Introduction to Health and Safety at Work

Introduction to Health and Safety at Work
14
for details of trade union or other safety representatives 
and one of competent persons appointed to assist with 
health and safety and their responsibilities. The poster is 
shown in Figure 1.5.
1.12 
The Management of Health and 
Safety at Work Regulations 1999
As mentioned earlier, on 1 January 1993, following an EC 
Directive, the Management of Health and Safety at Work 
Regulations became law in the United Kingdom. These 
regulations were updated in 1999 and are described in 
detail in Chapter 17. In many ways the regulations were 
not introducing concepts or replacing the 1974 Act – 
they simply reinforced or amended the requirements of 
the Health and Safety at Work Act. Some of the duties of 
employers and employees were re-defi ned.
1.12.1 Employers 
duties
Employers must:
➤
undertake suitable and suffi cient written risk assess-
ments when there are 5 or more employees
➤
put in place effective arrangements for the plan-
ning, organization, control, monitoring and review 
of health and safety measures in the workplace 
(including health surveillance). Such arrangements 
should be recorded if there are more than four 
employees
➤
employ (to be preferred) or contract competent per-
sons to help them comply with health and safety 
duties
➤
develop suitable emergency procedures. Ensure 
that employees and others are aware of these pro-
cedures and can apply them
➤
provide health and safety information to employ-
ees and others, such as other employers, the self-
employed and their employees who are sharing the 
same workplace and parents of child employees or 
those on work experience
➤
co-operate in health and safety matters with other 
employers who share the same workplace
➤
provide employees with adequate and relevant health 
and safety training
➤
provide temporary workers and their contract agency 
with appropriate health and safety information
➤
protect new and expectant mothers and young per-
sons from particular risks
➤
under certain circumstances, as outlined in Regula-
tion 6, provide health surveillance for employees.
The information that should be supplied by employers 
under the regulations is:
➤
risks 
identifi ed by any risk assessments including 
those notifi ed to him by other employers sharing the 
same workplace
➤
the preventative and protective measures that are in 
place
➤
the emergency arrangements and procedures and 
the names of those responsible for the implementa-
tion of the procedures.
Finally, it is important to note that the regulations outline 
the principles of prevention which employers and the 
self-employed need to apply so that health and safety 
risks are addressed and controlled. These principles are 
discussed in detail in Chapter 6.