Introduction to Fire Safety Management

Summary of key legal requirements
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15.24.12 Employees’ duties – regulation 14
Employees are required to:
➤
Use any machinery, plant, equipment, dangerous 
substances, etc. in accordance with their training 
and instruction
➤
Inform their employer of any work situation which 
would represent a serious and imminent danger to 
health and safety and any matter representing a 
shortcoming in the employer’s protection arrange-
ments for health and safety.
15.24.13 Temporary workers – regulation 15
Employers are required to provide any person they 
employ on a fi xed-term contract with comprehensible 
information on:
➤
Any special occupational qualifi cation or skills required 
to carry out the work safely
➤
Any health surveillance required by relevant health 
and safety legislation.
This information must be provided before the employee 
commences their duties.
Employers must also provide this information to any 
person employed in an employment business who is to 
carry out work in the employer’s undertaking. In addition, 
the employer must provide every person carrying out an 
employment business whose employees are to carry out 
work in the employer’s undertaking with comprehensible 
information on any special occupational qualifi cation or 
skills required to carry out the work safely and specifi c 
features of the job in so far as those features are likely to 
affect their health and safety.
15.24.14 Risk assessment of new or expectant 
mothers – regulations 16, 17 and 18
Where persons working in the undertaking include 
women of child bearing age and the work could involve 
risk by reason of her condition, risks to the health and 
safety of the new or expectant mother or to her baby, 
the employer must take account of this in their risk 
assessment (see regulation 3).
This requirement will only apply where the 
employee has notifi ed the employer in writing that she is 
pregnant, has given birth within the last 6 months or is 
breastfeeding.
Where a new or expectant mother works at night 
and a certifi cate from a registered medical practitioner 
or midwife shows that it is necessary for reasons of her 
health and safety that she should not be at work, the 
employer should suspend her from work for as long as 
necessary for her health and safety.