The current health and safety system in Great Britain came into being with the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. The 1974 Act brought together a number of previous Acts into a single goal-setting piece of legislation, based on the sound principle that those who create health and safety risks in the workplace have the responsibility to manage those risks ‘as far as is reasonably practicable’. Over the following decades, however, a plethora of legislation has grown up, compounded by the introduction of European Union legislation from 1992 onwards. There are now 17 Acts owned and enforced by HSE, and over 200 regulations owned and enforced by HSE/Local Authorities. All reputable employers want to do their best to meet their health and safety obligations and protect their workers and those members of the public affected by their work activities. But the sheer volume of health and safety regulation can lead to confusion and uncertainty for businesses - particularly small businesses without their own health and safety advisers - about their responsibilities under the law. The Government wants to make it easier for employers to do the right thing. The HSE has already created online risk assessment tools for offices, shops, charity shops, and classrooms. Today we are launching “ Health and Safety Made Simple” – a single, easy to use, piece of guidance aimed at small and medium sized employers in low risk businesses. employers
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