The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has issued guidance for complying with health and safety law as the transition period following Britain leaving the EU comes to an end on 31st December 2020.
When the Brexit transition period officially ends, businesses in the UK will still have the same responsibility to protect the health, safety and welfare of their workers and all those affected by their work activities.
Standard HSE guidance on health and safety made simple should enable businesses to understand the basics and manage their risks to comply with the law.
HSE advises all businesses to check the new rules that will be in force from 1st January 2021 and ensure they have taken action to meet requirements. Guidance for this can be found on the government website.
Meanwhile, the health and safety watchdog has provided specific guidance for businesses in the chemicals industry about regulatory measures from January 2021.
They explain that the UK “remains strongly committed to the effective and safe management of chemicals” and provide a number of pieces of guidance on regulating chemicals after the Brexit transition period has ended.
They have also provided links to recordings of the two, virtual one-day stakeholder events they joint hosted with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). These events covered the actions that businesses need to take when the transition period ends and how the new GB regulatory regime for chemicals could impact their work.
Dr Matthew Penrose, Head of Chemicals (Future Readiness) Policy at the HSE, said:
“It is imperative that businesses and individuals who make, use or supply chemicals prepare for 1st Jan. If they don’t, they could face issues with products they use in everyday work.”
In addition to guidance for the chemicals industry, the HSE has also provided specific guidance for working with explosives after the transition period ends.
This includes the new UK mark, placing civil explosives goods on the EU market, UK-based ‘notified bodies’ and more.
Finally, the watchdog also has a raft of guidance about regulating equipment and machinery following the end of the Brexit transition period. This includes placing CE marked goods on the UK market, the new UK mark and other important information.
You can access all of the HSE’s Brexit health and safety guidance from this webpage.
First Response Training (FRT) is a leading, national training provider. They deliver a wide range of training in the fields of health and safety, first aid, fire safety, food hygiene, health and social care, mental health and other special focus topics.
A trainer from FRT says: “The UK has one of the best workplace health and safety records in the world, and that commitment and high standard must remain once we have the Brexit transition period has ended and we have officially left the EU.
“Good health and safety makes business sense, and benefits us all.”
For more information about the training that FRT can provide, please call them today on freephone 0800 310 2300 or send an e-mail to info@firstresponsetraining.com.