Managing Health and Safety in Facilities Management

Managing Health and Safety
in own area of Facilities
Management
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Task 1 – Legal requirements for health and safety
Explain the “Duty of care” imposed on employers, employees and suppliers by HSW Act.
Identify “Six Pack” and explain their relationship with HSW Act.
Abbreviated as HSW or HASAW, this body is considered to be the main element
pertinent to UK health and safety laws. As per the provisions, employers need to guarantee “so
far as is reasonably practical” that health and safety measures are effective taken and executed.
This is widely referred to as the duty of care.
The “Six Pack” of H&S regulations
The “Six Pack of H&S regulations” consists of the set of most valued and relevant health
and safety regulations. These are discussed in brief manner as follows:-
The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations
Such regulations tend to encompass some of the main general principles for assurance of
H&S at workplace, inclusive of requirement to assess risk. These regulations include employer,
the self-employed, alongside employee (Ramos, Fonseca and Henriques, 2020). But since Oct 1
(2015), self employed can be exempted from duties under H&S law if their working tend to
possess no potential risk to H&S of other employees or public members, and their working is not
up upon the prescribed lit of work types which are not exemptible.
The Display Screen Equipment Regulations
These regulations spread Display Screen Equipment (DSE), for example, VDUs,
microfiche and procedure control screen (Salmani and et. al., 2019). These are applicable to
places whereby DSE has been utilized, inclusive of workplace, study hall, PC suite, medical
clinic wards and work at homes.
The Manual Handling Operations Regulations
'Manual handling operations' imply physically supporting or shipping a heap. This
regulation tends to apply at places whereby manual taking care of activities are completed. There
are no greatest weight limits laid down for the load. Instead of this, the regulation needs a total
evaluation of all the dangers inclusive of task, burden, alongside workplace. This regulation
depends upon 'ergonomics' that is concerned with aligning the task to individual instead of the
individual to task (Counahan and et. al., 2018). The HSE has delivered a few online apparatuses
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for assisting bosses with evaluation of dangers arising as a result of manual taking care of
operations.
The Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations
‘Personal Protective Equipment’ (PPE) incorporates self-protective attire. Hearing along
with respiratory defensive gear is secured by different regulations and authority guidance. This
regulation is inclusive of obligations for bosses, representatives alongside independently
employed labourers (Sujan, 2018).
The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations
These regulations provide that the businessman must ensure that work gear is appropriate
for the reason expected, considering the idea of the work, working condition and danger in the
working environment. Besides this, the businessman must also guarantee that equipments are
appropriately kept up. In an instance whereby routine maintenance is felt necessary, a
'maintenance log' ought to be kept. In addition to this, the businessman must provide users with
necessary information related to proper and safe usage of equipments such that no harm is
caused to the workers (Sønderstrup-Andersen and Bach, 2018).
The Workplace Health, Safety and Welfare Regulations
These Regulations lay down minimum standards for workplaces and work in or near
buildings. Workplaces must be suitable for all who work in them, including workers with any
kind of disability (Wang and et. al., 2020). All workplaces should be as accessible as possible to
people with disabilities and new buildings or conversions must be designed with this in mind.
People in control (employers, landlords, and managing agents) of premises have a duty towards
people who are not their employees but use their premises.
Describe how the minimum legal requirements of the Management of Health and Safety at Work
Regulations 1999 are demonstrated in own area of responsibility. Explain at least three
reasons why effective health and safety management in the workplace is important.
In accordance with the Management of Health & Safety at Work Regulations, it has been
identified that there are certain minimal legal requirements for ensuring health and safety at
workplace (Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, 2020). Some of the
most important ones are stated beneath:-
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1. Carrying out an examination of risk linked with health and safety of their representatives
and other people who might be influenced by their work movement. Businesses with at
least 5 representatives should record the huge discoveries of this risk assessment.
2. Making effectual plans for overseeing health and safety. Bosses of at least 5 individuals
should record these plans.
3. Carrying out a health surveillance as is deemed to be necessary in regards to workforce
whereby it has been controlled by the risk assessment
4. Putting at designations capable individuals, ideally their own representatives, to aid the
above measures. Where there is more than one capable individual designated there must
be sufficient co-activity between them
5. Ensuring representatives are provided with sufficient health and safety preparation and
are not given undertakings past their ability or physical capacity
Employees also hold some duty under MHSWR. These are listed beneath:
 Reporting a shortcoming within the domain of H&S related arrangement
 Reporting hazardous situation
 Using equipments as per trainings along with the instructions provided to them
 Taking due care of own H&S along with that of other individuals who might get
impacted on by their activities and/or omissions.
Importance of the health and safety at the workplace
The foremost reason behind the importance of health and safety at workplace is
acknowledged to be guarantee of welfare of employees while functioning within the work
premises (Taylor and Tribich, 2019). Yet another reason why companies across the globe are so
keen on promoting health and safety in the work settings at all times is the motivational value
associated with the proactive management of health and safety. In addition to this, there are some
regulatory and business penalties which are posed in case health and safety regulations laid down
by statute are not complied with, in an effectual manner.
Identify three separate pieces of health and safety legislation, regulation or code of practice and
explain their relevance to your own area of responsibility.
Health and Safety at Work Act 1974
The law requires certain arrangements which are discussed beneath:-
 Safe operations along with maintenance of operating scenario, plants and systems
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