The UK has a comprehensive set of health and safety laws designed to protect workers and members of the public from harm. The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 is the primary piece of legislation governing health and safety in the UK. This act places a duty on employers to ensure the health, safety, and welfare of their employees and other people who may be affected by their work.
In recent years, there have been a number of changes to UK health and safety laws. One of the most significant changes was the introduction of the Health and Safety Executive’s Fee for Intervention (FFI) scheme in 2012. This scheme allows the HSE to charge businesses for the cost of carrying out an inspection where a material breach of health and safety law is found. This scheme has been controversial, with some businesses claiming that it places an unfair burden on them.
Another change to UK health and safety law has been the introduction of the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007. This act makes it possible to prosecute companies and organizations for corporate manslaughter where there has been a gross breach of duty of care leading to a person’s death. The act has led to a number of high-profile prosecutions, and has been credited with improving safety standards in some industries.
In addition to these changes, there have been ongoing efforts to simplify and streamline health and safety regulations in the UK. This has included the consolidation of a number of regulations into a single set of regulations known as the Health and Safety (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2002.
It’s important for businesses and organizations in the UK to stay up-to-date with changes to health and safety laws, and to ensure that they are taking appropriate measures to protect the health and safety of their employees and members of the public. The Health and Safety Executive provides a wide range of guidance and resources to help businesses understand their obligations under UK health and safety law.
Our T100 Health and Safety software system provides alerts to inform you of changes to health and safety legislation that may impact your policies and health and safety practices. Learn more about T100 and how it can support your organisation here.