Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974


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The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, commonly known as HSWA, has been defined by the Parliament of the U.K. to define a framework that encourages as well as enforces the health, safety and welfare in organizations across the U.K.

With the help of this document, workers can rest assured that their safety is being taken care of at all times. This is done by protecting them from risks that can cause health issues, and controlling the storage and use of any hazardous material. The Act had also been approved to prevent or rather reduce the emission of substances which can harm the currently fragile environment.

Under the Act, two personalities have been created to ensure that it is enforced:

  • The Health and Safety Commission: The Commission was a committee that consisted of a chairman and 6-9 other individuals who were appointed by the Secretary of the State. In general, the Commission was supposed to:
    • Help companies understand and implement the Act
    • Propose regulations
    • Ensure that government departments, employers, and workers are well aware of the regulations covered in the Act

Gradually, with the start of the new millennium, the Health and Safety Commission’s responsibilities became less. By April 2008, it was decided that the Health and Safety Executive would take over instead.

  • The Health and Safety Executive: Just like the Health and Safety Commission, the Health and Safety Executive consisted of a chairman and group of individuals. Yet, in this case, the Executive consisted of 7-11 more people. Previously, the Act stated that the Secretary of State was in charge of choosing the members of the Executive. However, in 2008, this task was transferred to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.

Previously directed by the Commission, the Executive was in charge of performing whatever tasks were given to it, and was in charge of providing data and advice to the Secretary of State. However, today, it is the sole legal body that can enforce the Act.

Thanks to the implementation of this Act, the number of fatal injuries between 1974 and 2007 was cut down tremendously by 73%, whereas other types of mishaps were reduced by 70%. Thus, it was evident that implementing this best practice was definitely an excellent idea for companies in the U.K.

In this section we will discuss:

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