Health and Safety Qcf Level 5 1.1

The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 is the major piece of the health and safety legislation in Great Britain. It provides the legal framework to promote, stimulate and encourage high standards. The Act, when first introduced, provided an integrated system dealing with workplace health and safety and the protection of the public from work activities. By placing general duties upon employees, employers, the self-employed, manufacturers, designers and importers of work equipment and materials, the protection of the law, rights and responsibilities are available and given to all at work. Regulations made under the Act have the same scope and provide the potential to achieve clear and uniform standards. Examples of such regulations are:
The Management of Health & Safety at Work Regulations 1999The Workplace (Health, Safety & Welfare) Regulations 1992
Other health and safety legislation includes:
Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981 – provide a framework for first aid arrangements in the workplace. The regulations require provision of adequate and appropriate first aid equipment and trained personnel so that first aid can be administered to employees. Electricity – Electricity at Work Regulations 1989: Electricity can kill. Each year about 1000 accidents at work involve electric shock or burns are reported to the Health and Safety Executive
Manual Handling - The Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992:
Lifting and moving loads manually is the biggest cause of injury, so it is important to make use of any lifting equipment that is provided.
In regards to fire, employers must carry out a fire safety risk assessment and keep it up to date. This shares the same approach as health and safety risk assessments and can be carried out either as part of an overall risk assessment or as a separate exercise. Based on the findings of the assessment, employers need to ensure that adequate and