[A HEAD] Health and safety legislation 1 [DF] The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 is known as an “umbrella act”. [PIC REF ATP.13] Whatever sort of business you are, there is always the possibility of an accident or damage to someone's health. All work exposes people to hazards, be they: loads which have to be manually handled; dangerous machinery; toxic substances; electricity; working with display screen equipment or even psychological hazards such as stress. Attention to health and safety is not just about being socially responsible. It also makes good business sense and it should be regarded as just important as the achievement of any other key business objective. [B HEAD] Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 Health and safety legislation …show more content…
[http://www.hse.gov.uk/slips/casestudies.htmhttp://www.hse.gov.uk/slips/casestudies.htm] The most prominent pieces of legislation contained in the Health and Safety at Work Act are: [C HEAD] Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) 1995 [DF] Accidents which result in 7 days absence from work should be reported to the Health and Safety Executive. This piece of legislation deals specifically with the reporting of injuries and accidents at work (serious and fatal). Accidents must be reported where they result in an employee or self-employed person being away from work, or unable to perform their normal work duties, for more than seven consecutive days as the result of their injury. Accidents must be recorded, but not reported where they result in a worker being incapacitated for more than three consecutive days. Accidents to members of the public or others who are not at work must be reported if they result in an injury and the person is taken directly from the scene of the accident to hospital for treatment to that