OSH system at national level - United Kingdom

Occupational safety and health legislative framework

Occupational safety and health regulation in the United Kingdom has a long history which goes back to the early 19th century. One of the first pieces of Health and Safety legislation in the United Kingdom ‘the Health and Morals of Apprentices Act’ was introduced in 1802 by Sir Robert Peel targeted at workers employed in cotton mills and other factories [1]. In the 150 years that followed, a large number of laws were enacted to ensure the safety, health and wellbeing of workers. By the late 1960’s however, it became clear that several of these laws were largely ineffective as the number of accidents within the…