.

Some businesses employ a health and safety officer or give a member of staff the responsibility of looking after health and safety issues. Some of the issues are listed below:

  1. The investigation of accidents then prevention of future cases.
  2. Inspect work place on a routine basis for compliance with health and safety legislation.
  3. The frequency of inspections is determined by factors such as the size and type of premises, the work activity and the health and safety history of the premises.
  4. Investigate, report and resolve complaints relating to workplace conditions.
  5. Educate and train employees in health and safety awareness and promote awareness by providing information, advice and participating in national campaigns.
  6. Ensuring health and safety supplies such as first aid kits and safety equipment are adequate for any emergency treatment of injury or situation, which puts workers at risk.

Health and safety at work can be improved in many ways. Investing in signs not only increases the level of workplace safety but also could save you lots of money in accident claims in the future. The summary of the Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996 states: The Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996 requires employers to use a safety sign where there is a significant risk to health and safety that has not been avoided or controlled by the methods required under other relevant law, provided the use of a sign can help reduce the risk. Safety signs are not a substitute for those other methods of controlling risks such as engineering controls and safe systems of work.

Effective health and safety management clearly helps reduce the unacceptable toll of suffering that accidents and ill-health bring.

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Disclaimer: Business Health & Safety UK have provided this advice on the basis that the content and advice contained within these documents is to the best of our knowledge accurate at the time of publication. The Business Safety Company does not accept any liability for the accuracy of the information provided in the above' and website pages.