health and safety

• hazard - anything that can cause harm or damage
• employees have responsibilities to themselves, their colleagues and employers
• the employer is responsible for the welfare at work
• risk assessment is the process of identifying hazards and assessing risks associated with them
• risk - the likelihood, chance or possibility of something happening
• a risk is the likelihood of an accident happening as a result of exposure to a particular hazard
• the more serious the consequences of an accident are, the greater the risk
• health and safety law is designed to protect people from injury or illness at work.
• risk assessment - identifying hazards and assessing risks
• an accident is when something unexpected happens which causes injury or damage
• health and safety law applies to all employees regardless of age
• a risk assessment involves looking at what could go wrong, how likely it is and when it might occur
• medium risk = possible but not likely
• low risk = unlikely to happen
• risks are ranked as low, medium or high
• employers have legal duties under the Health and Safety at Work Act (1974) to ensure that their employees are not exposed to any unnecessary risks while they are working.
• to carry out a risk assessment, identify all possible hazards and then decide on how likely it is they will occur and what damage may be caused if they do happen.
• RIDDOR stands for Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulation
• control measures - steps taken to reduce the level of risk
• The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations (1992)
• accident prevention plan - a document outlining how accidents will be prevented
• hazard = anything that can cause harm
• emergency procedures - what to do if there's an emergency
• the employer must take action if the risks are judged to be high or medium
• the employer must carry out regular risk assessments to identify hazards and evaluate them according to likelihood and severity
• risk assessment helps employers decide on precautions needed to prevent accidents and ill-health
• elimination - removing the source of danger altogether
• substitution - replacing something with less dangerous alternative
• health and safety promotes good practice within a company
• statutory legislation 


  laws and regulations put into place by the government

  these are legally enforced
• non-statutory legislation

  refers to rules, procedures and administration codes set by government agencies

  which are not legally enforced however companies are strongly advised to follow
• regular training should be provided to employees to ensure everyone understands all health and safety requirements
• health and safety is covered by both criminal and civil law
• civil law refers to laws that have been broken where compensation may be paid as a result
• criminal law refers to laws that have been broken which can result in fines or imprisonment
• employees must take reasonable care when at work
• employers must provide safe equipment and systems of work
• employees must co-operate with their employer on matters relating to health and safety
• employees must report any unsafe conditions or practices they become aware of
• employees must use equipment correctly and safely