YOUR LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY

There are legal requirements which apply to most workplaces: The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992.

As an employer you have a legal responsibility to protect the health and safety of your staff and other people – such as customers and members of the public – who may be affected by their work.

In general, employers must:

• make the workplace safe and eliminate or control risks to health;
• ensure plant and machinery are safe and that safe systems of work are set and followed;
• ensure articles and substances are moved, stored and used safely;
• provide adequate welfare facilities;
• give workers the information, instruction, training and supervision necessary for their health and safety;
• consult workers on health and safety

The law says you must appoint someone competent to help you meet your health and safety duties. You could appoint (one or a combination of):

• yourself;
• one or more of your workers;
• someone from outside

A health and safety policy sets out your general approach and objectives (your vision) and the arrangements you have put in place for managing health and safety in your business. It is a unique document that says who does what, when and how.

If you have five or more employees, you must write your policy down.

A written policy statement shows your staff, and anyone else, your commitment to health and safety. It should describe how you will implement and monitor your health and safety controls. You should review it regularly.

The law says you must assess and manage the health and safety risks of your business.

In a risk assessment you examine carefully what in your work could cause harm to people. It shows if you have taken enough precautions, or if you should do more to prevent harm

You must provide a safe and healthy environment for all your employees. You also need to take account of their welfare needs. This includes people with disabilities.

For example, you must provide toilets, washing facilities and drinking water, and you need to think about factors in the working environment like lighting and temperature.

Welfare facilities.

Toilets, wash-hand basins, shower and washing facilities.

You must provide:

• clean well-ventilated toilets (separate for men and women unless each convenience has its own lockable door);
• wash basins with hot and cold (or warm) running water;
• showers for dirty work which may result in contamination of the skin;
• soap and towels (or a hand drier).

Drinking water

You must supply high-quality drinking water, with and upward drinking jet or suitable cups. Drinking water does not have to be marked unless there is a significant risk of people drinking non-drinking water.

Accommodation for clothing and changing facilities.

You must provide lockers or hanging space for clothing and changing facilities where workers wear special clothing. The facilities should allow for drying clothes.

Facilities to rest and eat meals.

You must provide places to eat, and rest facilities if you have pregnant women and nursing mothers on your staff.

Workstations and seating

Workstations must fit the worker and the work and people should be able to leave them swiftly in an emergency. Make sure that:

• seat back rests support the small of the back and you must provide foot rests if necessary;
• work surfaces are at a sensible height;
• there is easy access to controls on equipment
• buildings and work equipment kept in good repair;
• space for safe movement and access, for example to machinery;
• safe glazing, if necessary, for example painted, toughened or thick, which is marked to make it easy to see;
• good drainage in wet processes;
• weather protection for outdoor workplaces, if practical;
• outdoor routes kept safe during

The law says you must train your employees and contractors to work safely, and clearly instruct them in their duties.

Everyone who works for you, including self-employed people, needs to know how to work safely and without risks to health. So you need to train them to be sure they know:

• what hazards and risks they may face;
• how to deal with them; and
• any emergency procedures.

Health and safety training should take place during working hours and must not be paid for by employees. Some employees may have particular training needs, for example:

• new recruits;
• people changing jobs or taking on extra responsibilities;
• young employees who are particularly vulnerable to accidents;
• health and safety representatives.

You must keep records of all training to so that you can see when it might need to be repeated. You should consult workers or their representatives to make sure training is relevant and effective.

Training should be repeated from time to time if the work it relates to is only done occasionally. For example, if someone fills in for someone else when they are away; a process is not often done; or emergency procedures