Unit 4: Assignment A- Health and safety in science organisations
Health and Safety at work:
Manufacturing and testing products use techniques that will always include risks and hazards
associated with them, health and safety at work will minimize the risks to an individual, as well as
those around them. Scientific organisations have their own policies to ensure they comply with a
range of legislations.
A risk assessment is the overall process or method, where you identify hazard and risk factors that
have the potential to cause harm to a person; it is always carried out before an activity. The
individual, producing the risk assessment, will consider the level of knowledge and experience of the
individual carrying out the activity. The aim of a risk assessment is to minimise the risks associated
with an activity. An individual may produce a risk assessment on their own as evidence for a criteria.
COSHH is the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (2002 legislation). COSHH controls the use
of hazardous substances, when being used in an activity. It is a law that requires people, who may
carry out an activity, to control substances that may be hazardous to their health. One part of this
legislation involves the correct labelling of hazardous substances before they are being used. Some
of the ways a person can prevent any hazard to health can be by: planning for emergencies,
providing information and training for employees and others, monitoring and health surveillance in
appropriate cases and introducing control measures to reduce the potential of any harm to heath
(Health and Safety Executive 2021).
CLEAPSS stands for Consortium of Local Education of Authorities for the Provision of Science
Services. It is a service that aids in the sector of science and technology, to be specific, CLEAPSS
membership enables employers to do what is required to fulfil their responsibilities, under the
Health and Safety at Work Act and subsequent regulations. These requires employees to protect one
another by providing safe conditions, information, training for health and safety and model risk
assessments for activities (required under a range of regulations, such as COSHH)- (SSE 2021). They
work with a group of local authorities, along with their schools, including pupils who have special
needs. Their services focus on health and safety, risk assessment, sources and use of chemicals,
living organisms and equipment. They also provide advice on technicians and laboratory fittings.
The Health and Safety at Work Act (1974) is a primary piece of legislation that focuses on health and
safety, related to work, in Britain. The act can also be known as HSWA, the HSW Act, the 1974 Act or
HASAWA. The act involves setting out general duties to employees. There is a whole list of examples
of this: duties employees have towards fellow employees and towards general members of the
public, duties employees have towards themselves and to each other and certain self- employed
have towards themselves and those like themselves (Health and Safety At Work etc Act 2021).
HSE (Health and Safety Executive) work as a regulator: their target is to prevent workplace death
injury or poor health. They do this through various methods for change to occur and to help people
become aware and manage the risks themselves, at work. Some examples of the methods include
providing advice and guidance, raising awareness in workplaces by influencing and engaging,
operating permissioning and licencing in major hazard industries, carrying out targeted inspections
and investigations and taking enforced action to prevent injury and to handle those that break the
law. HSE makes sure that, as a regulator, whilst using these methods they look at the impact on the
economy and that any action taken is consultant, proportionate and accountable (HSE 2021).
RIDDOR is the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations act that is a
piece of health and safety legislation. It was updated in 2013: significant changes were inserted to
previous reporting requirements to simplify them. RIDDOR is for every workplace and has the
, authority to put duties on all employers, the self- employed and people in control of work premises
to report and to make sure that they have kept records of work- related accidents which cause
death, work- related accidents which cause certain serious injuries (reportable injuries), diagnosed
cases of certain industrial diseases and certain dangerous occurrences (incidents hold the potential
to cause harm to an individual). There are also specific requirements for gas- related incidents.
RIDDOR allows enforcing authorities, such as HSE, to monitor accident trends, identify the root cause
of risks and investigate serious accidents. From this information, they can alter and then target their
work to provide specific guidance and advice on how to avoid work- related deaths and injuries
(People Safe 2020).
Health and Safety in Science organisations:
There are a lot of legal requirements that must be adhered to before carrying out work in science
organisations. For example, there is the responsibility of staff to take care of their own health and
safety, along with the health and safety of others who may be affected by their activities. Another
requirement may be to report and learn from any health and safety- related incidents to reduce the
chance of it occurring again. Policies like these mean that a scientific organisation’s health and safety
record can be good and will be maintained (Health and Safety Policy 2019).
COMAH stands for the Control of Major Accident Hazards. It is an organisation that helps businesses
to take all the necessary measures to prevent extreme accidents that involve hazardous substances.
It also aims to limit the aftermath of any accidents that do take place, through enforcing regulations
on hazardous substances to protect people and the environment around them. COMAH was brought
by Great Britain, by COMAH Competent Authority (CA) that was formed from five different bodies:
ENVIRONMENT AGNECY, Scottish Environment Protection Agency, Health and Safety Executive,
Office for Nuclear Regulation and Natural Resources Wales (COMAH 2021).
DSEAR stands for the Dangerous substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations (2002). It is an
organisation that gives roles to employees, as well as those who are self- employed, to protect
people from risks and hazardous at a workplace setting, along with members who may be put at risk
by work activity. The many risks and hazardous, that DSEAR aims to protect people from, are mostly
related to hazardous substances. Hazardous substances include any materials that could cause harm
to an individual, or group, if not properly controlled. An example of this could be as a result of a fire
or corrosion of a metal. Hazardous substances are commonly found in all workplaces and can come
in the form of solvents, flammable gases, paints etc. DSEAR requires employees to perform a range
of duties: This can include preparing plans and procedures to deal with accidents, incidents and
emergencies involving dangerous substances, or identifying and classifying areas of the workplace
where explosive atmospheres may occur (HSE 2021).
NHS- first example of an organisation:
The NHS is the national healthcare system based in the UK, it is publicly- funded and is available to
all citizens, regardless of their: gender, race, disability, age, religion/belief, or sexual identity. It was
founded in 1948 as a major social reform, following the Second World War and is funded by taxes.
The reason for its set up was that so all UK citizens shared the burden of paying for health services
Health and Safety at work:
Manufacturing and testing products use techniques that will always include risks and hazards
associated with them, health and safety at work will minimize the risks to an individual, as well as
those around them. Scientific organisations have their own policies to ensure they comply with a
range of legislations.
A risk assessment is the overall process or method, where you identify hazard and risk factors that
have the potential to cause harm to a person; it is always carried out before an activity. The
individual, producing the risk assessment, will consider the level of knowledge and experience of the
individual carrying out the activity. The aim of a risk assessment is to minimise the risks associated
with an activity. An individual may produce a risk assessment on their own as evidence for a criteria.
COSHH is the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (2002 legislation). COSHH controls the use
of hazardous substances, when being used in an activity. It is a law that requires people, who may
carry out an activity, to control substances that may be hazardous to their health. One part of this
legislation involves the correct labelling of hazardous substances before they are being used. Some
of the ways a person can prevent any hazard to health can be by: planning for emergencies,
providing information and training for employees and others, monitoring and health surveillance in
appropriate cases and introducing control measures to reduce the potential of any harm to heath
(Health and Safety Executive 2021).
CLEAPSS stands for Consortium of Local Education of Authorities for the Provision of Science
Services. It is a service that aids in the sector of science and technology, to be specific, CLEAPSS
membership enables employers to do what is required to fulfil their responsibilities, under the
Health and Safety at Work Act and subsequent regulations. These requires employees to protect one
another by providing safe conditions, information, training for health and safety and model risk
assessments for activities (required under a range of regulations, such as COSHH)- (SSE 2021). They
work with a group of local authorities, along with their schools, including pupils who have special
needs. Their services focus on health and safety, risk assessment, sources and use of chemicals,
living organisms and equipment. They also provide advice on technicians and laboratory fittings.
The Health and Safety at Work Act (1974) is a primary piece of legislation that focuses on health and
safety, related to work, in Britain. The act can also be known as HSWA, the HSW Act, the 1974 Act or
HASAWA. The act involves setting out general duties to employees. There is a whole list of examples
of this: duties employees have towards fellow employees and towards general members of the
public, duties employees have towards themselves and to each other and certain self- employed
have towards themselves and those like themselves (Health and Safety At Work etc Act 2021).
HSE (Health and Safety Executive) work as a regulator: their target is to prevent workplace death
injury or poor health. They do this through various methods for change to occur and to help people
become aware and manage the risks themselves, at work. Some examples of the methods include
providing advice and guidance, raising awareness in workplaces by influencing and engaging,
operating permissioning and licencing in major hazard industries, carrying out targeted inspections
and investigations and taking enforced action to prevent injury and to handle those that break the
law. HSE makes sure that, as a regulator, whilst using these methods they look at the impact on the
economy and that any action taken is consultant, proportionate and accountable (HSE 2021).
RIDDOR is the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations act that is a
piece of health and safety legislation. It was updated in 2013: significant changes were inserted to
previous reporting requirements to simplify them. RIDDOR is for every workplace and has the
, authority to put duties on all employers, the self- employed and people in control of work premises
to report and to make sure that they have kept records of work- related accidents which cause
death, work- related accidents which cause certain serious injuries (reportable injuries), diagnosed
cases of certain industrial diseases and certain dangerous occurrences (incidents hold the potential
to cause harm to an individual). There are also specific requirements for gas- related incidents.
RIDDOR allows enforcing authorities, such as HSE, to monitor accident trends, identify the root cause
of risks and investigate serious accidents. From this information, they can alter and then target their
work to provide specific guidance and advice on how to avoid work- related deaths and injuries
(People Safe 2020).
Health and Safety in Science organisations:
There are a lot of legal requirements that must be adhered to before carrying out work in science
organisations. For example, there is the responsibility of staff to take care of their own health and
safety, along with the health and safety of others who may be affected by their activities. Another
requirement may be to report and learn from any health and safety- related incidents to reduce the
chance of it occurring again. Policies like these mean that a scientific organisation’s health and safety
record can be good and will be maintained (Health and Safety Policy 2019).
COMAH stands for the Control of Major Accident Hazards. It is an organisation that helps businesses
to take all the necessary measures to prevent extreme accidents that involve hazardous substances.
It also aims to limit the aftermath of any accidents that do take place, through enforcing regulations
on hazardous substances to protect people and the environment around them. COMAH was brought
by Great Britain, by COMAH Competent Authority (CA) that was formed from five different bodies:
ENVIRONMENT AGNECY, Scottish Environment Protection Agency, Health and Safety Executive,
Office for Nuclear Regulation and Natural Resources Wales (COMAH 2021).
DSEAR stands for the Dangerous substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations (2002). It is an
organisation that gives roles to employees, as well as those who are self- employed, to protect
people from risks and hazardous at a workplace setting, along with members who may be put at risk
by work activity. The many risks and hazardous, that DSEAR aims to protect people from, are mostly
related to hazardous substances. Hazardous substances include any materials that could cause harm
to an individual, or group, if not properly controlled. An example of this could be as a result of a fire
or corrosion of a metal. Hazardous substances are commonly found in all workplaces and can come
in the form of solvents, flammable gases, paints etc. DSEAR requires employees to perform a range
of duties: This can include preparing plans and procedures to deal with accidents, incidents and
emergencies involving dangerous substances, or identifying and classifying areas of the workplace
where explosive atmospheres may occur (HSE 2021).
NHS- first example of an organisation:
The NHS is the national healthcare system based in the UK, it is publicly- funded and is available to
all citizens, regardless of their: gender, race, disability, age, religion/belief, or sexual identity. It was
founded in 1948 as a major social reform, following the Second World War and is funded by taxes.
The reason for its set up was that so all UK citizens shared the burden of paying for health services
