These requirements apply to all business activities in this division.
compliance
Great_Britain
Ongoing
Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 — general duties
Enforced by:
HSE
Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974
General duty to protect employees and others affected by the business — print floors, finishing lines and duplication plant. Devolved: separate regime under the Health and Safety at Work (Northern Ireland) Order 1978.
insurance
Great_Britain
Annual
Employers' Liability Insurance
Enforced by:
HSE
Employers' Liability (Compulsory Insurance) Act 1969
Required for any business employing at least one person.
registration
Uk
Annual
UK GDPR + Data Protection Act 2018
Enforced by:
ICO
Data Protection Act 2018; UK GDPR (retained EU law)
Applies to any business processing personal data — staff, customers, mailing lists. Printers handling variable-data print runs (direct mail, personalised documents) act as processors for their clients and need a written processing agreement. ICO registration unless specifically exempt.
compliance
Great_Britain
Ongoing
Equality Act 2010 — protected characteristics
Enforced by:
EHRC
Equality Act 2010
Discrimination, harassment and victimisation prohibited across the protected characteristics — in employment and in services to the public.
compliance
England_Wales
Ongoing
Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
Enforced by:
LOCAL_FIRE_AUTHORITY
Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
Responsible person must carry out a fire risk assessment. Paper stock, solvent-based inks and dust make print and finishing premises a notable fire-loading. Devolved: Fire (Scotland) Act 2005; Fire and Rescue Services (Northern Ireland) Order 2006.
compliance
Great_Britain
Ongoing
Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH)
Enforced by:
HSE
Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002
Assess and control exposure to inks, solvents, fountain solutions, toners, adhesives and cleaning chemicals; provide ventilation, PPE and health surveillance where required. A core duty across all printing and reproduction activities. Devolved: COSHH Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003.
compliance
Great_Britain
Ongoing
Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations (PUWER)
Enforced by:
HSE
Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998
Printing presses, guillotines, folders, binders and disc/tape duplication machinery must be suitable, maintained, and fitted with guarding. Power-press and guillotine guarding is a long-standing HSE enforcement priority in this sector.
compliance
Great_Britain
Ongoing
Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992
Enforced by:
HSE
Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992
Avoid or assess hazardous manual handling — paper reams and pallets, ink drums, plate handling and bound stock. Sector reports high musculoskeletal injury rates.