Health and Safety at Work

You have a right to a safe and healthy workplace. This may be your first experience of a full time working environment and there are lots of things to get used to and be familiar with. If in doubt about the health and safety of yourself or others, seek advice!

Action to be taken in an emergency
Because of the wide variety of workplaces attended, it is not possible to produce a set of emergency instructions to cover every situation, so each employer has its own emergency instructions relating to particular buildings. There should be a notice in every building setting out the procedures to be adopted in case of a fire. Make sure that you read these instructions and understand them, as you will have not time to read them in an emergency.

The Heath and Safety at Work Act 1974
This Act introduces the concept of duty care for all those associated with work activities. It aims to secure the health, safety and welfare of persons at work, as well as to protect the safety and welfare of those persons who may be affected indirectly. The main provisions of this Act are to place various duties upon employers, employees and providers to create a safe environment to work in.

The employer must, as far as is reasonably practicable,

Ensure the health, safety and welfare of employees and others

Provide safe plant and system work

Ensure safe use, handling, storage and transport of articles and substances

Provide information, instruction, training and supervision

Maintain a safe place of work and safe means of access and exit

Provide Health and Safety equipment free of charge

As an employee you must

Take reasonable care for yourself and for others

Co-operate with your employer and use safety appliances provided

Not recklessly and wilfully interfere with safety appliances or equipment

Safety Representatives
If you have queries or concerns about health and safety on your placement you can seek advice from your supervisor, a more senior manager, a safety representative (possible form a trade union), or the safety officer employed by the organisation. Alternatively contact your placement tutor or the Safety Unit at the University

01225 386834

safety@bath.ac.uk  

You have a right to know how you may be harmed by your work, and you have a right to a safe workplace.
For more information, look at the Health & Safety Executive website at: www.hse.gov.uk  

General Safety at Work
The prevention of accidents at work is everyone’s duty. Ensuring the safety of others is as important as the avoidance of personal injury.

You should familiarise yourself with

The layout of the building – getting out of the building in an emergency may be different to the way you normally use or different from the way you came in.

The location of telephones and first aid arrangements

Who to contact, and how to contact them, in case of emergency.

Health and Safety on Overseas Placements
The legal standards for Health, Safety and Welfare should be similar within most of Europe, Australasia and North America. However, outside these areas the standards may be less strict, and it may be necessary to take greater care for your own safety and welfare within the workplace.