Failure to comply with health and safety laws can result in both civil and criminal penalties. As an employer, if someone has an accident at work or is made ill, a health and safety regulator can prosecute that employer for a criminal offence, and / or the person who was injured or made ill can make a civil claim for damages. No one has to be harmed for a health and safety offence to occur. The risk of harm is enough for an offence.
Health and Safety Laws in the UK
The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 requires all businesses in the UK to provide whatever information, instruction, training and supervision as is necessary to ensure the health and safety of employees. Further, as part of managing the health and safety of staff, employers are required by law to perform a risk assessment of the hazards relevant to their workplace.
In addition, all UK employers have a duty to report certain serious workplace accidents, occupational diseases and specified dangerous occurrences (near misses) under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR).
These laws apply to all workplaces, from high-risk environments such as construction sites, where additional legislations applies, to lower risk places such as offices. There are also regulations surrounding DSE, or display screen equipment.
UK Health and Safety at Work Legislation
The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974
This law sets out the framework for managing workplace health and safety in the UK.
The act defines the general duties of everyone from employers (section 2) and employees (section 7,8) to owners, managers and maintainers of work premises (etc) for maintaining health and safety within most workplaces.