Health and safety responsibilities of Directors

Consultation ended 9 March 2001

Preface

In June last year the Health and Safety Commission and the Government launched the "Revitalising Health and Safety" Strategy Statement. The Statement included a commitment by the Commission to develop a code of practice on Directors' responsibilities for health and safety, in conjunction with stakeholders.

The attached draft code (comprising a brief introduction, five action points, a reading list and an Annex summarising the legal responsibilities for health and safety) is issued for the consideration of stakeholders in the health and safety system.

The code will be prefaced by the standard introductory paragraph for HSC guidance, as follows:

"This guidance is issued by the Health and Safety Commission. Following the guidance is not compulsory and you are free to take other action. But if you follow the guidance you will normally be doing enough to comply with the law. Health and safety inspectors seek to secure compliance with the law and may refer to this guidance as illustrating good practice."

The code is not intended to be an Approved Code of Practice under Section 16 of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.