If you are employed within the UK, it is essential to understand your rights and responsibilities in regards to health and safety law. Your employer is legally required to provide a safe and healthy working environment. If you are ever worried that your employer is breaking health and safety law, there are steps you can take to protect yourself and your colleagues.
We have included four steps below that can help if you have a Health and Safety concern.
Know Your Rights And Responsibilities
It is always worth taking time to familiarise yourself with health and safety law in the UK, and what responsibilities your employer has. The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 sets out the legal framework for workplace health and safety in the United Kingdom. This legislation puts the duty on the employer to ensure the health, safety and welfare of their employees, within reasonable boundaries. As an employee, you also have a duty to take reasonable care of your own health and safety and that of others who may be affected by your actions at work. Make sure you know what your employer is required to do to keep you safe, and raise a concern if you feel that they are not meeting their obligations.
We have included more information on how to do this below.
Raising A Concern With Your Employer
If you have any concerns about health and safety in your workplace, the first step is to raise these concerns with your employer. They should have a process in place for reporting health and safety issues, which you should be able to find out easily. Make sure you follow this process, and if you can then escalate your concern to a senior member of staff, or a member of your HR team.
Of course, there may be times when you have to escalate this beyond the representatives of your company.
Contacting the Health and Safety Executive
If you've raised your concerns with your employer and they still haven't taken action, you can contact the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). They are responsible for enforcing health and safety law in the UK, and have the power to investigate and prosecute employers who breach health and safety legislation. You can contact the HSE by phone, email, or through their website.
Make sure you include full details in your complaint. You might like to include the nature of the hazard, where the hazard is, if there has been any incidents, and any steps your employer has taken (or failed to take) to address this concern. It is always worth noting the dates of any meetings or communications you have had about these concerns.
However, there may be times when you have take direct legal action against an employer.
Seeking Further Legal Advice
As an employee it is always beneficial to be aware of your rights and responsibilities under health and safety law in the UK. Using the steps above you can hopefully resolve a lot of health and issues.
However, if you believe that you have suffered harm or injury as a result of your employer's failure to comply with health and safety law, you could look to make a claim for compensation. At Frederick Place Chambers we can provide further support with your claim, and can provide legal advice by telephone, email, or from our office in Clifton, Bristol.