TABLE OF CONTENTS Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.
Duties on employers and others in force from 1/4/75. Other sections in force from 1/9/74 or 1/1/75.
To secure the health, safety and welfare of persons at work and to protect persons other than persons at work against the risk to health or safety arising from work activities.
Establish general legal duty to ensure health, safety and welfare of anyone affected by work activities.
Establish the Health and Safety Commission (HSC) and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to take appropriate action to further objectives of Act.
Enables detailed Regulations and Codes of Practice to be passed under the Act.
Provides enforcement regime - making breach a criminal offence.
Establishes Employment Medical Advisory Service.
HSE.
Environmental Health Departments of local authorities.
Legislation applies to all work places and all persons at work, except for servants in domestic premises. Crown bodies, e.g. HM Forces are covered but they cannot be prosecuted under the Act.
Employers must comply with a duty to ensure the health, safety and welfare of all their employees so far as is reasonably practicable. This is one of the most important sections of the Act and in essence the employer must provide a safe system of work. A non-exhaustive list of examples...
