Health and Safety Legislation

Introduction • Health and safety legislation is essential to ensure

employers provide their employees in a safe working environment. The four types of legislation I will discuss in this booklet are:

• Health and Safety At Work Act 1974• Manual Handling Operation Regulations 1992• Food Safety Act 1990• Control Of Substances Hazardous To Health Regulation

2002

Health and Safety At Work Act 1974

This Act is a very important piece of health and safety legislation, this is because it helps to safeguard and protect people. Under the Health and Safety Act the employers must ensure that the place they are working at are is a safe working environment this is because the employee can feel safe while working. The employers have to have clear polices and procedures outlined and the actions to take if a situation was to arise, adequate training must be provided for staff to carryout their role. sign’s, symbol’s and information on health and safety must be available to hand. For example the staff in the residential home will be given training on health and safety within the workplace, for instance if there was a wet floor, the employees are required to clean this up and display a warning sign to warn other staff and service users. The employees have to take responsibilities and take care of the environment they are working in, staff can do this by being vigilant and minimising any risks of danger occurring. The staff must wash their hands before and after administering any medicine for a service user to minimise any germs being spread.

Manual Handling Operation Regulations 1992

This regulation outlines different techniques on how to lift heavy things. All staff and employees should be taught and trained in manual handling. Before lifting heavy items e.g. boxes, cupboard, heavy computer chairs, tables and lots of books, the person has to plan a lift before they carry items and should ask for help when doing lifting alone. The clothing worn has to be appropriate and you should never wear tight jeans or skirt when lifting. For example in a school, caretakers will receive training on how to lift and carry objects to protect themselves from injuries. Help is also available for them if it is required.

Food Safety Act 1990

• The food safety Act outlines the rules and regulations which apply to everyone who may handle food as part of their job but also store, produce, distribute or sale of food. this is the main piece of the legislation that governs the safety of food, the Act explains that it is illegal to sell or keep food that is unfit for people to eat it or it may cause them a problem for their health. People who work with food must ensure that they are responsible to avoid the quality labeling or misleads.

Control Of Substances Hazardous To Health Regulation 2002

This Act is important for the employers because they have to ensure control over exposure to hazardous substances in the work place. Every workplace where there is chemicals or acids the workplace should have someone who is responsible for making sure the guidelines is set down by COSHH Regulation and are carried out in a workplace the chemicals must be kept in the original container supplied by the manufactory. Chemicals and acids must be stored in a safe place. The containers must have an appropriate safety lid or cap. For example in the science laboratory the school staff have a responsibility to ensure all chemicals are stored in a safe place away from the children. They must also ensure that the chemicals are stored in their original containers or clearly labeled containers to prevent misunderstandings. When handling various substances appropriate care must be taken to avoid contact with it.

Control Of Substances Hazardous To Health Regulation 2002

For example in the science laboratory the school staff have a responsibility to ensure all chemicals are stored in a safe place away from the children. They must also ensure that the chemicals are stored in their original containers or clearly labeled containers to prevent misunderstandings. When handling various substances appropriate care must be taken to avoid contact with it.