The document summarizes the key aspects and history of health and safety legislation in the UK, including the Health and Safety at Work Act of 1974. It established general duties for employers and employees, and created the Health and Safety Executive body to regulate workplace health, safety, and welfare. The legislation set a basic principle that health and safety is a shared responsibility and introduced regulations around risk assessment, accident investigations, enforcement, and penalties.

1. Health and safety

2. It is no coincidence that, before the introduction of the Health and Safety at Work legislation, the workplace used to be considerably more dangerous.

3. 1930s skyscraper construction New York

4. 1930s shipyard in Britain

5. 1930s mine rescue team

6. Cotton mill. USA 1908

8. 1930s iron foundry

9. Fishing under sail in Holland

10. The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974
The basis of British health and safety law is the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.

11. Basic principle Health and Safety is everyone‟s responsibility. Employers have a duty of care to workers and others. Before the 1974 Act, there were many different pieces of legislation relating to specific industries, such as Mining. The Act was different, it set out to cover all industries and all people. The 1974 Act was a major step forward because: 1) It protected everyone 2) It gave inspectors powers of investigation into accidents 3) It gave employers and workers duties at work 4) It included welfare at work e.g. toilets, washrooms etc. 5) It included imprisonment and fines as penalties

12. The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974
The Act sets out the general duties which employers have towards employees and members of the public, and employees have to themselves and to each other.

13. And you thought it was a joke!

14. The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974
•It includes: The Factories Act 1961, COSHH (control of substances hazardous to health), The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1992.

15. The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974
•All work places must have a health and safety system in place.

16. The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974
•‘As far as is reasonably practicable’. In other words, an employer does not have to take measures to avoid or reduce the risk if they are technically impossible or if the time, trouble or cost of the measures would be grossly disproportionate to the risk.

17. The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974
•What the law requires here is what good management and common sense would lead employers to do anyway: that is, to look at what the risks are and take sensible measures to tackle them.

18. The act does not cover nominees for the „Darwin Awards‟. Like this…

19. …or this…

20. …or my personal favourite…

21. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE)
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is a United Kingdom non- departmental public body. It is the body responsible for the encouragement, regulation and enforcement of workplace health, safety and welfare, and for research into occupational risks in England and Wales and Scotland. The HSE was created by the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, and has since absorbed earlier regulatory bodies such as the Factory Inspectorate and the Railway Inspectorate though the Railway Inspectorate was transferred to the Office of Rail Regulation in April 2006. The HSE is sponsored by the Department for Work and Pensions. As part of its work HSE investigates industrial accidents, small and large, including major incidents such as the explosion and fire at Buncefield in 2005. HSE's job is to protect people against risks to health or safety arising out of work activities. "Our mission is to protect people's health and safety by ensuring risks in the changing workplace are properly controlled."

22. Ways of managing risks
-Use personal protective equipment (PPE) – goggles, apron etc…

23. Ways of managing risks
-Place notices around work place.

24. Circular signs are instructions.

25. These are instructions to not do something.

26. Triangles tend to be used in warning signs.

27. These are also warning signs.

28. Japanese public toilet signs

29. Ways of managing risks -Fit guards and emergency stops to machines.

30. Ways of managing risks -Be aware of health and safety rules and COSHH data. This legislation covers accidents as well as long term exposure.

31. Ways of managing risks -Conduct ongoing staff training (fire, first aid...)

32. Ways of managing risks -Keep servicing and log books up to date.

33. Ways of managing risks -Use appropriate lighting, heating, ventilation and noise levels.

34. It is also a requirement of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 that every place of work should have risk assessments properly documented.

35. Risk assessment
Five steps:
1.Look for hazard
2.Decide who might be harmed and why
3.Evaluate the risk arising from the hazard and decide whether existing precautions are adequate or more should be done.
4.Record the findings.
5.Review the assessment and revise it if necessary.

36. Workshop safety Identify the hazards in the picture below.

37. Risk assessment example
•What are the hazards and risks relating to the use of the pillar drill?

38. So just to clarify: this is not covered…

39. …or this…

40. …or this…

41. …or even this!
(Not even if “you‟ve done it before”.)

42. Safe product use
-Products have become safer to use over time.
-This is partly due to changes in the law and partly due to consumer demands.
-All new products must be provided with guarantees about their safety and performance.
-Product safety is now a key criteria in determining a product’s success.

43. Case study: food processor -The blades will only rotate is the lid is locked in place. -The motor stops if the lid is removed. -There is a separate ‘pusher’ for pushing food down. -Non-slip feet on underside. -Waterproof casing, sealed bearings and motor housing. -Instructions on safe use and injury avoidance.

44. Safety markings on products The European community mark is often referred to as the ‘product passport‟ – meaning it can be freely traded across Europe. It means that tax has been paid and that a minimum standard of documentation has been produced (to make the source traceable). It is not a quality guarantee.
The British Standards Institute kite mark symbolises that a product has reached the required performance and safety standard for the particular product type (according to BSI).
The British Toy and Hobby Association Lion mark is a performance and safety standard for toys.

45. Consumer safety & the law
•The designer and manufacturer of a product have a moral obligation to make sure that a customer / consumer is not injured by it when used. Also, both the designer and manufacture must be socially and environmentally responsible. Putting it in simple terms, the final product must not be a danger, cause damage to people in any way or damage the environment. A number of Government agencies try to protect the general public from products that are unsafe. Laws also protect the consumer and some are outlined below.
•The Consumer Safety Act is mainly concerned with safety especially when considering clothing, toys and electrical goods. The government can ban dangerous goods with this Act.
•The Trades Description Act protects the customer against false claims. For instance if a manufacturer says that a product will increase intelligence and it obviously fails to do so - then the manufacturer can be taken to court. The Trades Descriptions Act tries to ensure than manufacturers claims about their products are true.
•The Sales of Goods Act is aimed at ensuring that goods work in the way they should and that they last a reasonable amount of time.
•Fire Safety Regulations - aim to protect the public against poor quality furniture that could be a fire hazard. The aim is to stop the sale of furniture that is easily set alight and give off dangerous toxic fumes.

46. H & S Designers
Safety of a product has two broad components.
Construction safety
–Anything related to how the product is constructed, no matter what the design.
–Use of materials,
–Components
–Quality
Design safety
•This safety should extend to
–users,
–bystanders
–misusers – for instance, children who may „play‟ with a product in a way not intended.
•Because we are interested in design safety we are interested in interactions.