The foundation of British health and safety law is the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The general responsibilities that companies have toward workers and members of the public are set out in the Act, as well as the obligations employees have to themselves and each other. These responsibilities are qualified in the Health and Safety at Work Act by the principle of “so far as is reasonably practicable.”

Health and safety is about avoiding harm to people, to put it plainly. From accidents resulting from people working at height to work-related illness or stress, there are a lot of different ways in which someone can be harmed in the workplace. In spite of accepted principles, for a lot of workplaces, health and safety is not too complex and needs only a little time.

Companies have been coping with Health and Safety for several years now because of the variety of regulations that exist. The main piece of legislation that covers health and safety is the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. In a similar way, fire safety is covered by the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, which replaced the Fire Precautions Act 1971 in October 2006.

The Health and Safety at Work Act seeks to:

• Secure the health, safety and welfare of persons at work
  
• Protect other persons such as customers, service providers, etc. against risks to health and safety arising out of or in connection with the activities of people at work
  
• Controlling the keeping and use of explosive or highly flammable or otherwise dangerous substances, and generally preventing the unlawful acquisition, possession and use of such substances, and
  
• Controlling the emission into the atmosphere of noxious or offensive substances from premises of any class

Regardless of what size the premises or workforce is, the obligations under health and safety and fire law are mandatory. The requirements of regulations can seem bewildering. Many parts of health and safety law are rooted in the principle of reducing the probability of someone being harmed. Health and safety law is enforced by the local authority, and is a specific section of criminal law in the UK.

A lot of people are at present worried about their liability in case of accidents. The person suffering the injuries might wish to take legal action for compensation should there be an accident. The Health and Safety At Work etc Act itself requires employers to ensure the safety of people who are not employees. The general safety precautions that are put into place for staff and volunteers will generally ensure that the Duty of Care (where employers take reasonable care for people’s safety) is fulfilled.

There is also a moral objective for ensuring people’s safety, in addition to the legal health and safety requirements. Most people now expect their safety to be considered as they enter a building. Ensuring the health and safety of everyone is plainly common sense and every workplace must take action.

One of the largest issues for many workplaces is deciding who will be responsible for health and safety. One person could take on some aspects of health and safety in some situations, such as testing the fire alarm and keeping paperwork up-to-date. However, all members of staff and volunteers are responsible for their own health and safety and the safety of others through their own actions and omissions.

Any business with over 5 employees is legally required to have a complete health and safety at work strategy. The policy statement should have a general declaration of intent, outlining in broad terms the organisation’s overall viewpoint relative to the management of health and safety, including reference to the broad responsibilities of both managers and workforce.