Health And Safety At Work

Does the law protect my health and safety at work ?

Yes, there are regulations about health and safety at work. This fact sheet has information relevant to most workplaces except construction sites and transport. In most cases, however, non-workers visiting a workplace won't be covered by these regulations.

What is the definition of a workplace?

This is any non-domestic place where someone works. This includes lobbies, corridors, staircases and anywhere that has facilities you might use as part of your work, except a public road.

What responsibilities does my employer have?

The law requires your employer to ensure your workplace and its equipment are maintained properly.

The law requires your employer to ensure your workplace and its equipment are maintained properly. This includes, for example, emergency lighting, fencing, powered doors and escalators. The level of maintenance will depend on the type of equipment, the likelihood of defects and what the consequences of any defects might be. There are specific regulations for things like ventilation, lighting, indoor temperatures, cleanliness, space, workstations and seating.

What about floor surfaces?

There are very strict regulations to prevent any defects in floors that could cause an accident. Employers have to do everything 'reasonably practicable' to make sure this doesn't happen.

So is it easy to prove an accident was my employer's fault?

Not necessarily. In once example, an employee tripped and injured himself on a two-inch step at the top of a ramp that had a 'please mind the step' sign. The court looked at a number of issues, including:

Hundreds of people used the entrance every week
There hadn't been an accident or complaint before
There would have been people using the entrance who had different levels of mobility, different footwear, and paying different degrees of attention
There was a real risk of tripping on the step
The step was at the top of a ramp where you wouldn't really expect it
You were likely to be paying attention to the entrance window, not the ramp and step.

This shows how complicated it can be deciding whether an employer was at fault.

This fact sheet will give you some basic information about health and safety at work. You can also listen to it online or download it onto an MP3 player.

Please be aware that this is not legal advice and if you are concerned about any of the issues mentioned you should speak to a lawyer.

You can contact Russell Jones & Walker's solicitors at enquiries@rjw.co.uk.

For more information you can download this fact sheet to read offline or print.