General Health and Safety Information and Requirements

a) Essentials of Health and Safety at Work

This publication contains practical guidance for all businesses. It is strongly recommended that you obtain a copy, from HSE Books (ISBN 0717661792).

b) Reporting of injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 (RIDDOR)

The incidents that are required to be reported to the Environmental Health Directorate are listed in the leaflet HSE 31(rev 1). These include any injury to an employee that prevents them from carrying out their normal work for more than 3 days, and specifies major injury to or death of any person. Incidents include acts of physical violence done to a person at work. There is also a duty to report accidents to the public in a workplace which result in the person being killed or taken to hospital. The report should be made to the HSE Incident Contact Centre by phone on 0845 3009923, fax 0845 300 9924, or email riddor@natbrit.com. Additionally, a record of all notifiable accidents should be kept and you are advised to keep this record in the new HSE Accident book, reference BI 510 (Revised May 2003) (ISBN 0717626032) available from HSE Books.

c) Health and Safety Information for Employees Regulations 1989

These regulations require that you give information to employees by means of either displaying a poster (ISBN 9780717663149) or distributing a copy of the approved leaflet. These are available in a number of languages and the leaflet is available free from the Health and Safety Executive.

The poster, “Health and Safety Law - What You Should Know” is obtainable from HSE Books.

d) Employer’s Liability (Compulsory Insurance) Act 1969

This Act requires that employers take out and maintain approved insurance policies against liability for bodily injury or diseases sustained by their employees in the course of their employment. A copy of your current Employer’s Liability Insurance Certificate must be displayed at each premise.

e) Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981

These regulations require employers to ensure that they are provided such equipment and facilities as are ADEQUATE and APPROPRIATE in the circumstances for enabling first aid to be rendered to their employees if they are injured or become ill at work. At the very minimum the level of provision must include an APPOINTED person to be present at all times when employees are at work, and a suitable and sufficient First Aid Box. Further advice about first aid is available from the Environmental Services Directorate or the HSE.

Health and Safety Policy

If you employ 5 or more people, the Health and Safety at Work Act requires you to prepare a written statement of your health and safety policy. Salford Environmental and Services Directorate have produced guidance that is available to help you with this (available to download at the foot of this page). The following publications may also be of assistance to you:

Essentials of Health and Safety at Work (ISBN ISBN 9780717661794)
An Introduction to Health and Safety INDG 259 (available free at HSE Books)

f) Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002

These regulations apply to all substances hazardous to health including chemicals, drugs and micro-organisms. You must assess and control risks to health of employees and others. To assess the risks, you must:

identify hazards of the substance (its potential for causing harm)
reach justifiable conclusions about how well risks to health are controlled by considering the likelihood that ill health will occur
identify additional control measures which are needed

COSHH assessments must be recorded unless the conclusions are straightforward and the assessments can be easily repeated. Guidance is available from HSE Books or by visiting COSHH Essentials which allows users to undertake free risk assessments on line.

At the beginning of 1993 six new sets of Health and Safety at Work Regulations came into force. Guidance on these Regulations are available from HSE Books or the Environmental Services Directorate. These are:

1. The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999

These regulations set out broad general duties that require employers to make adequate arrangements for managing health and safety in the business. In particular:

a) You must assess risks to your employees and other people who may be affected by your undertaking. If you employ five or more people, the Regulations require you to record the significant findings of the assessment which you make. Assessments may be recorded as part of your Health and Safety Policy.

These risk assessments need not duplicate those made under other legislation for example the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002.

b) You must appoint competent people to assist you in discharging your duties under Health and Safety legislation. You may appoint an employee, yourself or an outside consultant, provided that the person is competent.

Sample risk assessments are available on the HSE's website and further guidance on how to undertake risk assessments can be obtained from contacting this Directorate.

2. Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992

These regulations lay down minimum requirements for all places of work such as:

Working environment e.g. space, temperature, lighting
Safety e.g. maintenance, cleanliness, safe passageways
Welfare provisions e.g. toilets, rest areas, washing facilities

3. Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992

Employers must carry out an assessment to consider whether any handling operations present a risk of injury to their employees. Where risks have been identified, then appropriate steps have to be implemented to eliminate or reduce such risks as is reasonably practicable.

In addition, suitable and sufficient information, instruction and training should be given to employees who are exposed to such risks.

Further guidance on reducing the incidence of back pain can be found on our Backs! 2005 page.

4. The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998

These regulations place duties on employers to ensure that equipment used at work is suitable for its purpose, is maintained in an efficient state, working order and kept in good repair.

You also have a duty to ensure that the persons who use or supervise the use of work equipment are provided with sufficient information, instruction and training.

The definition of work equipment is broadly defined to cover everything from a simple hand tool, through machines of all kinds, to a complete plant such as a refinery.

5. Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992 (as amended)

Working with display screen equipment and their use is not generally high risk, but it can lead to muscular and other physical problems, eye fatigue and mental stress. Problems of this kind can be overcome by good ergonomic design of equipment, furniture, the working environment and the tasks performed.

These regulations apply to display screens where an employee uses display screen equipment as part of normal work.

These regulations place duties on employers to:

Assess display screen equipment work stations and reduce the risks
Ensure work stations satisfy minimum requirements
Plan display screen equipment work so there are natural breaks
Provide information and training for display screen equipment users

6. Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1994

These regulations cover equipment which is intended to be worn or held by a person at work and which affords protection against health and safety risks.

Personal protective equipment should be relied upon as a last resort, but where risks can not be adequately controlled by other means you have a duty to ensure that personal protective equipment is provided, free of charge, for employees exposed to these risks, and such personal protective equipment provided must be suitable, maintained and properly used. In addition employees must be given training, information and instruction on its use and how to look after it.

More comprehensive guidance on these regulations is available as an Approved Code of Practice or Guidance on the Regulations from HSE Books. In addition, for further advice on complying with your obligation under these regulations, contact:

Environment Directorate
Turnpike House
631 Eccles New Road
Salford

Telephone: 0161-737 0551

Email: environment@salford.gov.uk