Health and safety - Assignment Example

The primary legislation regarding safety and health regulation is the Health and Safety at Work Act of 1974. Section 6 of this Act provides that suppliers of hazardous substances to small engineering workshops must take reasonable precautions to ensure safety and minimum risks to health. This regulation further obliges suppliers of hazardous substances to provide adequate information on risks to health and safety which the inherent properties of the substance pose to their users and handlers (HSE, 33, 2004).

This law aims at controlling exposure to hazardous substances by employees that most frequently occurs to them when they are machining, welding, painting or cleaning and degreasing. This law further requires that suppliers should supply machinery complete with instructions for use of the same. This provision affects suppliers and purchasers of new and used machines within the European Union (HSE, 51, 2004). Some of the substances that workers may be exposed to include nickel-copper, nickel-chrome alloys, stainless steel and nickel alloys, stainless steel chromium alloys, lead and lead alloys, copper alloys containing beryllium and caladium-plated articles.

The employees in these factories must have adequate personal protection for employees to minimize risks of negative health effects through the control dust, fume, spray and vapour. They should also take steps to minimize skin contact through adequate personal protection to the employees (HSE, 33, 2004). The Control of Substances Harzadous to Health Regulations 2002 provides that small engineering workshop owners must always assess the risks that exposure to hazardous substances poses to risks to the health of its employees.

Workshops are also required to prevent workers exposure to these substances by the use of less hazardous forms of chemicals or even alternative processes that limit the risk of exposure (HSE, 34, 2004). Engineering Workshops are also required to