• employers;
• self-employed people;
• people in control of premises;
to report work-related deaths, major injuries, or over-three-day injuries, work related diseases, and dangerous occurrences (near miss accidents). The easiest way to do this is by calling the Incident Contact Centre (ICC) on 0845 300 99 23.
Computers
The Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations protect the health of workers by reducing risks from VDU work. The regulations require employers to:
• analyse workstations to assess and reduce risks
• ensure workstations meet specified minimum requirements
• plan work activities so that they include breaks or changes of activity
• provide eye and eyesight tests on request, and special spectacles if needed
• provide information and training.
Compliance and consultation
You must ensure your employees understand and carry out their responsibilities for health and safety, such as following the safety rules you have set up. By law, employers must consult all their employees on health and safety matters.
Contracted workers
Even workers who are self-employed for tax purposes are classed as employees under health and safety law.
Registration
Certain businesses need to be registered with the authorities. Do I need to register my business? - Since 6 April 2009, registration requirements were abolished meaning that businesses are no longer required to register with their local authority or with the Health & Safety Executive (HSE). This includes businesses that were previously required to register, such as shops, offices, factories and certain railway premises.
However, depending on your type of business, you may still have to register under other regulations. For example - food and catering businesses must continue to meet food standards registration requirements, which local authorities enforce. Other examples of businesses that may still be required to register or require a licence to operate include businesses operating in high-risk industries and those using dangerous or explosive materials.
If you don't know whether you need to register, contact your local HSE or local authority office to check.
Insurance
If you are employing anyone to work on your premises whatsoever you should be taking out employers' liability insurance. Read our guide on how to make sure your business is properly insured - Opens in a new window.
Training
The Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 require employers to provide adequate and appropriate equipment, facilities and personnel to enable first aid to be given to employees if they are injured or become ill at work. These regulations apply to all workplaces including those with five or fewer employees and to the self-employed. Are you or anyone else in your company trained to deliver first aid?
Everyone, including employers, managers and employees, needs health and safety training. Providing health and safety information and training helps you to:
• ensure your employees are not injured or made ill by the work they do;
• develop a positive health and safety culture, where safe and healthy working becomes second nature to everyone;
• find out how you could manage health and safety better;
• meet your legal duty to protect the health and safety of your employees.
Effective training:
• will contribute towards making your employees competent in health and safety;
• can help your business avoid the distress that accidents and ill health cause;
• can help you avoid the financial costs of accidents and occupational ill health.
Fines
Since January 2009, new measures have increased the maximum penalties that can be imposed in the Magistrates' Court for breach of health and safety regulations from £5,000 to £20,000, and also introduces the ability for the court to imprison directors and managers found guilty of serious breaches. Make sure you are legal: Following the introduction of the Corporate Manslaughter law last year, Health and Safety continues to tighten with the introduction of new penalties from January 16 2009.
The Health and Safety (Offences) Act 2008 raises the maximum penalties that can be imposed for breaching health and safety regulations in the lower courts from £5,000 to £20,000 and the range of offences for which an individual can be imprisoned has also been broadened.
Previously, under the Health and Safety at Work Act, directors or senior managers found guilty of health and safety offences could not be imprisoned. As of 16 January 2009, however, this is a very real possibility, lawyers warn.
However, business owners may be reassured that the Act imposes no new regulations, it only enforces the existing rules with stricter penalties.
So, as health and safety liability becomes linked more closely to management accountability, we urge business owners to ensure that they have all the required health and safety policies, procedures and training in place and that that they consider the safety of their workforce to be of paramount importance going forward.
The new penalties only apply for offences committed after January 16 2009.
Bravanark can help start-up businesses by providing them with the minimum requirements for as little as £1.50 a day (subject to a minimum of a 1 year contract)
“ But what could I possibly get for £1.50 per day” I hear you say .
You will get the following:
- A dedicated consultant to act as your competent person as required by the Management of Health and safety at Work Regulations 1999.
- A basic health and safety policy document
- Health and Safety monitoring system
- A typical risk assessment for an office environment
- Health and Safety Monitoring log
- Up to 5 employee handbooks
- The Health and Safety Poster ‘Health And Safety Law What Should You Know’
- 24/7 helpline
The HSE offer a wide range of downloadable documents, but do you have the 'competent' person to interpret the legislation to suit your company?
For further information on how Bravanark can assist, simply complete our enquiry form by clicking here or Buy now