Trades Union Congress - Workplace Issues

The basis of UK health and safety law is the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 which sets out the general principles of health and safety compliance. It describes the general duties employers have towards employees and members of the public, and employees have to themselves and to others. The Act has been supplemented by Regulations, Approved Codes of Practice (ACoP) and guidance.

The Health and Safety Executive is responsible for health and safety policy and the enforcement of health and safety law. Also the European Union has been creating health and safety directives that all member states are required to incorporate into their own laws.

Failure by an employer to comply with health and safety law is an offence and may lead to prosecution by the HSE or Local Authorities Workers who exercise their health and safety statutory rights, such as reporting the health and safety crimes of their employer, are legally protected from victimisation.

Links

Workers' rights and employers' duties, HSE free leaflets

Worksmart Health and safety law section

Public Concern at Work - PCAW

This is the response by the TUC to the HSE consultation on a national Enforcement Code for Local Authorities.

Workers victimised for raising safety concerns will soon have to pay £1,200 if they want to seek justice at an employment tribunal. Unions have branded the move, announced last week by the government, 'a disgrace'. National union body TUC said the pl...

The government has confirmed a Budget commitment to cull or revise 84 per cent of the UK's health and safety laws, but can't or won't say which laws are in its sights.

US conservatives have stoked their war against 'big government', bidding to freeze federal actions to protect the public by introducing an anti-regulation regulation.

The TUC has submitted detailed evidence to the Government's review of health and safety regulation being conducted by Professor Ragnar Lofstedt. It makes the case for a strong evidence-based regulatory regime backed up by effective enforcement.

Commenting on the government-commissioned review of civil litigation funding and costs published today (Tuesday), TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said:

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Trades Union Congress: Workplace Issues

Law/Legislation