HEALTH AND SAFETY

The last 25years has seen an enormous increase in Health & Safety legislation and, together with the threat of punitive penalties, which the courts can impose; there is now a considerable burden of responsibility on employers.

The response to this situation by employers varies enormously. The larger companies have mostly reacted swiftly and generally comply with the regulations. However, smaller companies with their limited resources and lack of expert knowledge have tended to ignore many of the current requirements and are vulnerable to accidents and/or action by the Health & Safety Executive.

Some background information on the history of Health & Safety legislation.

This really is as old as the Industrial Revolution and legislation came about largely as a result of concern over the appalling working conditions that often prevailed. The following list highlights some of the more recent and important landmarks:-

• 1920   Employment of Women, Young Persons & Children Act.



• 1961   Factories Act.



• 1963   Offices, Shops & Railway Premises Act.



• 1969   Employers Liability (Compulsory Insurance Act)



• 1974   Health & Safety at Work etc. Act.



• 1989   Electricity at Work Regulations,
  Noise at Work Regulations,
  Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (COSHH).



• 1992   EC Directives ("The 6 Pack").
  Management of Health & Safety at Work,
  Manual Handling Regulations,
  Provision & Use of Work Equipment Regulations,
  Personal Protective Equipment Regulations,
  Display Screen Regulations,



• 1995   Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations;
  (RIDDOR)



• 1997   Fire Precautions (Workplace) Regulations.



• 1994---   Various Amendments to the above.

All the above have been enacted since and including the Health & Safety at Work etc. Act of 1974 are current and therefore the most important.