Health and Safety in the Workplace

Your health and safety

You have the right to:

·          work in places where all the risks to your health and safety are properly controlled;

·         stop working and leave the area if you think you are in danger;

·          be consulted on matters related to your health and safety at work;

·          inform your employer about health and safety issues or concerns;

·         contact HSE or your local authority, if you still have health and safety concerns, without getting into trouble;

·         join a trade union and be a safety representative;

·         paid time off work for training if you are a safety representative;

·         a rest break of at least 20 minutes if you work more than six hours at a stretch and to an annual period of paid leave;

·         suitable and sufficient toilets, washing facilities and drinking water;

·         adequate first-aid facilities.

 

You must:

·         take care of your own health and safety and that of people who may be affected by what you do (or do not do);

·         co-operate with others on health and safety, and not interfere with, or misuse, anything provided for your health, safety or welfare;

·         follow the training you have received when using any work items your employer has given you.

Employer responsibilities

Your employer must:

·         tell you how to do your job safely in a way that you can understand, and tell you about the risks to your health and safety from current or proposed working practices;

·         tell you how any risks will be controlled and who is responsible for this;

·         consult and work with health and safety representatives and employees to protect everyone from harm in the workplace;

·         tell you how to get first-aid treatment and what to do in an emergency.

Your employer must provide, free of charge:

·         training to enable you to do your job safely;

·         any equipment and protection necessary for you at work (such as clothing, shoes or boots, eye and ear protection, gloves, masks etc) and ensure it is properly looked after;

·         health checks if there is a danger of ill health because of your work;

·         regular health checks if you work nights and a check before you start.

Your employer must provide you with the following information:

·         the health and safety law poster (www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/lawposter.htm ), which must be displayed in a prominent place, or as an alternative, they can provide each worker with a copy of the equivalent pocket card. This should give the contact details of people who can help;

·         their health and safety policy statement;

·         an up-to-date Employers Liability (Compulsory Insurance) certificate (www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/hse40.htm ) visible in your place of work.Published by the Health and Safety Executive 04/13 INDG450

What to do if you are concerned about your health and safety

For advice, visit www.hse.gov.uk/workers/ , or to complain, visit www.hse.gov.uk.

For employee rights, visit the Trades Unions Congress (TUC) workSMART website at www.worksmart.org.uk , or alternatively you can ring the Pay and Work Rights Helpline on 0800 9172 368.

For information about health and safety in a range of different languages, visit www.hse.gov.uk/migrantworkers/ .

This leaflet can be found at www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg450.htm .