Employees

This page provides information on employees duties under health and safety legislation.

All workers have a right to work in places where risks to their health and safety are properly controlled. Health and safety is about stopping you getting hurt at work or ill through work. Your employer is responsible for health and safety, but you must help. As a worker, you have a duty to take care of your own health and safety and that of others who may be affected by your actions. Health and safety legislation, therefore, requires employers and workers to cooperate.

Employers must:

• decide what could harm you in your job and the precautions required to stop it - this is part of risk assessment
• consult and work with you and your health and safety representatives in protecting everyone from harm in the workplace
• free of charge, give you the health and safety training you need to do your job and provide you with any equipment and protective clothing
• provide toilets, washing facilities, drinking water and adequate first-aid facilities
• report injuries, diseases and dangerous incidents at work
• display their employers liability insurance

What you must do:

• follow the training you have received when using any work items your employer has given you
• take reasonable care of your own and other people’s health and safety
• co-operate with your employer on health and safety
• correctly use work items provided by your employer, including personal protective equipment, in accordance with training or instructions
• tell someone (your employer, supervisor, or health and safety representative) if you think the work or inadequate precautions are putting anyone’s health and safety at risk

If there's a problem

If you are worried about health and safety in your workplace, talk to your employer, supervisor, or health and safety representative.
If, after talking with your employer, you are still worried, phone us on 0800 0320 121.

Additional guidance for....

• Migrant workers
• New and expectant mothers
• Lone workers
• Young people
• Older workers
• Disabled workers

Key legislation

• Health and Safety at Work (Northern Ireland) Order 1978 - legislation.gov.uk
• Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2000 - legislation.gov.uk
• Health and Safety (Consultation with Employees) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996 - legislation.gov.uk
• Employer’s Liability (Defective Equipment and Compulsory Insurance) (Northern Ireland) Order 1972 - legislation.gov.uk
• Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997 - legislation.gov.uk

Please note that these links are to the original legislation on the OPSI website, visitors should verify for themselves whether legislation is in force or whether it has been amended or repealed