Health and Safety Responsibilities

If you run or manage any kind of business or organisation you already know it, the health and safety buck stops with the boss.

Under UK law there's no doubt. It's every employer’s responsibility to protect the health and safety of their employees, and of anyone else who might be affected by the business, including customers, visitors and passers-by.

Practicality, not perfection
The (slightly) good news is that the law has a sense of proportion and recognises the impossibility of 100% protection. Under health & safety law, employers have a legal duty "to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of employees". It's about common sense measures, not wrapping everyone in cotton wool.

Employees have responsibilities too
The fact that employers are mainly responsible for health and safety doesn't give the workforce carte blanche to be irresponsible. Everyone has a duty to take care of their own health and safety and that of others who may be affected by their actions at work. Workers are also expected to co-operate with their employers and co-workers to help everyone meet their legal requirements.

A problem shared...
Having overall responsibility for health and safety can be stressful and make you feel vulnerable as an employer. But you are not alone. At Orion we have a wealth of resources to help you keep your people safe and healthy, and focus on running a successful business rather than staying out of trouble. We can help you find the right training courses, commission expert risk assessments, create an effective health and safety policy, deal with inspections and much more.