Legislation: Health and Safety Flashcards
What are employers legally required or responsible to do? (4)
- Ensure working spaces are safe
- Provide a safe working environment
- Provide training to perform tasks in order to use machinery and equipment safely
- Provide necessary protective clothing or equipment, free of charge e.g. hard hats and safety boots for construction workers
What must occur in manufacturing businesses? (2)
- Machinery must be fitted with safeguards to prevent injuries
- Machinery must be inspected regularly
What are the disadvantages of Healthy and Safety laws for businesses?
- Very costly
What may employers do to reduce the cost due to the Health and Safety Law and what are the disadvantages of that?
Cut back on health and safety measures in order to increase profits BUT:
- It’s also costly to hire new workers and pay for training
- It’s also costly to pay workers who are not working due to illness or injuries sustained in the workplace.
What are the advantages of good Health and Safety practices in a workplace?
- Attracts the best employees
- Retains current workers for longer
What do employers normally want when concerning their employees?
- Ensure they are fit and healthy
- Ensure they are able to work productively
What is the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) responsibility and what can they do?
To ensure that employers adhere to the law when concerning workplace safety; they can carry out inspections and can prosecute any employers who seem to be breaking the law.
What consequences do employers who constantly fail to follow the law deal with?
- Unlimited fines
- Imprisonment
How may the consequences associated with failure to follow Health and Safety law affect small businesses?
May be extremely damaging to them so it is important that it is taken seriously
What does the Health and Safety at Work Act of 1974 outline?
UK employers roles and responsibilities when it comes to health and safety
What does the Health and Safety at Work Act outline?
UK employers roles and responsibilities when it comes to health and safety
What does the Health and Safety at Work Act state when concerning employees and what are they required to do?
- Employees have a duty to keep themselves and their colleagues safe; they are required to co-operate with their employers by using all machinery and equipment safely and attending all required training
What do employees in the UK have the right to do and what is the responsibility of the employers?
Work without the risk to their health and safety at work; to provide safe working conditions
