News
Making it easier to comply with the law
HSE has published a new version of its approved Health and Safety Law poster. Here we explain why it has been changed and how it will affect you…
What is the law poster?
Employers have a legal duty to display the poster in a prominent position in their workplace, or provide each worker with a copy of the equivalent leaflet outlining Britain’s health and safety laws. The new poster updates the current one, which was published in April 1999.
Why do we need a new one?
The new poster reflex recent changes in the law to reduce the amount of information employers have to provide. It also takes account of the HSE Board’s programme for making health and safety information more accessible:
- It is easier to use and tell workers what they need to do in simple terms, using numbered lists of basic points.
- Employers no longer have to provide contact details of their enforcing authority (they can add details of employee safety representatives or other health and safety contacts but this is not compulsory).
- The leaflet has been replaced by a pocket card more suited to the workplace and the information will be available in a wide range of formats, including large print and easy read.
All new law posters will have a uniquely numbered hologram to prove authenticity. When HSE last changed the law poster, some unscrupulous companies sold their own posters, as well as telling employers they needed to replace their posters straight away or display them at each entrance to their premises.
Do the current posters have to be replaced?
To avoid unnecessary burden on businesses, the HSE Board has set a five-year transition period. The current poster must be replaced by the new one, and the current leaflets by the new pocket cards, by 5 April 2014. However, employers who choose to retain the old poster need to make sure it is readable and must keep the addresses of the enforcing authority and the Employment Medical Advisory Service up to date.
Where can you get a copy of the new poster?
You can order through HSE Books (tel: 01787 881165) or through booksellers.