Introduction to Health and Safety at Work

reason-
able
for them to do so (if, for example, the workplace 
was a refrigerated storage unit).
Best practice guidance to cover this example is 
given in HSG 194 (
Thermal Comfort in the Workplace
) in 
which possible solutions to the maintenance of employee 
welfare in low temperature environments is given.
Health and Safety Executive (HSE)
The prime function of the HSE is to monitor, review and 
enforce health and safety law and to produce codes of 
practice and guidance. However, the HSE also under-
takes many other activities, such as the compilations of 
health and safety statistics, leading national health and 
safety campaigns, investigations into accidents or com-
plaints, visiting and advising employers and the produc-
tion of a very useful website.
1.11.3
General duties and key sections of 
the act
A summary of the Health and Safety at Work Act is given 
under Chapter 17 (17.4) – only an outline will be given 
here.
Section 2 Duties of employers to employees
To ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, 
safety and welfare of all employees. In particular:
➤
safe plant and systems of work
➤
safe use, handling, transport and storage of sub-
stances and articles
➤
provision of information, instruction, training and 
supervision
➤
safe place of work, access and egress
➤
safe working environment with adequate welfare 
facilities
➤
a written safety policy together with organizational 
and other arrangements (if there are 5 or more 
employees)
➤
consultation with safety representatives and forma-
tion of safety committees where there are recog-
nized trade unions.
Section 3 Duties of employers to others affected