New Health and Safety Legislation to be implemented April 2010

In the main new  Health and Safety Legislation is  implemented in the UK on only two dates each year.  1st October  and the 6 April .

By harmonising commencement dates the HSE  hope that those affected (ie businesses, employee representatives and individuals) will be more aware of forthcoming changes and better able to plan for and implement new measures effectively.  

April 2010 will see the implementation of the following regulations

Notification of Conventional Tower Cranes Regulations

These regulations will require certain information about conventional tower cranes (i.e. those which are assembled on site from components) to be notified to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) following their installation or re-installation on site. 

Since 2000 there have been a number of high profile incidents and deaths involving tower cranes. These have led to public concern over tower crane safety and in 2008 the Work and Pensions Select Committee, called on HSE to bring forward proposals for a national register.

The proposed regulations will require employers who use 'conventional' tower cranes (i.e tower cranes that are assembled on site) on construction sites to notify certain information about the crane to the Health and Safety Executive;

The Health and Safety Executive will make arrangements for this information to be made publicly available in a national register. 

Biocidal Products (Amendment) Regulations 2010

These regulations concern the implementation of a European Directive that extends by 4 years the transitional period during which “existing” active substances used in biocidal products will be reviewed and considered for inclusion in Annex I of the Biocidal Products Directive 98/8/EC (Biocides Directive), and extends data protection by the same period for information submitted under the Biocides Directive. The new Directive also provides for the possibility of a further extension (limited to two years) of the transitional period & review programme should it be needed.

Control of Artificial Optical Radiation at work Regulations 2010

The EC Artificial Optical Radiation Directive was adopted in 2006 and must be implemented by April 2010.  This proposal aims to protect workers from the risks associated with exposure to artificial optical radiation in the workplace (lasers, UV light etc) and achieve harmonisation of control regimes between European Member States. 

Member States have until April 2010 to ensure the Directive is implemented at a national level. New regulations are required in Great Britain to do this.

The Regulations will ensure that employers using hazardous sources of light review their approach to take proper account of the risks.

The Health and Safety Executive  recognise that the majority of employers already manage these risks and have developed the Regulations to ensure that only those businesses that are not already doing this need to do more.  Employers are not expected  to undertake unnecessary risk assessments especially if they are already managing the risks and if their business has only safe sources. This is achieved through the ‘filter’ in regulation 3 which ensures that the substantive obligations of the Regulations only apply where there is a reasonably foreseeable risk of adverse health effects to the eyes and skin of workers.

Docks (Amendment) Regulations 2010

This is a proposal to remove the requirement in Reg 8(2)(f) of the Docks Regulations 1988 for a certificate confirming the safety of a vessel used to transport a person at work in dock operations to or from any working place in dock premises.  It does not include vessels such as tugs and pilot boats.