Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974

The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HSWA) is the primary piece of legislation covering occupational health and safety in Great Britain. It places a general duty on employers to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety, and welfare at work of all their employees. This duty extends to protecting non-employees, such as contractors, visitors, and the public, from risks arising from their work activities. The Act establishes a framework for managing health and safety, requiring employers to assess risks, implement control measures, and provide information, instruction, training, and supervision. While the HSWA itself doesn't explicitly detail specific signage requirements, it provides the overarching legal basis for regulations and Approved Codes of Practice (ACoPs) that do. These regulations, made under the HSWA, often mandate the use of safety signs to warn of hazards, provide instructions, and indicate mandatory actions. The Act's impact on safety signage is indirect but fundamental, as it creates the legal obligation for employers to provide a safe working environment, which frequently necessitates the use of appropriate and compliant safety signs. Failure to comply with regulations made under the HSWA, including those relating to signage, can lead to enforcement action.