Employees have the right to work in an environment that poses no risk to their health and safety. To achieve this, employers and employees must work together to ensure that their workplace has clear health and safety guidelines. Each must know what their rights and responsibilities are to do this. This section of the law guide explains what these rights and responsibilities are and what protection is available to workers. Below you will find a summary on what you will find in this section. If you would like more information, then click on the links in the left-hand side of the page.

Employers have responsibilities for the health and safety of their employees. They are also responsible for any visitors to their premises such as customers, suppliers and the general public. As an employee, you have rights, and you have responsibilities for your own wellbeing and that of your colleagues. Find out what these rights and responsibilities are as well as how you can become a health and safety representative at your place of work.

Depending on what type of industry you work in, there are certain specific concerns you might have about your health and safety. For instance if you work in an office, you might be concerned about what harm the use of a computer all day may cause. Find useful information on health and safety issues relating to computers and find out what employers should do under health and safety regulations. You can also find out what help and equipment you may need to work safely with computers.

If you work in a manual labour position, you may have other specific concerns, such as concerns over the repetitive activities you engage in. There are many hazards that you might come across while doing manual work. This article looks at the most common hazards, how you can reduce your risk of injury at work and what your employer’s responsibilities are.

Lastly, no matter what field you are in, you may be concerned about stress in the workplace. Stress is not a disease, but it can be a threat to your health and safety at work. Legally, your employer must take care of your health and safety when you are at work. Use this article to find out what you can do about stress in the workplace if it is affecting your health and safety.

Your employer has a duty to take all reasonable steps to ensure your health and safety. This means they can suspend you from work if they think you may be at particular risk. For example, you may be suspended if you become seriously allergic to a chemical at work, or if you're a newly expectant mother working in a lab that uses radiation. Use this article to find out when an employer can legally suspend you from work on health and safety grounds and what this entails.

While your employer may be able to legally suspend you on health and safety grounds, your employer cannot suspend or sack you because you report a situation at work that breaks with health and safety regulations. This activity is called whistle blowing. You’re protected under the law if you reveal to those in positions of authority –“blow the whistle on”- suspected malpractice at work. Find out what your rights are if you suffer for being a whistleblower.