Health and Safety - An employers responsibility

Under the law, employers are responsible for health and safety management. The following provides a broad outline of how the law applies to employers. Don't forget, employees and the self-employed have important responsibilities too. 

It is an employer's duty to protect the health, safety, and welfare of their employees and other people who might be affected by their business. Employers must do whatever is reasonably practicable to achieve this. 

This means making sure that workers and others are protected from anything that may cause harm, effectively controlling any risks to injury or health that could arise in the workplace. 

Employers have duties under health and safety law to assess risks in the workplace. Risk assessments should be carried out that address all risks that might cause harm in your workplace. 

Employers must give you information about the risks in your workplace and how you are protected, also instruct and train you on how to deal with the risks. 

Employers must consult employees on health and safety issues. Consultation must be either direct or through a safety representative that is either elected by the workforce or appointed by a trade union. 

Employers have a legal duty under the Health and Safety Information for Employees Regulations (HSIER) to display the approved poster in a prominent position in each workplace or to provide each worker with a copy of the approved leaflet Health and safety law: What you need to know that outlines British health and safety law. 

If workers think their employer is exposing them to risks or is not carrying out their legal duties regards to health and safety, and if this has been pointed out to them but no satisfactory response has been received, workers can make a complaint to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). 

Contains public sector information published by the Health and Safety Executive and licensed under the 'Open Government Licence'