Health and Safety in the Workplace

Health and safety is always of great concern in any organisation. As an employee you are entitled to know your rights, and as an employer or HR manager, it’s important to be knowledgeable enough to be able to provide a safe working environment, within the realms of the law.

How much do you know about Health and Safety Regulations in the UK?

Employees have the right to work in an environment that poses no risk to their health and safety. To achieve this, employers and employees must work together to ensure that their workplace has clear health and safety guidelines. Each must know what their rights and responsibilities are to do this. Do you know what your responsibilities are and what protection is available to workers?

Do you know your rights and responsibilities?

Employers have responsibilities for the health and safety of their employees. They are also responsible for any visitors to their premises such as customers, suppliers and the general public. As an employee, you have rights, and you have responsibilities for your own wellbeing and that of your colleagues. Find out what these rights and responsibilities are as well as how you can become a health and safety representative at your place of work.

Do you have specific concerns about your particular industry?

Health and safety regulations can also be industry-specific, in other words it is important to know where you stand in terms of both general H & S, as well as any industry-specific laws that may apply to you and your company. A good example is the difference in H & S for office workers and manual labourers. Each will clearly be subject to different health and safety regulations and different levels of risk. Did you know that no matter what field you are in stress in the workplace is considered a safety risk and legally this must be taken care of at work.

Did you know that certain Health and Safety concerns can lead to suspensions?

It is the duty of an employer to take all the necessary steps to ensure health and safety in the workplace. This also means that suspension is a possibility should you be at particular risk However, while an employer may be able to legally suspend an employee on health and safety grounds, an employee cannot and should not be suspended due to reporting a situation at work that breaks with health and safety regulations. Knowing these details about H&S could have a massive impact on how your company approaches Health and Safety.

Health and Safety in the Workplace

Feel like you are in the dark with regard to health and safety regulation? Then Reed Learning has the appropriate resource for anyone looking for more health and safety information. From knowing your rights as an employee to knowing the regulations which apply to you and your company, perhaps its time for some safety course?