Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974

Employers Duties

It is the duty of employers to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of their employees. Without prejudice to the generality of that duty, the matters to which that duty extends in particular include: -

• the provision and maintenance of plant and systems of work that are , so far as is reasonably practicable, safe and without risks to health
• making arrangements for ensuring, so far as is reasonably practicable, safety and absence of risks to health in connection with the use, handling, storage and transport of articles and substances
• the provision of such information, instruction, training and supervision as is necessary to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety at work of employees
• the maintenance of any place of work under the employer's control., in a condition that is safe and without risks to health and the provision and maintenance of means of access to and egress from it that are safe and without risks so far as is reasonably practicable
• the provision and maintenance of a working environment for employees that is so far as is reasonably practicable, safe, without risks to health and adequate as regards facilities and arrangements for their welfare at work

Employers of five or more people must prepare, as necessary, and bring to the notice of the employees a written statement of the general policy with respect to health and safety at work. This must include: -

• the general policy
• the organisation to back it up
• the arrangements for carrying out the policy

Employees Duties

• to take reasonable care for the health and safety of themselves and of others who may be affected by their acts or omissions at work: and
• as regards any duty or requirement imposed on their employer or any other person by or under any of the relevant legislation, to c-operate with him or her so far as is necessary to enable that duty or requirement to be performed or complied with

Additionally, no person, including an employee, may intentionally or recklessly interfere with or misuse anything provided in the interests of health, safety or welfare in pursuance of any of the relevant health and safety legislation