Why there are laws at all
A worker falls from a ladder. Another is overcome by fumes in a chamber. A third is hurt by a power cable that should have been dead. All three could have been prevented.
Laws exist because people were hurt. Following them protects you, your team and the people who use the building.
Key words
| Word | What it means |
|---|---|
| Legislation | laws made by Parliament |
| Regulation | a detailed rule made under a law |
| Legal obligation | something the law says you must do |
| Risk management | finding hazards, judging them and reducing them |
| PPE | personal protective equipment: gloves, boots, goggles and so on |
| COSHH | Control of Substances Hazardous to Health |
| ACM | asbestos-containing material |
| Confined space | a small, enclosed place where fumes or lack of air could harm you |
| Quality standard | a set of rules a firm follows so its work is always of the same level |
The cells students fill in are left blank in this preview.
By the end of this lesson
Note
I can name the main laws that cover cabling work and say what each is about.
Starter: standards
Have a go
Starter: standards
3 questionsYour answers are marked here and are not kept. A college account keeps every student’s marks.
Why comply
There are three reasons. First, legal obligations: the law says you must. Second, standard ways of working: the same methods and materials every time, with risk management built in. Third, industry standards: a firm that follows a quality standard gives work of a known level.
A firm that ignores them risks harm to people, fines and losing work.
The laws and what they cover
| Law | What it covers in cabling work |
|---|---|
| Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 | A general duty on employers and workers to keep people safe. The other laws here sit under it |
| Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 | Working with electricity safely |
| Work at Height Regulations 2005 | Ladders, towers, MEWPs and roofs |
| COSHH Regulations 2002 | Hazardous substances, such as adhesives and cleaning fluids |
| Confined Spaces Regulations 1997 | Entering chambers, ducts and tanks safely |
| PPE rules | Choosing, providing, using and keeping safety equipment |
| Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 | Finding, managing and removing asbestos-containing material |
The cells students fill in are left blank in this preview.
About PPE rules
Employers must provide suitable PPE free and make sure it is used and kept in good order. Other rules say that PPE sold must be safe and marked as meeting the standard.
You must use it as trained, look after it, and report damage.