Legislation Health and Safety

Below is an introduction to the topic of legislation. You can also search for your specific topic using the Search box at the top of the page or click on any of the following keywords and phrases: Regulations, Codes of Practice and Guidance Documents.

The Work at Height Regulations 2005

Has led to greater attention being given to ensure systems and procedures that eliminate or reduce the risks of falling during construction work are in place before any work begins.

The Construction (Design & Management) Regulations 2007

Focus on managing risks on site, reducing paper work, encouraging team work and getting the right people for the right job at the right time. They clarify the responsibilities of each duty holder and focus on effective planning and risk management. Good communication between those involved in a construction project can only bring direct benefits to improving safety during construction work. It ensures that everyone involved in the project is working together to make the site safer. Through better planning and management, key health and safety issues such as ground conditions, edge protection systems and good loading and unloading facilities are fully planned before work begins, traditionally these issues would have been provided by different contractors during different phases of the work.

There are six guidance documents on all the duty holders within CDM:

• Client
• Designer
• CDM Co-ordinator
• Principal Contractor
• Contractor
• Worker

First Aid at Work Training

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) introduced a new training regime for first aiders in the workplace. The HSE has undertaken with the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) and the Scottish Qualifications Authority to develop proposals for approving relevant accredited first aid qualifications within the framework of the Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 (First Aid at Work Regulations) in Great Britain.

The main drivers for this change were to help employer duty holders’ access competent first aid, provide a more proportionate response to their first aid needs, and to minimise burdens on business.

In brief, when the new courses are introduced (November 2009), employers will be able to send prospective first aiders on either:

• A full three day course in FAW (currently a four day course).
• A one day course in emergency first aid at work EFAW (this is a new qualification).
• The role of the First Aid Appointed Person will still be available as an option where applicable (external training approval will not be required).

The Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act

The Act was implemented on April 6 2008 and is intended to resolve the imbalance between successful prosecutions of directors in small firms as opposed to directors of large firms.

Successful prosecutions under the revised law of manslaughter will still require evidence of senior management failure, it is the body corporate that will be liable, rather than individual directors. Individuals may still be charged with the existing offence of manslaughter.

The Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005

The revised Regulation reduces the 1st and 2nd action levels (now called Lower and Upper Exposure Action Values, LEAV/UEAV) at which hearing protection is advisory and mandatory by 5dB(A).

The preferred course of action when dealing with noise at work is to prevent exposure, the principles of prevention are given in schedule 1 to the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regs 1999 to eliminate or reduce to a minimum the exposure to noise. This can be achieved by selecting a method of work that eliminates or reduces exposure.