Article 8 Health and safety

In this article “the employment (health and safety) functions” means the functions of the Secretary of State under or by virtue of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974^f1 which were entrusted to the Secretary of State for Employment immediately before July 1995 and which have, before the making of this Order, been entrusted to the Secretary of State for the Environment.

Any contract or other agreement, offer or other thing which—

shall have effect as if made, issued or done by or in relation to the Secretary of State for the Environment.

Without prejudice to paragraph (2), anything (including any legal proceedings) which, at the coming into force of this Order, is in the process of being done by or in relation to the Secretary of State for Employment may, so far as it relates to any of the employment (health and safety) functions, be continued by or in relation to the Secretary of State for the Environment.

Any instrument made before the coming into force of this Order shall have effect, so far as may be necessary for the purposes of or in consequence of the entrusting to the Secretary of State for the Environment of the employment (health and safety) functions, as if any reference to the Secretary of State for Employment, the Department of Employment or to an officer of the Department of Employment (including any reference which is to be construed as such a reference) were a reference to the Secretary of State for the Environment, to the Department of the Environment or, as the case may be, to an officer of the Secretary of State for the Environment.

Documents or forms printed for use in connection with any of the employment (health and safety) functions may be used in connection with those functions notwithstanding that they contain, or are to be construed as containing, references to the Secretary of State for Employment; and for the purposes of the use of any such documents or forms after the coming into force of this Order, those references shall be construed as references to the Secretary of State for the Environment.