Health and Safety Legislation

Health and Safety Regulations

• The Act 1974 defines employers' responsibilities to protect employees' and the public's health, safety, and welfare, and employees' duties to protect themselves and others.
• The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 aims to reduce workplace accidents through risk assessment and management.

Control of Substances and Personal Protective Equipment

• The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations 2002 require employers to control hazardous substances to prevent or reduce employees' exposure.
• The Personal Protective Equipment at Work (Amendment) Regulations 2022 define employers' responsibilities to provide appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) to reduce harm.

Fire Safety and Evacuation

• All organisations must have procedures for evacuation in the event of a fire.
• The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order (RRO) 2005 places legal responsibilities on employers to carry out a fire risk assessment to reduce death, damage, and injury caused by fire.

Manual Handling and Display Screen Equipment

• The Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 require employers to assess and minimise the risk to employees' health involved in manual handling, moving, and positioning of objects, people, or animals.
• The Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992 define employers' responsibilities to carry out risk assessments of workstations used by employees, including the use of display screen equipment.

Risk Assessment and Health and Safety Promotion

• The Health and Safety Executive's 5 Steps to Risk Assessment are:
  • Identifying the hazards
  • Deciding who might be harmed and how
  • Evaluating the risks and deciding on precautions
  • Recording findings and implementing them
  • Reviewing the assessment and updating if necessary
• Health and safety at work is promoted by:
  • Encouraging individuals to take reasonable care of their own and others' safety
  • Modelling good practice
  • Following organisational policies and procedures
  • Ensuring visible information and guidance
  • Maintaining equipment and removing faulty equipment
  • Completing statutory training

Dealing with Hazardous Situations

• Dealing with situations that could cause harm to self or others involves:
  • Following organisational health and safety procedures
  • Keeping oneself and others safe, including evacuation as appropriate
  • Securing the area
  • Reporting and/or escalating as appropriate
  • Debriefing and reflecting on the root causes to prevent recurrence

Health and Safety Regulations in the Healthcare Sector

• The purpose of workplace health and safety regulations in the healthcare sector is to:
  • Maintain the safety and wellbeing of both the individual and healthcare workers
  • Reduce risk to the individual and healthcare professionals
  • Provide a duty of care to the individual and healthcare professionals

Specific Health and Safety Regulations in the Healthcare Sector

• The Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981 require employers to provide adequate and appropriate equipment, facilities, and personnel to ensure immediate attention to employees who are injured or taken ill at work.
• The Care Act 2014 aims to improve people's independence and wellbeing.
• The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR) define employers' duties to report serious workplace accidents, occupational diseases, and specified dangerous occurrences ('near misses').
• The Environmental Protection Act 1990 makes provision for the improved control of pollution to the air, water, and land by regulating the management of waste and the control of emissions.
• The Special Waste Regulations 1996 regulate the transit, import, and export of waste, including recyclable materials.
• The Hazardous Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2005 control the storage, transport, and disposal of hazardous waste to ensure it is appropriately managed and risks are minimised.
• The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations (2013) aim to reduce the amount of electronic and electrical equipment incinerated or sent to landfill sites.