Entry Level 3 and Level 1 in Construction Skills
Unit 101: Introduction to health and safety in
construction
Responsibilities
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Aims and objectives
Aim:
• Learning outcome – know the importance of health and safety in the
construction industry.
Objective:
• State the responsibilities of individuals within the construction
industry.
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Responsibilities
When it comes to health and safety in construction every person
associated with the site and company has a responsibility.
Health and safety is relevant to all businesses. So, if you are an
employer – or are self employed – you are responsible for the health,
safety and welfare of employees and any others who may be affected
by what you do. This includes employees, casual or part time workers,
trainees, customers, neighbours, sales people and members of the
public.
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Employers' responsibilities
Employers have a responsibility to:
• provide information, instruction and training for employees
• provide adequate supervision and safe systems of work and safe
means of access and egress
• provide and maintain machinery and equipment
• provide safe handling, use and storage of materials and substances
• provide necessary personal protective clothing and equipment
• provide risk assessments …
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Employers' responsibilities
• produce a written safety policy (when an employer has five
employees or more)
• provide adequate welfare facilities
• consult with employees over health and safety
• have in place adequate measures for emergencies including fire
• provide first aid
• record and report accidents, diseases and dangerous occurrences
• protect employees from noise which may cause hearing loss.
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Employees' responsibilities
Employees have a responsibility to follow the training and instruction
given, and in particular to:
• keep the workplace clean and tidy
• wear the correct clothing
• report any accidents or hazardous situations
• always use the correct and safe way of doing something
• observe any safety signs or notices
• co-operate with their employer
• not do anything that they feel is too dangerous or might harm them
or others
• ask if unsure of anything.
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Reasonably practicable
One phrase often comes up here – ‘so far as is reasonably
practicable’. This means that health and safety must be adhered to at
all times, but must take a common sense, practical approach.
For example, the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 states that an
employer must so far as is reasonably practicable ensure that a safe
place of work is provided. Yet employers are not expected to do
everything they can to protect their staff from lightning strikes, as there
is only a 1 in 800,000 chance of this occurring – this would not be
reasonable!
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Entry Level 3 and Level 1 in Construction Skills
Health and Safety Executive
The Health and Safety Police
The Health and Safety Executive or HSE as it is more commonly
known as is a Government funded organisation set up to oversee and
ensure health and safety legislation is complied with in all workplaces.
The HSE employs inspectors to visit workplaces.
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Health and Safety Executive
The role of Inspectors from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) or
the Local Authority includes:
• administering health and safety law
• overseeing and controlling health, safety and welfare
• visiting workplaces to check that people are complying with the rules
• helping you to understand what you need to do to comply with
legislation by giving advice
• enforcing the law only when something is seriously wrong.
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Health and Safety Executive
Powers and duties of inspectors include:
• entering premises to examine and investigate
• seizing evidence
• measuring, recording, etc
• questioning staff
• serving notices, for example, improvement (remedy), prohibition
(stop work)
• avoiding imminent danger – to seize and destroy
• prosecuting for offences.
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Health and Safety Executive
HSE must be informed of the following:
• Start of any building work lasting more than six weeks
• Employment of workers for more than 21 hours per week
• Employment or transfer of young people (under 18)
• Accidents resulting in death or major injury
• Poisoning or suffocation incidents resulting in medication
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Further information sources
• The Health and Safety Executive
www.hse.gov.uk
• The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents
www.rospa.com
• Health and Safety Commission
www.hse.gov.uk
• The Royal Society for Public Health
www.rsph.org.uk
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Any questions?
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