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Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 in Northern Ireland

1974 c. 37 · Enacted 31 July 1974 · Extends to United Kingdom

Not fully up to date. 6 changes made by later legislation have not yet been written into this text, which is revised to 16 July 2026.

See the changes not yet applied
ProvisionChangeMade by
s. 51BinsertedBuilding Safety (Wales) Act 2026 Sch. 3 para. 1
Sch. 1words repealedFireworks Act 2003 Sch.
Pt. 1modifiedEnergy Act 2008 s. 99(1)
Pt. 1power to repeal or modify conferredEnergy Act 2008 s. 99(2)
Pt. 1power to exclude conferredDefence Reform Act 2014 Sch. 1 para. 4(1)(b)(c)
s. 21-25power to exclude conferredDefence Reform Act 2014 Sch. 1 para. 4(1)(a)

E1C1C2C3C4C5C6C7C8C9C10C11An Act to make further provision for securing the health, safety and welfare of persons at work, for protecting others against risks to health or safety in connection with the activities of persons at work, for controlling the keeping and use and preventing the unlawful acquisition, possession and use of dangerous substances, and for controlling certain emissions into the atmosphere; to make further provision with respect to the employment medical advisory service; to amend the law relating to building regulations, and the Building (Scotland) Act 1959; and for connected purposes.

[31st July 1974]

Annotations to the whole text

Modifications

C1

Act applied (15.12.1999) by 1996 c. 18, Pt. VIII, s. 72(4) (as substituted (15.12.1999) by 1999 c. 26, ss. 7, 8, 9, Sch. 4 Pt. I; S.I. 1999/2830, art. 2(2))

Act extended (11.10.1999) by S.I. 1999/2550, reg. 3

C2

Act applied by S.I. 1988/778, reg. 11(1)

C3

Act applied by S.I. 1990/13, reg. 11(5)

Act applied in part (1.9.1993) by S.I. 1993/1746, reg. 18(1)(a).

Act extended (1.1.1994) by S.I. 1993/2379, reg. 9(a).

Act extended (1.12.1993) by S.I. 1993/2714, reg. 9(4)(a).

Act applied (31.1.1994) by S.I. 1993/3050, art. 21(1)(a) (with art. 3).

Act applied (with modifications) (29.7.1994) by S.I. 1994/1806, regs. 3(1), 12

Act applied in part (15.3.1995) by S.I. 1995/263, arts. 3-8, 10

Act applied (with modifications) (18.7.1995) by S.I. 1995/1629, art. 30(3)(b)(5)

C4

Act: specified provisions applied (with modifications) (29.11.1992) by S.I. 1992/2415, reg. 4(1)

C5

Act: specified provisions applied (1.1.1993) by S.I. 1992/2997, reg.6

C6

Act: specified provisions applied (with modifications) (E.W.S.) (1.1.1993) by S.I. 1992/3060, reg. 15(1)

C7

Act: specified provisions applied (E.W.S.) (1.2.1993) by S.I. 1992/3217, reg. 21(1)

C8

Act excluded (E.W.) (1.10.2006) by The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (S.I. 2005/1541), arts. 1(3), 47 (with art. 49) (as amended by The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Subordinate Provisions Order 2006 (S.I. 2006/484), arts. 1(1), 2)

C9

Act modified (30.5.2007) by The National Assembly for Wales Commission (Crown Status) (No. 2) Order 2007 (S.I. 2007/1353), art. 2

C10

Act modified (E.W.S.) (26.3.2015) by The Ship Recycling Facilities Regulations 2015 (S.I. 2015/430), regs. 1(1), 5 (as amended (31.12.2020) by The Ship Recycling (Facilities and Requirements for Hazardous Materials on Ships) (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/277), regs. 1, 3(4); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1))

C11

Act applied (E.W.S.) (19.7.2015) by The Offshore Installations (Offshore Safety Directive) (Safety Case etc.) Regulations 2015 (S.I. 2015/398), reg. 36(8) (with reg. 4(2), Sch. 14)

Extent

E1

For the application of this Act to Northern Ireland see s. 84(1); Pt. III of this Act (except s. 75 and Sch. 7) does not extend to Scotland see s. 84(2).

Contents

  1. Part I: Health, Safety and Welfare in connection with Work, and Control of Dangerous Substances and Certain Emissions into the Atmosphere
  2. Preliminary
  3. 1Preliminary.
  4. General duties
  5. 2General duties of employers to their employees.
  6. 3General duties of employers and self-employed to persons other than their employees.
  7. 4General duties of persons concerned with premises to persons other than their employees.
  8. 5General duty of persons in control of certain premises in relation to harmful emissions into atmosphere.
  9. 6General duties of manufacturers etc. as regards articles and substances for use at work.
  10. 7General duties of employees at work.
  11. 8Duty not to interfere with or misuse things provided pursuant to certain provisions.
  12. 9Duty not to charge employees for things done or provided pursuant to certain specific requirements.
  13. The Health and Safety Commission and the Health and Safety Executive
  14. 10Establishment of the Executive.
  15. 11Functions of the Executive.
  16. 12Control of the Executive by the Secretary of State.
  17. 13Powers of the Executive.
  18. Health and safety regulations and approved codes of practice
  19. 15Health and safety regulations.
  20. 17Use of approved codes of practice in criminal proceedings.
  21. Enforcement
  22. 18Authorities responsible for enforcement of the relevant statutory provisions.
  23. 19Appointment of inspectors.
  24. 20Powers of inspectors.
  25. 21Improvement notices.
  26. 22Prohibition notices.
  27. 24Appeal against improvement or prohibition notice.
  28. 25Power to deal with cause of imminent danger.
  29. 25APower of customs officer to detain articles and substances.
  30. 26Power of enforcing authorities to indemnify their inspectors.
  31. Obtaining and disclosure of information
  32. 27Obtaining of information by the Commission, the Executive, enforcing authorities etc.
  33. 27AInformation communicated by Commissioners for Revenue and Customs.
  34. Special provisions relating to agriculture
  35. 29. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Repealed
  36. 30Agricultural health and safety regulations.
  37. 31, 32. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Repealed
  38. Provisions as to offences
  39. 33Offences
  40. 34Extension of time for bringing summary proceedings.
  41. 35Venue.
  42. 36Offences due to fault of other person.
  43. 37Offences by bodies corporate.
  44. 38Restrictions on institution of proceedings in England and Wales.
  45. 39Prosecutions by inspectors.
  46. 40Onus of proving limits of what is practicable etc.
  47. 41Evidence.
  48. 42Power of court to order cause of offence to be remedied or, in certain cases, forfeiture.
  49. Financial provisions
  50. 43Financial provisions.
  51. Miscellaneous and supplementary
  52. 44Appeals in connection with licensing provisions in the relevant statutory provisions.
  53. 45Default powers.
  54. 46Service of notices.
  55. 47Civil liability.
  56. 48Application to Crown.
  57. 49Adaptation of enactments to metric units or appropriate metric units.
  58. 50Regulations under the relevant statutory provisions.
  59. 51Exclusion of application to domestic employment.
  60. 52Meaning of work and at work.
  61. 53General interpretation of Part I.
  62. 54Application of Part I to Isles of Scilly.
  63. 57Fees.
  64. 58Other financial provisions.
  65. Part IV: Miscellaneous and General
  66. 77Amendment of Radiological Protection Act 1970.
  67. 78Amendment of Fire Precautions Act 1971.
  68. 79. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Repealed
  69. 80General power to repeal or modify Acts and instruments.
  70. 81Expenses and receipts.
  71. 82General provisions as to interpretation and regulations.
  72. 83. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Repealed
  73. 84Extent, and application of Act.
  74. 85Short title and commencement.
  75. Schedule 2: Additional Provisions Relating to the Constitution etc. of the Health and Safety Executive
  76. Part: The Health and Safety Executive
  77. 1Paragraph 1
  78. 2Paragraph 2
  79. Part: Terms of Appointment of the Executive
  80. 3Paragraph 3
  81. 4Paragraph 4
  82. 4AParagraph 4A
  83. 5Paragraph 5
  84. Part: Remuneration of Members
  85. 6Paragraph 6
  86. Part: Proceedings of the Executive
  87. 7Paragraph 7
  88. Part: Staff
  89. 8Paragraph 8
  90. Part: Performance of functions
  91. 9Paragraph 9
  92. Part: Accounts and Reports
  93. 10Paragraph 10
  94. Part: Supplemental
  95. 11Paragraph 11
  96. 12Paragraph 12
  97. 1Paragraph 1
  98. 2Paragraph 2
  99. 3Paragraph 3
  100. 4Paragraph 4
  101. 5Paragraph 5
  102. 6Paragraph 6
  103. 7Paragraph 7
  104. 8Paragraph 8
  105. 9Paragraph 9
  106. 10Paragraph 10
  107. 11Paragraph 11
  108. 13Paragraph 13
  109. 14Paragraph 14
  110. 15Paragraph 15
  111. 16Paragraph 16
  112. 17Paragraph 17
  113. 18Paragraph 18
  114. 19Paragraph 19
  115. 20Paragraph 20
  116. 21Paragraph 21
  117. 22Paragraph 22
  118. Interpretation
  119. 23Paragraph 23
  120. Schedule 9
  122. 3. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Repealed