Essay on Legislation: Occupational Safety and Health and Health

Submitted By kelseyamber11
Words: 1489
Pages: 6
Open Document
Legislation
Health & safety at work act (training for staff/risk assessments)
The UK has one of the lowest accident rates in the world. The health and safety at work act 1974 is one of the main reasons for this. Legislation over the last 30 years has helped bring about significant improvements in health and safety in the workplace (including a reduction in fatalities of nearly two-thirds since the act was introduced). Still now, over 200 people are killed each year during work in the UK and over 150,000 are injured. Two million people suffered from many different illnesses that have been caused, or even made worse because of work.
There are several pieces of legislation and various guidelines that you have to work within, as a health and social care worker. The Health And Safety act 1974, also referred to as HSW, is the main piece of legislation covering occupational health and safety in the United Kingdom. In England, Wales and other places the Health and Safety Executive is responsible for enforcing the Act and a number of other regulations relating to the working environment.
Employers are responsible for the health and safety of employees, workers from other organisations, and visitors while they are on the premises, Employers must: * Carry out a thorough risk assessment before opening for business, and it should be updated regularly * Ensure that there is a health and safety policy written for the setting and appoint someone to be responsible for health and safety * Keep a record of all accidents that occur * Provide safety equipment, written health and safety information and training * Ensure the workplace is fully insured
Employees also have responsibilities under the health and safety at work act 1974. You must: * Take reasonable care of your own, and other peoples health and safety * Not deliberately do anything that could jeopardise someone else’s health or safety
RIDDOR (1995)
RIDDOR is the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995. These Regulations require employers, the self-employed and those in control of premises to report specified workplace incidents.
If you are an employer, you must report any work-related deaths, and certain work-related injuries, cases of disease, and near misses involving your employees wherever they are working.
If you are in control of premises, you must report any work-related deaths, certain injuries to members of the public and self-employed people on your premises, and dangerous occurrences (some near miss incidents) that occur on your premises.
RIDDOR is the law that requires employers, and other people who are in control of work premises, to report and keep records of: * work-related deaths; * serious injuries; * cases of diagnosed industrial disease; and * certain ‘dangerous occurrences’ (near miss incidents).
You must report injuries to members of the public or people who are not at work if they are injured following an accident that arises out of, or in connection with, work and are taken from the scene of an accident to hospital for treatment. If the injured person was already at a hospital, the report only needs to be made if the injury is a ‘major injury’
These regulations require you to report the following to the local council or the Health and Safety Executive: * Death * An incident leading to someone being absent from work for three days or more * Reportable diseases * Potentially dangerous occurrences that did not lead to injury or diseases
Reporting this information enables the local council of the HSE to ascertain why, where and how risks occur and to investigate serious accidents and near-accidents. They can then advise organisations on how to prevent or reduce injury, ill-health and damage to property. If at some time in the future you are working in a senior post and an accident occurs, it would be your reasonability to submit the report.
Show More

Related Documents: Essay on Legislation: Occupational Safety and Health and Health

Oh & S Talk Essay

Each organisation is required to have an Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) policy and be committed to achieving high standards of health and safety in the workplace. The key elements to ensuring a safe workplace include consultation, training, the application of risk management process Consultation Occupational health and safety legislation requires that there be on going consultation and cooperation between employers and employees. Consultation is a key element of the OHS process and requires…

Words 508 - Pages 3

Define OH & S And Discuss Why It Is Important In A Professional Workplace

Australia(2012), “Key Work Health and Safety Statistics”. Retrieved on 13th May from http://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/sites/SWA/about/Publications/Documents/677/Key_Work_Health_and_Safety_Statistics_Australia_2012.pdf 1: Conduct the necessary research to complete the following questions: * Define OH&S and discuss why it is important in a professional workplace Occupation health and safety is a process that a company sets up for protecting the health and safety of the individuals who are…

Words 864 - Pages 4

Social: Occupational Safety and Health and Personal Protective Equipment Essay

1.1 Legislations relating to general Health and Safety in social care setting : Health and Safety at work Act 1974 Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulation 1999 Manual Handling operations Regulations 1992 Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995(RIDDOR) Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH) Provision and use of work equipment 1992 (PUWER) Lifting operation and lifting equipment regulations 1992 Personal Protective…

Words 446 - Pages 2

Legal Expligations Of Small Business In Victoria

a small business: Internet-based activities These activities should help you gain an understanding of the legal obligations of small businesses in Victoria, namely laws relating to consumer protection, equal employment opportunity, occupational health and safety and environmental protection and the decisions that business owners and managers must make in order to ensure compliance with current laws in these areas. Part A: Consumer Affairs Victoria, business licensing and consumer protection…

Words 1157 - Pages 5

Tutor: Risk and Social Care Essay

can cause harm (e.g. chemicals, electricity, moving and handling service users). Most hazards need managing immediately. Reporting injuries, diseases and dangerous occurrences in health and social care (2013) RIDDOR requires employers and others to report deaths, certain types of injury, some occupational diseases and dangerous occurrences that ‘arise out of or in connection with work’. Generally, this covers incidents where the work activities, equipment or environment (including how work…

Words 571 - Pages 3

Essay on Safety, Health, and Welfare of the Employees

Safety, Health, and Welfare of the Employees Over the years, Government has taken great care to protect employee's rights to take care of themselves and their families. Two of the greatest pieces of legislation passed to protect employees' rights to themselves and their families are the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA). This paper will summarize the application and implication of FMLA and OSHA. The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) was written…

Words 1186 - Pages 5

Personal Protective Equipment Essay

why and when health and safety control equipment, identified by the principles of protection, should be used relating to types, purpose and limitations of each type, the work situation, occupational use and the general work environment, in relation to: Collective protective measures Personal protective measures (PPE) Respiratory protective equipment (RPE) Local exhaust ventilation (LVE). QCF641: 1:5, (09B, 10B, 628, 11V2 and 25V2 3:3) State and/or describe how the health and safety control equipment…

Words 413 - Pages 2

Essay on Employment Relations

|Sources | | |Using text book (Loudoun, Mcphail and Wilkinson, 2009, chapter 11) to introduce |Loudoun, Mcphail and | | |the background of what is Occupation Health and Safety (OHS); Why OHS become a |Wilkinson, 2009, chapter | | |very serious issue for the workplace; How it influence the workplace; By using |11 | | |Australian…

Words 730 - Pages 3

Guide for Young Workers in Hospitality Essay

Safety at Work This booklet is published and promoted by the WorkCover NSW Consumer Services Industry Reference Group © Copyright: Commerce Queensland ? Occupational Health and Safety Why Bother? You are probably aware that a large percentage of persons employed in the hospitality industry are either school students or recent school leavers. The age of the workforce together with high levels of staff turnover raise occupational health and safety concerns in the industry. As a young worker…

Words 2980 - Pages 12

Essay on Assessment 2

can take to help you meet your business goals? 2. What should HR be doing that is not doing now? 3. What is HR doing now that is should not be doing. Legislation – Occupational health and safety act 1985. Occupational health and safety regulations Code of practice. Equal opportunity and anti discrimination legislation Worker’s compensation legislation. Action plan – Access to HR Services We are taking steps to set up an HR help desk to improve access to our services and to selection of new staff…

Words 416 - Pages 2