What you need to know about: Health and Safety

Who should read this?

• Employers who employ adults, young workers and young people under 15 years of age
• Employers who engage the services of contractors, subcontractors, volunteers, and persons receiving on-the-job training

Why is it important?

• To ensure a safe and healthy work environment, and avoid tragic and costly accidents.
• All employers have duties under the Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992 to take all practicable steps to ensure the safety of employees at work, and other people in the workplace.
• Good health and safety management practices encourage higher staff retention and increased productivity and efficiency

What you need to do

The key steps associated with health and safety management are outlined below:

• know your legal responsibilities
• make a commitment to health and safety in the workplace
• plan how you will implement a safe working environment
• identify, assess and manage hazards
• provide information, training and supervision for employees
• report, record and investigate incidents, injuries and illnesses
• involve employees in the process to improve health and safety
• plan and be ready for emergencies
• include contractors and subcontractors in your hazard management processes
• help employees return to normal work after injury

The page provides a checklist of the key tasks involved with each step. It provides a description of your key legal duties as an employer, together with other good practices for managing health and safety in smaller workplaces.