Who is responsible?

Owner/employer/manager

You will have prime responsibility for the health and safety of:

• your workers;
• members of the public; and
• contractors working with you.

Questions to ask yourself include:

• Do I have enough knowledge to organise work for health and safety?
• Have I thought this through and implemented good health and safety procedures and checks?

Worker/supervisor

You have responsibility to cooperate with your employer, such as:

• following company rules;
• wearing personal protective equipment; and
• reporting accidents and unsafe practices.

If you are a supervisor you mustn’t turn a blind eye to unsafe behaviour.

Health and safety practitioner

You have a legal duty to provide fit-for-purpose advice. Courts have handed down penalties on consultants who have failed in their duty.
Ask yourself:

• Do I emphasise the need for people in organisations to take personal responsibility for the decisions they make and not just rely on written procedures and risk assessments?

Supplier of goods and services

Questions to ask yourself include:

• Do I have procedures to ensure that I provide a service that complies with the law?
• Do I have a system to check on my workers’ health and safety performance when working with other companies?