Introduction to Health and Safety at Work

Dangerous occurrence
– is a ‘near miss’ which could 
have led to serious injury or loss of life. Dangerous 
Figure 1.1
At 
work.

---

Health and safety foundations
3
occurrences are defi ned in the Reporting of Injuries, 
Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 
(often known as RIDDOR) and are always reportable to 
the Enforcement Authorities. Examples include the col-
lapse of a scaffold or a crane or the failure of any pas-
senger carrying equipment.
Hazard and risk
– a hazard is the 
potential
of a sub-
stance, activity or process to cause harm. Hazards take 
many forms including, for example, chemicals, electricity 
and working from a ladder. A hazard can be ranked rela-
tive to other hazards or to a possible level of danger. 
A risk is the 
likelihood
of a substance, activity or 
process to cause harm. A risk can be reduced and the 
hazard controlled by good management.
It is very important to distinguish between a 
hazard
and a 
risk
– the two terms are often confused and activ -
ities such as construction work are called 
high risk
when 
they are 
high hazard
. Although the hazard will continue 
to be high, the risks will be reduced as controls are 
implemented. The level of risk remaining when controls 
have been adopted is known as the 
residual risk
. There 
should only be 
high residual risk
where there is poor 
health and safety management and inadequate control 
measures.
1.3 
The legal framework for health 
and safety
1.3.1 Sub-divisions of law
There are two sub-divisions of the law that apply to 
health and safety issues: criminal law and civil law.