Who is Responsible for Health and Safety?
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Get In TouchWho is responsible for health and safety in my workplace?
In accordance with the Health and Safety Act 1974, the responsibility of health and safety in the workplace lies with the employer.
As a business owner, you need to ensure you have taken all the practical steps you can to protect your workers, customers, and visitors to the premises. This includes making the necessary arrangements, such as checking that the equipment in the office is tested, where appropriate, and safe to use. Hiring a safety expert, or health and safety officer is one way to keep on track of your business’s health and safety compliance. This could be a member of staff or manager who is trained to look after the wellbeing of your employees, enforcing the safety practices put in place and reporting where breaches occur. No matter how you go about checking your site is safe, the legal responsibility remains with the employer.
If you work in a high-risk environment - for example, a construction site - these steps are regulated and reviewed by a health and safety executive who can issue you a warning should your premises not be up to the correct health and safety standards. You will find more information about this on our blog here.
A health and safety executive will ensure that a safe working environment is maintained and employees are up to date with the latest health and safety procedures. Get in touch with the team at SMS Europe if you would like us to provide training or consultation.