3 European Economic Community (EEC) based UK Legislation

Introduction

• In 1989 the Council of Minister of the European Union (EU) adopted the health and safety “Framework Directive” (89/391/EEC) which establishes the general principles of health and safety to be applied in all work activities throughout the Union.
• Following the adoption of the framework directive, five ‘daughter’ directives were also adopted.
• Each member of the EU was obliged to implement these directives using existing or, if necessary, new health and safety law.
• Although, in the UK, the HSW Act (1974) is considered adequate as a means of achieving the appropriate standards, the Directives were more prescriptive and detailed and thus is was necessary to extend the law. Carefully avoiding any disruption to the HSW Act , six new sets of regulations (jocularly called the ‘six pack’), together with Approved Codes of Practice and Guidance Notes were laid before parliament for enactment on 1 January 1993.

The regulations are:

• Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations (MHSW, 1992)
• Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations (DSE, 1992)
• Manual Handling Operations Regulations (MHO, 1992)
• Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations (PUWE, 1992 and 1998)
• Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations (PPE, 1992)
• Workplace Health, Safety and Welfare Regulations (MHSW, 1992)