UK Act of Parliament 1974 United Kingdom

Health and Safety at Work Act 1974

An Act to make further provision for securing the health, safety and welfare of persons at work, for protecting others against risks to health or safety in connection with the activities of persons at work, for controlling the keeping and use and preventing the unlawful acquisition, possession and use of …

Enforced by
HSE, Local Authority, NSTA, ONR, BSR, ORR
Status
Amended (in force with amendments)
Penalty ceiling
Imprisonment 11 of 23 obligations carry up to 2 years imprisonment. 1 carries different penalties and 11 have no criminal penalty — flagged in the list below.

Does it bind you?

Business-side roles with duties under this instrument.

Any Person8 Employer2 Self-Employed Person1 Director or Officer1 Employee1

Plus 10 duties on the regulator, Crown ministers and public bodies — folded into the section list below.

Other Acts binding the same actors

If a role above is yours, these are the other instruments that most often bind it.

Any Person — also bound by 2684 other Acts
Employer — also bound by 701 other Acts
Self-Employed Person — also bound by 78 other Acts
Director or Officer — also bound by 482 other Acts
Employee — also bound by 193 other Acts

What it requires

Sections creating concrete business duties or carrying penalties, grouped as the instrument is structured. Titles link to the source text — blue means you’re leaving for legislation.gov.uk.

Part 1

Health, Safety and Welfare in connection with Work, and Control of Dangerous Substances and Certain Emissions into the Atmosphere

16 of 58 sections shown
s.002 General duties of employers to their employees. (opens in a new tab) Imprisonment
  • Protect the health, safety, and welfare of all employeesEmployer
s.003 General duties of employers and self-employed to persons other than their employees. (opens in a new tab) Imprisonment
  • Protect the health and safety of non-employees and the publicSelf-Employed Person
s.004 General duties of persons concerned with premises to persons other than their employees. (opens in a new tab) Imprisonment
  • Ensure safety of premises for non-employees and the publicAny Person
s.005 General duty of persons in control of certain premises in relation to harmful emissions into atmosphere. (opens in a new tab) Imprisonment
  • Prevent and minimise harmful emissions from business premisesAny Person
s.006 General duties of manufacturers etc. as regards articles and substances for use at work. (opens in a new tab) Imprisonment
  • Ensure safety of products, equipment, and substances supplied for workAny Person
s.007 General duties of employees at work. (opens in a new tab) Imprisonment
  • Take reasonable care for health and safety and cooperate with employerEmployee
s.008 Duty not to interfere with or misuse things provided pursuant to certain provisions. (opens in a new tab) Imprisonment
  • Do not interfere with or misuse safety equipmentAny Person
s.009 Duty not to charge employees for things done or provided pursuant to certain specific requirements. (opens in a new tab) Prosecution
  • Do not charge employees for health and safety requirementsEmployer

Unlimited fine

s.011 Functions of the Executive. (opens in a new tab) Regulated
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
  • HSE must provide information, training, and advisory servicesStatutory regulator
s.018 Authorities responsible for enforcement of the relevant statutory provisions. (opens in a new tab) Regulated
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
  • Regulators and local authorities must arrange for health and safety enforcementStatutory regulator
s.027 Obtaining of information by the Commission, the Executive, enforcing authorities etc. (opens in a new tab) Imprisonment
  • Provide information when served with an HSE noticeAny Person
s.033 Offences (opens in a new tab) Regulated
  • Commit a health and safety offenceAny Person
s.036 Offences due to fault of other person. (opens in a new tab) Imprisonment
  • Cause another person to commit an health and safety offenceAny Person
s.037 Offences by bodies corporate. (opens in a new tab) Imprisonment
  • Personal liability of directors and managers for company safety breachesDirector or Officer
s.043 Financial provisions. (opens in a new tab) Regulated
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
  • Secretary of State may set fees for health and safety servicesCrown / Minister / Government department
s.051 Application of Part to police. Imprisonment
  • Police leadership liability for health and safety breachesAny Person
42 other sections in this Part — procedural and definitional
s.011 Powers of the Executive: buildings in England
s.025 Power of customs officer to detain articles and substances.
s.027 Information communicated by Commissioners for Revenue and Customs.
s.043 Railway safety levy
Part 2

The Employment Medical Advisory Service

5 of 6 sections shown
s.055 Functions of, and responsibility for maintaining, employment medical advisory service. (opens in a new tab) Regulated
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
  • Secretary of State must maintain the Employment Medical Advisory ServiceCrown / Minister / Government department
s.056 Functions of authority responsible for maintaining the service. (opens in a new tab) Regulated
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
  • Secretary of State must appoint and qualify employment medical advisersCrown / Minister / Government department
s.058 Other financial provisions. (opens in a new tab) Regulated
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
  • Secretary of State must fund the employment medical advisory serviceCrown / Minister / Government department
s.059 Duty of responsible authority to keep accounts and to report. (opens in a new tab) Regulated
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
  • Authority must keep accounts and report on medical advisory servicesStatutory regulator
s.060 Supplementary. (opens in a new tab) Regulated
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
  • Secretary of State must ensure access to school medical recordsCrown / Minister / Government department
1 other section in this Part — procedural and definitional
Part 3

Building Regulations, and Amendment of Building (Scotland) Act 1959

0 of 7 sections shown
Part 4

Miscellaneous and General

1 of 9 sections shown
Schedules

Schedules

1 of 56 shown
s.002 Additional Provisions Relating to the Constitution etc. of the Health and Safety Executive (opens in a new tab) Regulated
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
  • HSE must publish accounts and annual performance reportsStatutory regulator
55 other schedules
s.sch002 The Executive shall consist of— (a) the Chair of the...
s.sch002 (1) It shall be the duty of the Chief Executive—...
s.sch002 The Secretary of State shall not make any determination or...
s.sch002 (1) The fixing of the common seal of the Executive...
s.sch002 (1) The Secretary of State shall appoint the Chair of...
s.sch002 Subject to paragraphs 4 , 4A and 5, a person...
s.sch002 The Chair or any other member of the Executive ,...
s.sch002 (1) An ONR member may at any time resign from...
s.sch002 The Secretary of State may remove a Chair or other...
s.sch002 (1) The Executive shall pay — (a) to each member,...
s.sch002 (1) The Executive may regulate its own procedure.
s.sch002 (1) The Executive shall, with the consent of the Secretary...
s.sch002 (1) Subject to sub-paragraphs (2) to (4), anything authorised or...
s.sch003 (1) Regulating or prohibiting— (a) the manufacture, supply or use...
s.sch003 Securing the provision of specified welfare facilities for persons at...
s.sch003 Imposing requirements with respect to the provision and use in...
s.sch003 Requiring in specified circumstances the taking of specified precautions in...
s.sch003 (1) Prohibiting or imposing requirements in connection with the emission...
s.sch003 Imposing requirements with respect to the instruction, training and supervision...
s.sch003 (1) Requiring in specified circumstances, specified matters to be notified...
s.sch003 Imposing requirements with respect to the keeping and preservation of...
s.sch003 Imposing requirements with respect to the management of animals.
s.sch003 The following purposes as regards premises of any specified description...
s.sch003 Conferring, in specified circumstances involving a risk of fire or...
s.sch003 (1) Prohibiting the importation into the United Kingdom or the...
s.sch003 Restricting, prohibiting or requiring the doing of any specified thing...
s.sch003 As regards cases of any specified class, being a class...
s.sch003 Conferring on any local or public authority power to make...
s.sch003 (1) In this Schedule “specified” means specified in health and...
s.sch003 (1) Prohibiting or regulating the transport of articles or substances...
s.sch003 (1) Prohibiting the carrying on of any specified activity or...
s.sch003 Requiring any person, premises or thing to be registered in...
s.sch003 (1) Requiring, in specified circumstances, the appointment (whether in a...
s.sch003 Regulating or prohibiting the employment in specified circumstances of all...
s.sch003 (1) Requiring the making of arrangements for securing the health...
s.sch003 Imposing requirements with respect to any matter affecting the conditions...
s.sch003a OFFENCES: MODE OF TRIAL AND MAXIMUM PENALTY
s.sch003a The mode of trial and maximum penalty applicable to each...
s.sch003a (1) This paragraph makes transitional modifications of the table as...
s.sch007 In section 3 (building standards regulations)— (a) in subsection (2),...
s.sch007 In section 4 (relaxation of building standards regulations)—
s.sch007 After subsection 4A, there shall be inserted the following section—...
s.sch007 In section 6 (application of building standards regulations and building...
s.sch007 In section 9 (certificates of completion)— (a) in subsection (2),...
s.sch007 In section 11(1)(b) (power of local authorities to require buildings...
s.sch007 In section 19 (penalties), for the words “ten pounds” and...
s.sch007 After section 19 there shall be inserted the following section—...
s.sch007 In section 26 (Crown rights)— (a) in subsection (1) after...
s.sch008 In this Schedule— “ the 1971 Act ” means the...
s.sch008 (1) Where by virtue of an order under section 1...
s.sch009 In section 1392)(c) of the Coroners (Amendment) Act 1926 (by...

Help complying

Guvnor’s practical routes through this instrument.

Building compliance quick check

Fast compliance verification for experienced property managers. Checklist format covering electrical, gas, water, HVAC, lifts, and energy performance requirements.

CDM compliance quick check

Quick CDM checklist before construction begins. Four key actions: check if notifiable, appoint duty holders, submit F10 if required, ensure construction phase …

Responding to CDM enforcement action

What to do when HSE takes enforcement action or investigates your construction site for CDM breaches. Covers improvement notices, prohibition notices, prosecution, …

Meet workplace health and safety requirements

A comprehensive journey for UK employers to understand and comply with health and safety law. Covers the legal framework (HASAWA 1974, MHSWR …

Health and safety compliance checklist

Quick compliance checklist for experienced employers to verify they meet core HSE requirements. Covers legal duties, risk assessment, first aid, accident reporting, …

Building compliance for new property owners

Comprehensive guide to understanding and meeting your legal obligations for building safety, maintenance, and energy performance when you acquire commercial premises.

Appoint a competent person for health and safety

From your first employee, you must appoint at least one competent person to help you meet your health and safety duties. In …

Control gas, ventilation and legionella risks in a commercial kitchen

Employers must keep gas appliances, flues and pipework safe using competent Gas Safe engineers, provide effective ventilation, and assess and control legionella …

Crane and lifting operations for structural work

Lifting operations with cranes, piling rigs and hoists on construction sites in Great Britain must be planned and supervised under LOLER by …

Dig safely near buried services

Before you dig, get plans from every owner of buried services, survey the ground with a cable avoidance tool and signal generator, …

Electrical safety in your business premises

If you employ anyone or control business premises, you must keep electrical systems safe under the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989. The …

Excavation and foundation safety

Trench collapse is a leading cause of death on UK construction sites, and CDM 2015 requires you to prevent it whatever the …

Health and safety for retail premises

If you employ anyone in a shop, you must assess the risks they face, from lone working and violence to manual handling …

Keep children safe on farms

Children under 13 must never ride on or drive a tractor, self-propelled farm machine or ATV at work, and the law does …

69 more guides that reference this instrument
Keep lone workers safe Keep people safe on your farm Maintain your business premises Manage hazardous construction materials Manage legionella risk in water systems Manage security staff hours, lone working and violence risks Manage temporary works on construction projects Manage work-related stress Meet the safety rules for your holiday let Provide first aid at work Water systems and legionella compliance Work safely in confined spaces on drainage projects Your duties as an employer under health and safety law CLP labelling for candles and wax melts Carry dangerous goods by road (ADR) Carry out a workplace risk assessment Comply with COSHH regulations for hazardous substances Comply with manual handling regulations Comply with work equipment safety regulations (PUWER) Control fume, isocyanates and machinery risks in a rubber or plastics factory Control respirable crystalline silica (RCS) dust in the workplace Demolition safety and compliance Establish emergency procedures for your workplace Farm machinery safety HSE improvement notices, prohibition notices and prosecution Health and safety in shared workplaces Health, safety and fire requirements for hospitality venues Holiday let food hygiene, employment and insurance Keep gas appliances safe in your business premises Manage asbestos in non-domestic buildings Manufacture controlled drugs and run a safe pharmaceutical site Meet your health and safety duties to agency and temporary workers Meet your sports, amusement and recreation regulatory duties Metal ore mining: compliance checklist Office and business support compliance checklist Operate a rail terminal or station Outdoor Learning and Forest School in Early Years Penalties for trading without required approvals Provide health and safety information to employees Recognise and report occupational diseases Rent a chair or room in a salon as a self-employed stylist Report a workplace injury, disease or dangerous occurrence under RIDDOR Run a campsite, caravan site or holiday park Run a petrol station or forecourt Run a technical testing or analysis laboratory Set up security staff training Submit F10 notification to HSE Train your staff in health and safety Unpaid trial shifts and the minimum wage Use mobile work equipment safely Work safely and securely in customers' premises as a cleaner Accommodation regulations for hotels, B&Bs, and short-term lets Appoint a Principal Designer Control dust, firedamp and explosion risks in a coal mine Control explosion and major-accident hazards at a refinery or coke works Control explosion, well and major-accident risks in petroleum extraction Control fume, explosive atmospheres and major-accident hazards at a metal production plant Control respirable crystalline silica in a mineral products factory Control wood dust and woodworking machinery in a furniture factory Create a construction phase plan Get Building Regulations approval Manage the CDM health and safety file Meet your personal services regulatory duties Place machinery and equipment on the market Prevent and control infection in a healthcare service Run a metal ore mine under the Mines Regulations 2014 Run a safe quarry under the Quarries Regulations 1999 Run port or cargo-handling services Your duties as a construction client under CDM 2015

Connected legislation

Instruments made under this Act. They carry the detail the Act delegates.

Duty extraction and severity labels are Guvnor’s analysis of the instrument, not the instrument itself. Always verify against the linked source text.