Employees

Did you know that your employer has legal responsibilities for the health & wellbeing as well as safety of its employees? They are also responsible for any visitors to their premises such as customers, suppliers and the general public.

Great Britain in 2008/09

• 1.2 million people who worked during the last year were suffering from an illness (long standing as well as new cases) they believed was caused or made worse by their current or past work. 551 000 of these were new cases.
• 180 workers were killed at work, a rate of 0.6 per 100 000 workers.
• 131 895 other injuries to employees were reported under RIDDOR, a rate of 502.2 per 100 000 employees.
• 246 000 reportable injuries occurred, according to the Labour Force Survey, a rate of 870 per 100 000 workers.

• 29.3 million days were lost overall (1.24 days per worker), 24.6 million due to work-related ill health and 4.7 million due to workplace injury.
  Resource: hse.gov.uk

Does your employer employ five or more people?

For businesses employing five or more people, there must be:

• An official record of what the assessment finds (your employer has to put plans in place to deal with the risks)
• A formal health and safety policy, including arrangements to protect your health and safety (you should be told what these are)

Your employer has a 'duty of care' to look after, as far as possible for your health, safety and welfare while you are at work.

All employers, whatever the size of the business, must:

• The workplace must be free from accident hazards and safe.
• Your employer must advise you about any potential hazards about the work you do, chemicals and other substances used by the firm, and give you information, instructions, training and supervision as needed.
• They make sure that ventilation, temperature, lighting, and toilet, washing and rest facilities all meet health, safety and welfare requirements prevent risks to health.
• To ensure that plant and machinery is safe to use and that safe working practices are set up and followed.
• You must make sure that all materials are handled, stored and used safely.
• First aid facilities must be provided and you must be informed of who your first aid representative is within the company.
• Emergency plans must be in place i.e. fire exit routine/ fire assembly point
• The employer must make sure that ventilation, temperature, lighting, and toilet, washing and rest facilities all meet health, safety and welfare requirements.
• Employers’ must check that the right equipment is provided and that it is properly used and regularly maintained.
• Precautions against the risks caused by flammable or explosive hazards, electrical equipment, noise and radiation.
• Potentially dangerous work involving manual handling and if it can't be avoided, take precautions to reduce the risk of injury
• The employer must provide health supervision as needed.
• Protective clothing or equipment must be supplied (free of charge) if risks can't be removed or adequately controlled by any other means.
• Warning signs must be displayed and looked after by the employer.
• Report certain accidents, injuries, diseases and dangerous occurrences to either the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) or the local authority, depending on the type of business they operate.

Your employer should, provide the follow to make the environment you work within safe & healthy:

• Ensuring that workplaces are properly ventilated, with clean and fresh air during working hours.
• Temperatures should be maintained at a comfortable level - a minimum of 13 degrees C where the work involves physical activity or 16 degrees C for 'sedentary' workplaces e.g offices but there's no maximum limit in either environment.
• The lighting of the premises should be adequate so that employees can work and move about safely
• The workplace and equipment clean to ensure health & safety.
• Working area/s must be adequate size to allow easy movement with at least 11 cubic meters’ per person
• Workstations must suit the employees and the work that the carry out.
• Floors, walkways, stairs, roadways etc safe to use at all times.
• All individuals must be protected (on business premises) from falling from height or into dangerous substances.
• Adequate storage provided to ensure equipment used to perform tasks is put away safely, ensuring that they are unlikely to fall and cause injuries.
• Windows, doors and gates should allow open and close function with safety devices built into or as part of the opening.
• The employer must also provide suitable washing facilities and clean drinking water
• In addition where the employee is required change into a uniform etc there must be somewhere for employees to get changed and to store their own clothes, if required.
• The employer must provide or set aside areas for rest breaks and to eat meals, including suitable facilities for pregnant women and nursing mothers.
• Adequate rest breaks and their correct holiday entitlement should be appropriate for employees to take as and when required.
• If the employer requires day and night duties they must make sure that employees who work alone, or off-site, which can be done safely.
  

Download 'Working alone in safety' (PDF, 38K) Opens new window

Download 'Workplace health and safety', (PDF, 234K) Opens new window

Rest breaks

Holiday entitlements: the basics

What to do next

If you think your employer isn't meeting their legal responsibilities towards you or other employees, talk to them first. Your safety representative or a trade union official may be able to help you with this, also advise them of the services we here are able to offer at Workplace Doctors. You may need to report your employer to the Health and Safety Executive or to the environmental health department of your local authority.

You must bear in mind that you also have responsibilities for your own health and safety at work. You can refuse to do something that isn't safe without being threatened with disciplinary action.

If you are dismissed for refusing to undertake an unsafe working practice, you may have a right to claim unfair dismissal at an Employment Tribunal.

Employees' health and safety responsibilities
How to resolve a problem at work
Protection if you report your employer - more details
Unfair dismissal

The employer has to appoint a 'competent person' with health and safety responsibilities. This is usually one of the owners in smaller firms, or a member of staff trained in health and safety in larger businesses.

Where to get help

For more information on where to get help with employment issues speak to your citizen advice bureau or find out more about trade unions or alternatively speak to your HR departments regarding your grievances informing them Workplace Doctors are able to assist them with employee occupational health related issues.

The Health and Safety at Work Act

The Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 is the primary piece of legislation covering work-related health and safety in the United Kingdom. It sets out a lot of your employer’s responsibilities for your health and safety at work.

The Health and Safety Executive is responsible for enforcing health and safety at work.

Health and Safety Executive (Opens new window)