Health and safety laws aren’t just paperwork—they protect your people, workplace, and reputation. Whether you’re a business owner, manager, or employee in Nigeria, the UK, or beyond, knowing key legislation is essential. In this article, we will explain each major law.
Top Health and Safety Legislation
1. Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (UK)
The Health and Safety at Work Act (HASAWA) is the cornerstone of UK workplace safety. It places general duties on employers, employees, and the self-employed to ensure “so far as is reasonably practicable” a safe working environment.
Key Provisions:
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Employers must provide safe systems of work, training, welfare, and PPE.
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Employees must take care of their health and safety and cooperate with employers.
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Authorities like HSE enforce the law and can issue prosecutions.
Real‑life scenario: A warehouse company failed to train staff on forklift procedures, leading to a fatal accident. Following a HASAWA prosecution, the company had to overhaul training, implement audits, and embed a safety culture, saving lives and reducing costly downtime.
2. Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 (UK)
Known as the Management Regs, this law requires employers to assess risks, appoint competent persons, and document safety systems.
Key Provisions:
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Formal risk assessments to identify and mitigate workplace hazards.
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The requirement is to appoint a competent person responsible for safety.
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Provide staff training, supervision, and health surveillance.
Real‑life scenario: In a manufacturing plant, regular risk assessments helped identify an unguarded machine hazard. The plant installed guards, trained staff, and established daily safety checks—cutting incidents by 80%.
3. Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 (UK)
These regulations ensure the physical conditions of work environments—temperature, lighting, ventilation, layout, and facilities—are safe and well-maintained.
Key Provisions:
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Clean, well‑lit workplaces with safe flooring and traffic routes.
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Proper welfare amenities: clean toilets, drinking water, rest areas.
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Regular maintenance and repairs to workplace infrastructure.
Real‑life scenario: A call center faced rising sickness absence. Improved ventilation, lighting, and ergonomic desks under these regulations improved employee comfort, reduced stress, and boosted productivity.
4. The Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992 (UK)
Focused on DSE workers, such as office staff and remote workers, this law mandates workstation assessments, breaks, and eye tests.
Key Provisions:
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Employers must assess workstations for ergonomic risks.
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Provide breaks and exercises to prevent musculoskeletal strain.
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Offer eye and eyesight testing for DSE users.
Real‑life scenario: After several RSI reports, a software firm introduced DSE assessments, adjustable chairs, and mandatory stretching breaks. Staff reported lower discomfort and improved morale.
5. Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 (amended 2002) (UK)
Manual handling remains a top cause of workplace injury. This law requires employers to assess lifting tasks and reduce risks via engineering or training.
Key Provisions:
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Risk assessments for lifting, lowering, pushing, and pulling tasks.
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Employers must reduce manual handling by redesign or mechanization.
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Provide training in safe techniques.
Real‑life scenario: A supermarket chain replaced manual stocking with electric pallet jacks and trained staff. Back injuries dropped by 60%, reducing compensation costs dramatically.
6. Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 & Fire Safety Act 2021 (UK)
These require fire risk assessments, alarm systems, evacuation plans, and staff training, especially in multi‑occupancy buildings.
Key Provisions:
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A responsible person must conduct a fire risk assessment.
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Ensure fire doors, signage, and alarms are maintained.
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Plan evacuation drills and train staff regularly.
Real‑life scenario: After residents raised concerns, a housing association completed a fire risk audit, upgraded fire doors, and conducted drills, ensuring compliance and resident confidence.
7. Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER) (UK)
PUWER requires that tools and machinery are safe, properly maintained, and used by trained staff.
Key Provisions:
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Equipment must be suitable, inspected, and maintained.
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Employees must be trained to operate machinery safely.
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Hazardous machine parts must be guarded.
Real‑life scenario: A printing company implemented PUWER-compliant machine guarding and refresher training. This prevented severe hand injuries and improved safety audits.
8. Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations (LOLER) (UK)
LOLER governs lifting equipment like cranes and hoists, requiring regular inspections and competent operators.
Key Provisions:
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Equipment must be thoroughly examined by competent personnel.
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Operators must be trained and certified.
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Records of inspections and maintenance must be kept.
Real‑life scenario: A construction company failed to maintain crane logs, risking serious crane failure. After LOLER enforcement, the cranes were certified, operators trained, and incident risk dropped significantly.
9. Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) 2013 (UK)
RIDDOR requires reporting of major injuries, occupational diseases, and near‑misses to regulators.
Key Provisions:
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The report specified events like fractures, amputations, and overdoses.
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Employers must record incidents and submit reports to HSE or local authorities.
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Enables regulatory inspections and hazard prevention.
Real‑life scenario: Following a near‑miss chemical spill, a lab complied with RIDDOR, prompting an HSE audit. The lab then implemented better containment and staff training, avoiding future danger.
10. Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 (amended 2022) (UK)
This covers PPE provision, maintenance, compatibility, and ensures employers don’t charge employees.
Key Provisions:
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Employers must provide suitable, maintained PPE at no cost.
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Ensure compatibility when multiple items are worn.
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Provide training in correct PPE use and storage.
Real‑life scenario: A foundry neglected heat‑resistant gear; an employee suffered burns. Under PPE regs, the foundry faced prosecution and implemented a full PPE upgrade and training regime.
11. Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations 2002 (UK)
COSHH requires employers to manage chemical risks through assessments, control, and monitoring.
Key Provisions:
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Conduct COSHH assessments for workplace chemicals.
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Implement measures like ventilation and PPE.
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Provide health surveillance where necessary.
Real‑life scenario: A nail salon used toxic solvents that led to respiratory issues. COSHH compliance introduced safer substitutes and ventilation—improving health and compliance.
12. Control of Major Accident Hazards (COMAH) Regulations 2015 (UK)
COMAH applies to high‑risk industries with large chemical quantities, requiring safety reports and major accident prevention.
Key Provisions:
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Upper‑tier sites must prepare and publish safety reports.
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Lower‑tier sites must have a prevention policy.
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Authorities like HSE and Environment Agency enforce standards.
Real‑life scenario: A chemical plant storing large volumes of solvents complied with COMAH by upgrading storage, improving drainage, and publishing safety reports, significantly reducing risk to workers and communities.
13. Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 (“Martyn’s Law”) (UK)
Martyn’s Law, enacted April 3, 2025, requires venues with public capacity over 200 to plan and train for terror threats.
Key Provisions:
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Venues must conduct threat risk assessments.
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Staff should be trained in emergency and evacuation procedures.
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Enhanced sites need alert systems and visible security plans.
Real‑life scenario: An event center proactively adopted Martyn’s Law standards early, training staff, updating emergency plans, and installing alert systems—boosting public confidence and safety.
14. Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023 (UK)
Following tragedies like Grenfell, this Act requires landlords to manage hazards in social housing fully.
Key Provisions:
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Regulators can enforce safety standards in housing.
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Fire and structural hazards must be addressed promptly.
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Tenants have protections to ensure safe living conditions.
Real‑life scenario: A housing association replaced cladding and fixed fire alarms on council flats, avoiding legal penalties and reassuring residents.
15. ISO 45001 Occupational Health & Safety Management System (International)
ISO 45001 is a global voluntary standard promoting a structured OHS management framework ).
Key Components:
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Plan‑Do‑Check‑Act approach for continuous safety improvement.
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Integrates with other ISO standards like ISO 14001 and 9001.
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Promotes physical and mental well-being in line with international best practices.
Real‑life scenario: A multinational manufacturer adopted ISO 45001, reducing injury rates by 30% and enhancing its reputation, making it more competitive in tenders and insurance coverage.
People Also Ask
What are the 3 main health and safety laws in the workplace? In the UK context: the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974; Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999; and applicable secondary regulations like PUWER or COSHH depending on the industry.
Why is PPE legislation important? PPE Regulations ensure that personal protective equipment is provided at no cost, properly maintained, suitable for tasks, and combined safely—essential in hazardous environments.
How often should risk assessments be updated? Under Management Regs, risk assessments should be reviewed regularly and updated whenever processes, equipment, or personnel change.
Summary and Best Practices
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Know your baseline: HASAWA and the Management Regs apply almost everywhere.
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Identify your risks: COSHH for chemicals, DSE for office setups, and PPE regs where hazards exist.
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Industry-specific laws: COMAH for chemical sites, LOLER for lifting equipment, Martyn’s Law for large events.
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Broader frameworks: ISO 45001 offers an integrated, internationally recognized system.
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Stay current: Monitor new laws like Fire Safety updates, mental health duties, harassment prevention, and housing legislation.
Implementation Tips
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Create a legal register mapping each law to your workplace.
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Assign a competent person or team to each regulation.
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Conduct scheduled audits and keep records of training, inspections, and changes.
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Engage employees—behavioral change is key.
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Inspect high-risk areas first: manual handling zones, chemical storage, fire doors, and lifting equipment.
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