Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 Explained | 2025 Perspective

What is the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974? In plain terms, it is the UK law that sets out who must keep people safe at work and how they should do it. If you have ever asked “what is the health and safety at work act 1974 and why does it matter?”, the short answer is that it puts a legal duty on employers (and others) to prevent harm “so far as is reasonably practicable,” and it gives workers clear responsibilities too. It is principles-based rather than prescriptive, which is exactly why it still underpins modern safety practice.

Revisiting the Act in 2025 is timely because the way we work has changed, not the need to protect people. In 1974, a “typical” worker might have been on a factory floor, handling machinery, dealing with noise, dust, and manual handling risks. In 2025, a typical worker could be hybrid or remote at a DSE workstation, collaborating via cloud tools, or operating alongside automation and AI in a warehouse. The hazards look different, such as psychosocial risks, home-office ergonomics, data-driven workflows, and extreme weather impacts, but the same principles still apply: identify risks, put proportionate controls in place, provide information and training, consult workers, and maintain safe systems of work.

This guide explains the essentials of the health and safety at work act and highlights where modern practice may call for refreshed guidance under it.

What does the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 cover?

The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 (HASAWA) sets out the legal framework for managing workplace health and safety in Great Britain. At its core, the Act requires employers to take reasonable steps to protect the health, safety, and welfare of employees and others who may be affected by their work. That means safe systems of work, safe equipment, adequate training, clear information, and a safe environment to carry out duties.

So, what does the Health and Safety at Work Act cover? It applies broadly to:

• Employers, who must manage risks and provide safe workplaces.

• Employees, who must follow training and not endanger others.

• The self-employed, who must ensure their activities do not put others at risk.

• Contractors and those in control of premises, who share responsibility for safe conditions.

• The public and visitors, who are protected when they could be affected by work activities.

Before and after 1974

Prior to HASAWA, the UK relied on a patchwork of sector-specific laws for factories, offices, shops, mines, and railways. These older rules were narrow, rigid, and often failed to keep up with technological change. For example, while miners and factory workers had some protections, chemical plant workers or office staff often had little or none. Members of the public exposed to workplace hazards were also largely unprotected.

The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 transformed this by creating one unified, flexible framework. Instead of prescribing rules for each industry, it established broad duties that apply everywhere. This principle-based approach is why the Act still remains relevant today, whether the workplace is a factory floor, an office, or a home workstation.

Employer vs Employee Responsibilities

Both the employer and employee have specific responsibilities outlined in the act to protect the safety of all, the table below summarises some of the key responsibilities on each side:

What are the employer responsibilities for The Health and Safety at Work Act? 

The HSAWA outlines the responsibilities that an employer has to their workers. They include the following:

• A safe system/way of performing work
• A safe place to perform the work in
• Safe equipment and machinery to perform the work
• They must ensure work colleagues are competent in their roles
• They must carry out the relevant risk assessments
• Employers should be transparent and inform workers of any work-related risks
• They should appoint a ‘competent person’ to oversee the health and safety
• Employers must consult with workplace safety representatives and set up a workplace safety committee if a union is recognised
• Employers should provide adequate facilities for staff welfare

Other overarching areas that the legislation enforces employers to do is provide training for staff to ensure all health and safety practices and procedures are well understood in the workplace. Suitable welfare provisions also need to be provided for staff when they are at work. Provisions al need to made to make sure that a safe working environment is provided with suitable provision over the relevant information.

Workplaces which have five or more employees must keep a written and up-to-date record of their health and safety policy which has been developed through consultation with employees or their represented on the relevant areas.

What are the employee responsibilities for the Health and Safety at Work Act? 

Whilst the bulk of the legislation has been developed to govern the responsibilities of the employer, there are some steps that employees also need to follow. Employees have a common-law duty of care to exercise reasonable care and skill in the relationship with colleagues and the employer. Here are some of the areas where employees need to make sure they are compliant:

• Employees should take steps to adequately protect the health and safety of themselves and colleagues at work
• Employees must not disrupt or interfere with anything put in place to aid in health and safety at work
• Employees may be subject to fines and convictions if they are found in breach of the regulations

As shown health and safety in many ways is the responsibility of all those within a workplace, not just the managers and employers within an organisation.

Why was the Health and Safety at Work Act introduced?

The Health and Safety at Work Act was introduced in 1974 following a series of tragedies that exposed serious gaps in workplace protection. Before the Act, the UK relied on fragmented laws that only covered certain industries, leaving many workers and even the public at risk. A stark example was the James Watt Street fire in Glasgow in 1968, where 22 factory workers died after being trapped behind barred windows. In 1974, the same year the Act came into force, the Flixborough chemical plant explosion killed 28 people and injured 36, highlighting the dangers of operating complex sites without comprehensive safety law. These incidents, alongside many others, showed why a unified framework was urgently needed.

The Health and Safety at Work Act was passed in 1974 to replace the patchwork of sector-specific rules with one flexible law that applied to all workplaces and also extended protection to the public. The goal was to make safety everyone’s responsibility, no matter the industry.

Fast forward to today, and the same principles remain relevant. In 1974, the focus was on heavy industry, mining, and manufacturing. In 2025, workplaces are more diverse: office-based, hybrid, digital-first, or heavily automated. Risks now include psychosocial pressures, musculoskeletal issues from DSE use, and emerging hazards from AI and automation. The environments may differ, but the Act’s core purpose to prevent harm as far as reasonably practicable still applies across every workplace.

Who enforces the Health and Safety at Work Act?

The Act is enforced by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), the national regulator, and by local authorities for lower-risk workplaces such as offices, shops, warehouses, and hospitality. The HSE focuses on higher-risk industries including construction, manufacturing, energy, and healthcare. Inspectors have the power to enter premises, investigate incidents, issue improvement notices and prohibition notices, and bring prosecutions where breaches occur.

So, how is the Health and Safety at Work Act enforced? Through a combination of inspections, reporting requirements, and legal action. Employers who fail to comply risk not only enforcement notices but also criminal prosecution, heavy fines, and reputational damage. This enforcement structure ensures that the Act is more than guidance, it is binding law with real consequences if ignored.

What regulations come under the Health and Safety at Work Act?

The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 sets the foundation, but several supporting regulations provide more specific requirements for employers and employees. Below are the key statutory instruments that most workplaces need to be aware of.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Regulations 2018

Employers must:

• Provide suitable PPE when risks cannot be eliminated by other means.

• Ensure PPE is CE-marked, fits the worker properly, and is task-appropriate.

• Maintain, store, and replace PPE as needed.

• Train employees in correct use.

Employees must:

• Wear PPE as instructed.

• Report damaged, lost, or defective PPE.

Display Screen Equipment (DSE) Regulations 1992 (amended 2002)

Employers must:

• Carry out workstation assessments.

• Provide ergonomic equipment where needed.

• Ensure staff take regular breaks from DSE use.

• Offer free eye tests when requested.

• Give training on safe use of screens and workstations.

Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) 2013

Employers must report to the HSE:

• Work-related deaths.

• Specified injuries (fractures, amputations, serious burns).

• Occupational diseases (e.g. asthma, carpal tunnel syndrome).

• Dangerous occurrences, including near misses.

Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999

Employers must:

• Carry out risk assessments.

• Implement proportionate controls to manage risks.

• Appoint competent persons for health and safety.

• Plan for emergencies.

• Provide training, information, and supervision.

• Consider vulnerable workers (young, new, or pregnant employees).

Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 (amended 2002)

Employers must:

• Avoid hazardous manual handling where possible.

• Assess unavoidable manual handling tasks.

• Reduce risks through mechanical aids, load adjustments, or task redesign.

Employees must:

• Follow safe manual handling practices.

For more information on the RIDDOR regulations, check out the below video:

Does the Health and Safety at Work Act need an update in 2025?

The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 has stood the test of time because it is principle-based rather than prescriptive. It requires employers to do what is “reasonably practicable” to keep people safe, which has allowed the law to adapt to new industries and risks for over 50 years.

However, working life in 2025 looks very different from the workplaces of the 1970s. While the Act still applies, there are strong arguments for a refreshed emphasis or even targeted amendments:

• Remote and hybrid work: Millions of workers now carry out duties from home. The Act does not explicitly mention home offices, yet employers are still responsible for safe workstations and risk assessments.

• Mental health and wellbeing: Stress, burnout, and psychosocial risks are now leading causes of absence. Employers are expected to manage these risks, but clearer legal recognition could drive stronger action.

• Technology and automation: AI, robotics, and data-driven systems are introducing new safety concerns, from cyber-physical risks to job design challenges. The Act’s principles apply, but updated guidance could help employers navigate them.

• Climate and sustainability: Extreme weather, environmental hazards, and new sustainability duties are increasingly relevant to health and safety. A modernised Act could embed climate resilience as part of workplace protection.

• Gig economy and contractors: Non-traditional employment relationships mean responsibility for safety is sometimes blurred. Revisiting the Act could clarify duties for platforms, agencies, and third-party employers.

In short, the Act remains effective, but a 2025 revision could make it clearer, more modern, and better aligned with today’s diverse working practices. Employers should not wait for legal reform though. Proactively addressing wellbeing, technology, and remote work within their safety systems will help them stay compliant and ahead of expectations.