Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974

Employer’s duties

• Every employer shall ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of their employees. The duty extends to the provision of plant and systems of work that are, so far as is reasonably practicable, safe and without risks to health, and the provision of such information, instruction, training and supervision as is necessary to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety at work of employees (Section 2).
• Every employer shall conduct their undertaking in such a way as to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that persons not in their employment who may be affected thereby are not exposed to risks to their health or safety (Section 3).

Employee’s duties

Every employee has a duty, while at work:

• to take reasonable care for their own health and safety and of other persons who may be affected by their acts or omissions at work.
• to co-operate with the employer so far as is necessary to enable the employer or any other person to comply with a duty or requirement imposed by health and safety law (Section 7).

So far as is reasonably practicable

is a term encountered throughout health and safety laws. It recognises that a balance needs to be achieved between the degree of risk in a particular job or workplace against the time, cost and physical difficulty of taking measures to avoid or reduce the risk. However, except where these factors are out of proportion compared to the degree of risk, the measures should always be taken.