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P a g e
The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 imposes general duties on everybody
connected with work. The general duties contained in the Health and Safety at Work Act
are:
Section 1: States the general purposes of Part 1 of the Act, which are to maintain or
improve standards of health and safety at work, to protect other people against risks
arising from work activities, to control the storage and use of dangerous substances and
to control certain emissions into the air.
Section 2: Contains the duties placed upon employers with regard to their employees.
These are outlined more fully below.
Section 3: Places duties on employers and the self-employed to ensure their activities
do not endanger anybody (with the self-employed that includes themselves), and to
provide information, in certain circumstances, to the public about any potential
hazards.
Section 4: Places a duty on those in control of premises, which are non-domestic and
used as a place of work, to ensure they do not endanger those who work within them.
This extends to plant and substances, means of access and egress as well as to the
premises themselves.
(
Section 5: This is not included in the certificate level syllabus)
Section 6: Places duties on manufacturers, suppliers, designers, importers etc. in
relation to articles and substances used at work. Basically they have to research and
test them and supply information to users.
Section 7: Places duties upon employees and these are outlined more fully below.
Section 8: Places a duty on everyone not to intentionally or recklessly interfere with or
misuse anything provided in the interests of health, safety and welfare.
Section 9: Provides that an employer may not charge his employees for anything done,
or equipment provided for health and safety purposes under a relevant statutory
provision.
Employers
Section 2(1) Ensure the health, safety and welfare of employees while at work.
