Texts for supplementary reading

All workers are entitled to work in environments where risks to their health and safety are properly controlled. Under health and safety law, the primary responsibility for this is down to employers.

Worker s have a duty to take care of their own health and safety and that of others who may be affected by your actions at work. Workers must co-operate with employers and co-workers to help everyone meet their legal requirements.

As a worker, if you have specific queries or concerns relating to health and safety in your workplace, talk to your employer, manager or supervisor or a health and safety representative. For more details on employers and your own responsibilities in law you can read Health and safety law: What you need to know

All workers have a right to work in places where risks to their health and safety are properly controlled. Health and safety is about stopping you getting hurt at work or ill through work. Your employer is responsible for health and safety, but you must help. What employers must do for you?

1. Decide what could harm you in your job and the precautions to stop it. This is part of risk assessment.
2. In a way you can understand, explain how risks will be controlled and tell you who is responsible for this.
3. Consult and work with you and your health and safety representatives in protecting everyone from harm in the workplace.
4. Free of charge, give you the health and safety training you need to do your job.
5. Free of charge, provide you with any equipment and protective clothing you need, and ensure it is properly looked after.
6. Provide toilets, washing facilities and drinking water. 7 Provide adequate first-aid facilities.
7. Have insurance that covers you in case you get hurt at work or ill through work. Display a hard copy or electronic copy of the current insurance certificate where you can easily read it.
8. Work with any other employers or contractors sharing the workplace or providing employees (such as agency workers), so that everyone’s health and safety is protected.

What you must do:

1 Follow the training you have received when using any work items your employer has given you.

2 Take reasonable care of your own and other people’s health and safety.

3 Co-operate with your employer on health and safety.

4 Tell someone (your employer, supervisor, or health and safety representative) if you think the work or inadequate precautions are putting anyone’s health and safety at serious risk. Health and Safety Published by the Health and Safety Executive.

Employer's responsibilities

Under the law employers are responsible for health and safety management. The following provides a broad outline of how the law applies to employers.

It is an employer's duty to protect the health, safety and welfare of their employees and other people who might be affected by their business. Employers must do whatever is reasonably practicable to achieve this.

This means making sure that workers and others are protected from anything that may cause harm, effectively controlling any risks to injury or health that could arise in the workplace.

Employers have duties under health and safety law to assess risks in the workplace. Risk assessments should be carried out that address all risks that might cause harm in your workplace.

Employers must give you information about the risks in your workplace and how you are protected, also instruct and train you on how to deal with the risks. Employers must consult employees on health and safety issues. Consultation must be either direct or through a safety representative that is either elected by the workforce or appointed by a trade union.

The main legislation providing for the health and safety of people in the workplace are the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Acts. They apply to all employers, employees (including fixed-term and temporary employees) and self-employed people in their workplaces. The Acts set out the rights and obligations of both employers and employees and provides for substantial fines and penalties for breaches of the health and safety legislation.

Employer’s duties

The employer has a duty to ensure the employees’ safety, health and welfare at work as far as is reasonably practicable. In order to prevent workplace injuries and ill health the employer is required, among other things, to:

• Provide and maintain a safe workplace which uses safe plant and equipment
• Prevent risks from use of any article or substance and from exposure to physical agents, noise and vibration
• Prevent any improper conduct or behaviour likely to put the safety, health and welfare of employees at risk
• Provide instruction and training to employees on health and safety
• Provide protective clothing and equipment to employees
• Appointing a competent person as the organisation’s Safety Officer

Employees’ duties

The duties of employees include the following:

• To take reasonable care to protect the health and safety of themselves and of other people in the workplace
• Not to engage in improper behaviour that will endanger themselves or others
• Not to be under the influence of drink or drugs in the workplace
• To undergo any reasonable medical or other assessment if requested to do so by the employer
• To report any defects in the place of work or equipment which might be a danger to health and safety