Why is it necessary?
Over 200 people are killed at work every year while several hundred thousand others suffer serious injury. Approximately 23.4 million working days were lost in 2009/10 as a result of work-related illness. The largest cause of fatalities are falls from height and being hit by vehicles in the workplace. Meanwhile slips and trips are a very common cause of injury.
Managing health and safety effectively
Companies have to be able to manage health and safety and in doing so they need to be fully aware of the risks that are apparent in the workplace, be able to deal with those risks and ensure that the risks stay under control.
It would be unreasonable to expect an employer to eliminate all risks, it can not be done, but what it can do is at first identify the risks and then manage them adequately. It does this through risk assessment which all businesses have to undertake.
In assessing the risks a company should look at each individual case and assess how serious the harm could be, who could be harmed and how much that was. The dangers can be anything with the potential to cause harm. In considering the risk, it is not solely the employees that have to be in mind; casual workers, part-time staff and trainees all have to be borne in mind.
The law
It is law that firms with five or more employees have to keep a record of their risk assessment which includes the main hazards identified, who is most at risk and what more needs to be done and why. Although this is a legal requirement, firms do need a practical understanding of the main risks inherent in their work.
Amongst the legislation that firms will have to adhere to is the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 which says that firms have to ensure the health and safety of others and applications to all work activities and concessions. The act states the duties that the employer has to satisfy in relation to health and safety, but also those duties which are held by employees, contractors and people in general.
The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 also applies to every workplace and stresses that all risks have to be assessed and modifications made if required. It also states that steps should be taken to improve safety procedures at all opportunities and that training should be given in such a way as to minimize the risks of hazardous situations occurring.
Also, all firms have to follow the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 (RIDDOR) with the firm having to report any work-related accidents, illnesses and near-miss accidents, while the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 which place a duty on employers to ensure that the workplace is safe and suitable for the tasks that are carried out there.
It is also necessary for firms to display a poster giving basic health and safety information which also allows other people, often visitors to the concessions, know who the person is responsible for health and safety is. Generally the bigger the firm the more information and guidance it will need with health and safety.
Other action to be taken
As well as all the action to be taken, such as risk assessments, conforming to the appropriate acts and regulations, the better firms will also discuss safety issues with their workers, allowing them to raise any issues of concern. By taking a more inclusive approach to the whole issue of health and safety, bosses can help ensure that employees take the matter seriously and that risks are minimized as a result.
