The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HSWA) is the primary piece of legislation covering occupational health and safety in Great Britain. It sets out the general duties which employers have towards employees and members of the public, employees have to themselves and to each other, and certain self-employed have towards themselves and others. The Act requires that workplaces provide:

• Adequate training of staff to ensure health and safety procedures are understood and adhered to
• Adequate welfare provisions for staff at work
• A safe working environment that is properly maintained and where operations within it are conducted safely
• Suitable provision of relevant information, instruction, and supervision

The Act also requires employers to protect the health, safety and welfare at work of all their employees, as well as others on their premises, including temps, casual workers, the self-employed, clients, visitors, and the general public. However, these duties are qualified with the words so far as is reasonably practicable. This means that employers can argue that the costs of a particular safety measure are not justified by the reduction in risk that the measure would produce. The Act allows the government to issue regulations, guidance, and Approved Codes of Practice (ACOPs) for employers. These set out detailed responsibilities for employers in every aspect of workplace health and safety, from working safely with computers to stress and hazardous chemicals. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) was set up under the Act, and it contains powers for the HSE to enforce these employer duties and penalties for non-compliance.