The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 is the most important piece of legislation relating to occupational health and safety in the UK. It clearly sets out the requirements that employers must follow to try to ensure the welfare of employees. Of course, it may not be possible to avoid every accident, but the Health and Safety Act states that employers must ensure employee welfare “as far as is reasonably practicable”.

Since the introduction of the Health and Safety Act in 1974, employers have been legally required to run regular health and safety checks and risk assessments to make sure the workplace is as safe as possible. In addition to these checks, appropriate training is an important part of making sure people aren’t injured in accidents that could have been avoided.