Proposals to Exempt Self-Employed Persons from HSWA (Britain)

New Regulations are proposed – ‘The Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 (General duties of Self-Employed Persons) (Prescribed Undertakings) Regulations 2015’ – to set out activities where self-employed persons will continue to have duties under section 3(2) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974; all others to be exempt from section 3(2) duties.

Section 3(2) duties extend the general duty of employers to their employees set out in section 3(1) of HSWA –
“3(1) it shall be the duty of every employer to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of all his employees.”

It is not proposed to alter section 3(1), only section 3(2).

Consultation has been occurring and ends 31st August 2014.

This post will be updated when the Regulations are issued in their final form.