Polish worker Andrezej Freitag been killed in construction site Essay

Polish worker Andrezej Freitag been killed in construction site - Essay Example His employer, Discovery Homes Limited was fined 5,000 pounds after being found guilty of breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act. The director of the company was also fined 4,000 pounds after being found guilty of going against section 37(1) of the act. It was concluded that Freitag’s death could have been avoided had his employer done enough about the safety hazards that were present at the construction site. An investigation showed that Freitag died as a result of a faulty protection barrier that should not have been used for the type of work he was doing (HSE News Release, 2009). The case above is just one of many in which the safety and health of employees have been compromised leading to irreparable damages and loss of lives. In the case above, the compny and the manager in charge of the construction work were fined for neglecting the safety and health needs of their employees. They failed to see to it that there was ample protection against unnecessary injuries to em ployees and yet they are required by aw to oversee their employees overall health and safety while they are at work. Freitag’s death would probably have been avoided had the company and its director ensured that appropriate protection on building heights was in place. Some of the important aspects of UK Health and Safety Legislations are discussed below. The Health and Safety at Work, etc, Act, 1974 This legislation forms the basis of health and safety laws in the UK and it covers all employees as well as any individual affected by certain work activities. Section 2 of the legislation requires all employers to ensure that the health and safety of employees is well taken care of by employers. The same section also stipulates that employers should consult with safety representatives in trade unions on health and safety issues affecting the organization. Section 3 of the legislation stipulates that all employers should make sure that non-employees who may be affected by the orga nization’s work activities are not exposed in any way to health and safety hazards. Section 7 deals with the responsibilities of the employee in ensuring that he is safe at all times while he is working (HSE, 1999). Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations, 1999 The main requirement of this legislation is for employers to carry out risk assessments as a way of reducing or eliminating health and safety hazards. This piece of legislation also requires employers to set up procedures that mitigate employees’ health and safety at the workplace. This is the legislation that requires all employers to provide enough clear information about the health and safety policies of the organization to employees (Lewis and Sergeant, 2004). Workplace Regulations 1992 This law deals with any physical conditions that might affect employees’ health and safety at the workplace. According to these regulations, employees must meet certain minimum standards in relation to: lig hting, ventilation, first aid, buildings and equipment maintenance, temperature, toilet and rest facilities (HSE, 1999). Health and Safety Regulations 1992 These regulations require employers to carry out assessments of their employees’ who normally use display screen equipment. The employers are