Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1992 - Essay Example

Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1992 Introduction Over the years many health and safety laws have come up owing to the changing nature of design and construction work. It is clear that the current laws started being formulated back in the early 1880s with increased trends in industrialization. The first laws in respect to health and safety were stipulated in the Factory Act of 1833. The most recent of laws and regulations which are in the public domain were formulated last year i.e. 2010. One notable regulation is that appertaining to The Notification of Conventional Tower Cranes. This particular one sets the onus on the employers to notify Heath and Safety Executive in case such a crane is installed on site. Many other regulations have been adopted of late and some will be visited in the paper. The paper will also look into current legislation and accident data with emphasis on European ‘Six Pack’ and the CDM regulations of 2007. The ‘Six Pack’ was formulated in 1992 by the European Commission. European directives made it possible for the ‘Six Pack’ to be incorporated in the British health and safety laws. The ‘Six Pack’ actually consists of six regulations that are quoted extensively. The one that has gained much prominence over the years is the Management Regulations which means the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations. In this regulation the employer is left with the onus of assessing risks that may befall employees during work. Self employed persons are also included where they are to assess the health and safety risks they may be exposed to while in their workplaces. For those firms that have five or more employees, sufficient findings need to be made in respect to assessments carried out and find out those employees who may be specifically at risk (Griffith & Howarth 2008). This risk assessment approach is one of the modern issues incorporated into the general legislations menu. Employee’s duties on the other hand are supposed to use machinery and all equipments and substances in accordance with the laid out safety standards received during training and other regulations stipulated by their employer so long as such an employer is fully compliant with the general guidelines. Employees are also supposed to report any fellow employee whose conduct poses health and safety risk or that which manifests shortcomings that may result in the same. They are also to inform the employer of any colleagues whose training and instructions are posing risks to health and safety of others. The Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 Notable in it are duties of both the employer and the employees in maintaining the required health and safety standards. The employer for instance is supposed to avoid as far as it is reasonably practical instances where employees are to manually handle operations which put them at risk of being injured. In case the above is not possible due to impracticability, the employer is needed to reduce the chances of employees sustaining injuries. They are also supposed to offer information regarding load capacity and its heavy sides for them to position the centre of gravity appropriately (Health & Safety Commission 1995). Continuous assessment is necessary for the above as long as the employer views them as invalid or that changes have occurred that inherently reduce the risks. Employees on the other hand are supposed to use all systems provided in the right manner by following the laid out regulations. The Health and Safety Display Screen Equipment Regulations 1992 This is the other regulation in the ‘Six Pack’ which concentrates on the use of safety measures in workstations. In this regard the employer is supposed to ensure that their workstations are in usable condition by their employees/ operators. Such workstations are also supposed to meet the minimum requirements laid down in other legislations. The employer should also regulate work routines of users of display screen equipments so as to reduce exposure. This can be through periodic interruptions and breaks. Employees should also be trained on health and safety standards and how to use such equipment. In case the workstation is considerably modified the user needs to be sufficiently trained as well on health and safety aspects of the new features. Eye and eyesight tests need to be conducted at regular intervals. Special appliances also need to be provided to employees where the tests carried prove their necessity or that normal ones are not effective (Griffith & Howarth 2008). Lastly, workers should be equipped with necessary health and safety information related to their workstations. Health, Safety and Welfare Regulations 1992 This indicates that employers need to ensure compliance to all regulations pertaining to their workplace in respect to conversions, extensions or modifications. All the equipment and devices should be in good working condition. All enclosed workplaces need to have sufficient flow of fresh air and in case this is not available, warning audios or visuals need to be clear in regards to precautionary measures to take. Temperatures in indoor workplaces are supposed to be reasonable as not to cause risk to health and safety of workers. There is also need to have thermometers to measure temperatures in enclosed rooms. Lighting should also be sufficient but natural light is most preferred where it is practical to offer it. Cleanliness should also be upheld in the workplace which includes walls, ceilings and floor and waste should not build up to unreasonable levels. The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1992 This is another that revolves around activities where equipments are involved e.g. when starting or stopping them. In case the use of certain equipment poses specific risk, restriction of its use should be imposed by the employer (Health & Safety Commission 1995). In case of repairs or maintenance, only qualified workers designated to do so should actually handle the equipment. Hazards need to be prevented and controlled where practically possible so as to eliminate or minimize harm to workers. This regulation also deals with lighting, warnings, markings and maintenance operations. The Personal Protection Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 This regulation ensures that employees are provided with the required protective equipment so as to minimize the risks to their health and safety. The same case applies to self-employed people as they also need to remain healthy and safe. Such equipments need to be compatible with the safety requirements based on the possible risks. Suitability of the protective equipment needs to be assessed as well so as to uncover whether it has risks to health and safety. Construction Design and Management regulations 2007 It is the responsibility of the manager in any construction site to control the health and safety measures undertaken. To manage a construction in progresses requires that risks are assessed to minimize hazards. In order to accomplish this successfully ample time needs to be spent in planning and organizing. Construction design and management regulations assist in improving health and safety in companies and sites. They also ensure that only qualified workers are left to handle certain tasks to minimize risks (Health & Safety Commission 1995). They also ensure efficient management and planning systems to avert risks. This regulation is applicable to many buildings and engineering work and one should notify HSE in writing in case the project is to take longer than 30 days and if more than 500 man days are to be utilized. Accident Statistics over the Last 10 Years 2000/01 01/02 02/03 03/04 04/05 05/06 06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 Fatal injuries 5.9 4.4 3.9 3.7 3.5 3.0 3.8 3.4 2.5 2.2 Major injuries 380.9 350.7 359.3 349.8 322.7 305.8 299.1 266.7 230.1 230.0 Source (Health and Safety Executive 2011) It is clear to see from the above table that the number of fatalities has dropped more than 50 percent over the last 10 years with a drop of 40 percent in major injuries sustained. This can be attributed to persistent pressure from health and safety regulations that are in place and whose review is done constantly to suit emerging trends and to address previous shortcomings. Conclusion Regulations in the construction industry have increasingly become important based on the number of accidents that have been witnessed in the recent past. Construction projects exhibit inherent risks to workers and passersby. It is therefore important to regulate such an industry so as to minimize risks of hazards occurring which end up harming people’s health and safety status. For this to happen, regulations set need to be followed and reviewed constantly in order to ensure they are compatible with the constantly changing world of design and construction. References Griffith, A & Howarth, T 2008. Construction health & safety management, Longman. Health & Safety Commission 1995, HSG 65 – Successful health & safety management, Health & Safety Commission publications. Health and Safety Executive 2011, Rates of reportable injuries in construction 2000/0 –2009/10, viewed 07 May, 2011 . Read More