Health and safety

New and updated

• Type:

  Letters and forms

  Workplace hazard identification form

  A model form to record identified hazards.

• Type:

  Letters and forms

  Workplace hazard report form

  A model form for employees to report hazards that they have identified.

• Type:

  Letters and forms

  Safe overseas travel record

  A model document to record overseas travel arrangements.

• Type:

  Policies and procedures

  Safe car travel policy

  A model policy to outline your organisation's rules on travel by car for work-related purposes and the steps to be followed to reduce the associated risks.

• Type:

  Quick reference

  Manual handling - risk assessments

  A table summarising the factors and questions that employers must consider when assessing manual handling operations involving a risk of injury.

• Date:

  31 December 2003

  Type:

  Employment law cases

  Health and Safety Executive v Thames Trains Ltd

  In Health and Safety Executive v Thames Trains Ltd [2003] EWCA Civ 720 CA, it was held that there may be circumstances in which the Health and Safety Executive would owe a common law duty of care to the victims of an accident.

• Date:

  21 February 2003

  Type:

  Employment law cases

  Sex discrimination: Failure to carry out risk assessment for pregnant woman is discrimination

  In Hardman v Mallon, t/a Orchard Lodge Nursing Home, the EAT holds that a failure to carry out a risk assessment in respect of a pregnant employee as required by the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 amounts to unlawful sex discrimination. This is because carrying out a risk assessment is one of the ways in which a woman's biological condition during and after pregnancy is given special protection.

• Date:

  31 December 2002

  Type:

  Employment law cases

  Horton v Taplin Contracts Ltd

  In Horton v Taplin Contracts Ltd [2002] EWCA Civ 1604 CA, the Court of Appeal held that it is clear from the wording of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1992, regulation 5 that when an employer supplies work equipment it must be suitable in any respect that it is reasonably foreseeable will affect the health or safety of any person. In this case the unlawful actions of the claimant's work colleague were not foreseeable.

• Date:

  31 December 2002

  Type:

  Employment law cases

  O'Neill v DSG Retail Ltd

  In O'Neill v DSG Retail Ltd [2002] All ER (D) 500 (Jul) CA, the Court of Appeal held that as soon as an employer has identified, as a control measure, the need to provide information and training, appropriate steps should be taken to ensure that each and every employee at risk receives that information and training and that appropriate training records are kept.

• Type:

  Employment law cases

  A duty to dismiss for the employee's best interest

  Employers have a duty to protect employees from physical danger, even if the employee wants to continue working. By Linda Farrell, partner Bristows.