Health and safety regulations in the United Kingdom
Encyclopedia
In the United Kingdom
there are many regulations relevant to health, safety and welfare
at work. Many of these give effect to European Union
directives.
throughout the UK. In England
and Wales
it is punishable on summary conviction with a fine of up to £400 or, if convicted on indictment
in the Crown Court
, an offender can be sentenced to an unlimited fine. Either an individual or a corporation can be punished and sentencing practice is published by the Sentencing Guidelines Council
.
In England and Wales, where a person suffers damage
caused by
a breach of the regulations, they have a cause of action
in tort
against the offender, except where the regulations state otherwise. A similar right of action exists in Scotland
through the law of delict.
A full list of all UK Health & Safety legislation can be found on the HSE
website
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
there are many regulations relevant to health, safety and welfare
Occupational safety and health
Occupational safety and health is a cross-disciplinary area concerned with protecting the safety, health and welfare of people engaged in work or employment. The goal of all occupational safety and health programs is to foster a safe work environment...
at work. Many of these give effect to European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
directives.
Regulations made under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974
Breach of the regulations is a crimeCrime
Crime is the breach of rules or laws for which some governing authority can ultimately prescribe a conviction...
throughout the UK. In England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
it is punishable on summary conviction with a fine of up to £400 or, if convicted on indictment
Indictment
An indictment , in the common-law legal system, is a formal accusation that a person has committed a crime. In jurisdictions that maintain the concept of felonies, the serious criminal offence is a felony; jurisdictions that lack the concept of felonies often use that of an indictable offence—an...
in the Crown Court
Crown Court
The Crown Court of England and Wales is, together with the High Court of Justice and the Court of Appeal, one of the constituent parts of the Senior Courts of England and Wales...
, an offender can be sentenced to an unlimited fine. Either an individual or a corporation can be punished and sentencing practice is published by the Sentencing Guidelines Council
Sentencing Guidelines Council
The Sentencing Guidelines Council was a non-departmental public body of the United Kingdom, created by s.167 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003. It gave authoritative guidance on sentencing to the courts of England and Wales...
.
In England and Wales, where a person suffers damage
Damages
In law, damages is an award, typically of money, to be paid to a person as compensation for loss or injury; grammatically, it is a singular noun, not plural.- Compensatory damages :...
caused by
Causation in English law
Causation in English law concerns the legal tests of remoteness, causation and foreseeability in the tort of negligence. It is also relevant for English criminal law and English contract law....
a breach of the regulations, they have a cause of action
Cause of action
In the law, a cause of action is a set of facts sufficient to justify a right to sue to obtain money, property, or the enforcement of a right against another party. The term also refers to the legal theory upon which a plaintiff brings suit...
in tort
Tort
A tort, in common law jurisdictions, is a wrong that involves a breach of a civil duty owed to someone else. It is differentiated from a crime, which involves a breach of a duty owed to society in general...
against the offender, except where the regulations state otherwise. A similar right of action exists in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
through the law of delict.
The "six pack" regulations
- Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 HARRY GENTLE
- Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998
- Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992
- Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992The Workplace Regulations 1992 is a United Kingdom Statutory Instrument that stipulates general requirements on accommodation standards for nearly all workplaces...
- Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992The Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 are set of regulations created under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 which came into force in Great Britain on 1 January 1993...
- Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992
Other
- Chemicals (Hazard Information and Packaging for Supply) Regulations 2002 (CHIPS) (gives effect to EU Directive 67/548/EECDirective 67/548/EECThe Dangerous Substances Directive is one of the main European Union laws concerning chemical safety. It was made under Article 100 of the Treaty of Rome...
) - Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002COSHHThe Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 is a United Kingdom Statutory Instrument that states general requirements on employers to protect employees and other persons from the hazards of substances used at work by risk assessment, control of exposure, health surveillance and...
- Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995
- Transport of Dangerous Goods (Safety Advisers) Regulations 1999
- Electricity at Work Regulations 1989
- Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998The Lifting Operations Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 are set of regulations created under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 which came into force in Great Britain on 5 November 1998 and replaced a number of other pieces of legislation which covered the use of lifting equipment...
- The Control of Noise at Work regulations 2005The Control of Noise at Work regulations 2005The Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 place a duty on employer's within Great Britain to reduce the risk to their employees health by controlling the noise they are exposed to whilst at work. The regulations were established under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and implement...
- The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007
- The Control of Asbestos regulations 2006
- Control of Lead at Work Regulations 1997
- Control of Major Accident Hazards Regulations 1991
- Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005The Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005 are set of regulations created under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 which came into force in Great Britain on 6 July 2005...
- Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002
- Dangerous Substances in Harbour Areas Regulations 1987
- Ionising Radiations Regulations 1999Ionising Radiations Regulations 1999The Ionising Radiations Regulations 1999 are a statutory instrument which form the main legal requirements for the use and control of ionising radiation in the United Kingdom...
- Safety Representatives and Safety Committees Regulations 1977
- The Confined Spaces Regulations 1997
- The Construction (Head Protection) Regulations 1989
- The Construction (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1996
- The Radiation (Emergency Preparedness and Public Information) Regulations 2001
- The Work at Height Regulations 2005
A full list of all UK Health & Safety legislation can be found on the HSE
Health and Safety Executive
The Health and Safety Executive is a non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom. It is the body responsible for the encouragement, regulation and enforcement of workplace health, safety and welfare, and for research into occupational risks in England and Wales and Scotland...
website