What is the Health and Safety at Work Act?
The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 (HASAW Act) lays down wide-ranging duties on employers: • Employers must protect the ‘health, safety and welfare’ at work of all their employees. • However, these duties are qualified with the words ‘so far as is reasonably practicable’. This means that employers can argue that the costs of a particular safety measure are not justified by the reduction in risk that the measure would produce. • It allows the government to issue Regulations, Guidance and ApprovedCodes of Practice for employers. These set out detailed responsibilities for your employer in every aspect of workplace health and safety, from working safely with computers, to stress and hazardous chemicals. • The HASAW Act set up the Health and Safety Commission, and an inspectorate called the Health and Safety Executive. • The Act introduced new powers and penalties for enforcement against employers. • The Act puts occupational safety at the heart of official policy and future Regulation
The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 (HASAW Act) lays down wide-ranging duties on employers: • Employers must protect the ‘health, safety and welfare’ at work of all their employees. • However, these duties are qualified with the words ‘so far as is reasonably practicable’. This means that employers can argue that the costs of a particular safety measure are not justified by the reduction in risk that the measure would produce. • It allows the government to issue Regulations, Guidance and ApprovedCodes of Practice for employers. These set out detailed responsibilities for your employer in every aspect of workplace health and safety, from working safely with computers, to stress and hazardous chemicals. • The HASAW Act set up the Health and Safety Executive. • The Act introduced new powers and penalties for enforcement against employers. • The Act puts occupational safety at the heart of official policy and future Regulations.
