Health & Safety

Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974

he Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 was enacted as a result of the need to codify much of the pre-1974 legislation. The principle aim was to create a single comprehensive system of regulatory law. There are three primary aims of the HSWA:

• To secure the health, safety and welfare of persons at work.
• To protect persons other than persons at work against risks to health or safety arising out of or in connection with the activities of persons at work.
• To control the keeping and use of explosive or highly flammable or otherwise dangerous substances, and generally preventing the unlawful acquisition, possession and use of such substances.
  
  

  Duties owed by Employers to Employees

  Employers owe the following duties to their employees:
  • Provide and maintain safe plant and systems of work.
  • Ensure the safety of Employees in connection with the use, storage and transport of articles.
  • Provide the necessary information, instruction, training and supervision.
  • Ensure the safe maintenance of the place of work.
  • Provide and maintain a safe working environment.
    
    
    Duties owed to persons who are not Employees
    There are a number of limited duties owed to persons who are not employees:
    • Not to expose such persons to risks in relation to their health and safety.
    • Provide such persons prescribed information about the way in which the Employer or Self-Employed person conducts their undertaking.

Duties owed by employees at work

There are also duties imposed upon employees in the workplace including the following:

• To take care for the health and safety of themselves and other persons.
• To cooperate with any requirement imposed by the Employer in order for the Employer to perform and comply with any required duty.
• Not to intentionally or recklessly interfere or misuse anything provided in the interests of health, safety or welfare.
  
  

  
  

  
  

  Public Liability

  
  

  Public Liability Insurance should be considered if members of the public, clients or customers visit your premises. If you run a home-business, and customers sometimes visit you there, public liability cover might also be a good idea.
  
  
  

  While out on photo shoots health and safety has to be considered at all times. Most often we are out and about with equipment such as tripods, location lighting equipment and wires. Members of the public may not see our equipment and therefore could have an accident and this is what we have to consider on each filming and photo shoots.