HEALTH AND SAFETY AT WORK ACT

​

HASAWA 1974

 

HASAWA stands for Health And Safety At Work Act

 

This act protects employees, employers, passers by and visitors and is the basis for all health and safety controls. The main legal requirements are listed below.

 

• Provide a safe work place   

• Dust, fume and noise levels should be minimised, where this is not possible suitable controls should be in place

• Provision of safe and maintained machinery

• Provide training on how to use machinery appropriately

• Work safely and sensibly so as not to endanger themselves or others

• Ensure healthy working conditions

• Provide health and Safety training

• Wear appropriate safety equipment and use appropriate safety devices

• Ensure that articles and substances are used, handled, stored and transported in a way that is safe and without risk to health

• Ensure that welfare arrangements and facilities are adequate

• Observe all safety rules at all times

• Internally report all accidents and near misses whether persons are injured or not

• 
   

  • The act is enforced by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the local authority.

     

    --------------------------------------------------------

     Risk Assessments

    
    A risk assessment is defined as: a systematic process of evaluating the potential risks that may be involved in a projected activity or undertaking - Oxford Dictionary

     

    Completion of risk assessment is a requirement of The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 & The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulation 1999

    
    Hazards and risks are NOT the same thing!

     

    Hazard: Is a potential source of harm to adverse health effect on a person or persons.

     

    Risk: The harm that could potential be caused by said hazard, including the likelihood of that occurring.

     

    Control Measure: Action/s that are going to be put in place to ensure th at said hazard does not cause potential risk or how to reduce the likelihood of it occurring.

     

    For each hazard identified in a risk assessment a suitable control measure should be identified and implemented.

     

     

     

    As well as specific tasks risk assessments can also be carried out for specific individuals.

    For example:

    • Pregnant staff member

    • Staff working alone 

    • Staff with a disability

    • Young staff members or work experience

       

       

       

    Risk assessments also take into account the environmental conditions.

    Here are some different environmental hazards and possible control measures for them:

     

    Poor ventilation

     

    Control - Provide additional ventilation where possible or ensure staff member only work in area for short periods

     

    Over heating

     

    Control - Ensure ventilation methods are used where possible, advise staff to wear layers to enable them to adapt to different temperature and ensure regular breaks are taken.

     

    Trip hazards

     

    Control - Keep route clear.  Ensure clear signs are place where trip hazards can not be removed.

     

     

    Low ceilings

     

    Control - Ensure correct and clear warning signs are put in place.

     

     

     

    Risk assessments tend to take into account the following factors:

     

    • How likely is it that someone will be harmed?

      • unlikely / remote / possible / probable

    • How severe might the harm be?

      • Depending on the paperwork the scale may be different

        • minor / major / multiple / fatality

        • 1 -10 scale

        • RAG (Red, amber, green)

        • can be calculated as hazard level x likelihood

    • How frequently is the task carried out?

      • infrequently / weekly / daily / hourly

    How often the risk assessment should be reviewed 

     

    --------------------------------------------------------

     

    Fire Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005

    The Fire Regulatory Reform Order 2005 brought together all previous pieces of fire related legislation for England and Wales, there is separate legislation for Scotland and Northern Ireland. The legislation ensures a minimum standard of fire safety is met for all business premises.

     

    Under the Act businesses are required to have in place appropriate fire precautions where necessary, this includes clearly signed fire exits, appropriate fire extinguishers are in place and regularly checked and that fire exits remain unlocked and unobstructed. A fire risk assessment must be completed and where more than five people are employed this must be in a written format. A designated responsible person (RP) must be appointed to ensure suitable fire precautions are in place within the premises are implemented and to carry out a fire risk assessment.