ARE YOU BREAKING THE LAW?

Do you employ or use a competent person to assist your business in matters of Health and Safety?

The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 imposes duties on the employer of a wide-ranging and varied nature. Unlike some health and safety legislation, which must be carried out only if it is reasonably practicable for it to be done, these are absolute duties and must be fulfilled.

Regulation 7 of this legislation states "every employer shall appoint one or more competent persons to assist him in undertaking the measures he needs to take, in order to comply with the requirements and prohibitions imposed upon him by or under the relevant statutory provisions".

In order to be competent to carry out these duties, a person must have had sufficient training and experience or possess the relevant knowledge needed to be able to assist in meeting the requirements.

The guidance to these regulations suggests that where an employer does not have a suitably competent person within his organisation, then he may enlist the services of an external consultant to act in an advisory capacity, either on a short or long-term basis.

For more information please contact us now.