Implications of health and safety legislation

The UK Health and Safety at Work Act is described; the duties of the employer, including manufacturers, importers and suppliers, and of the employee for health and safety are laid down. This Act provides the necessary legislative framework for the control of carcinogenic, mutagenic and other health hazards at work. Proposed regulations dealing specifically with carcinogenic substances and with the notification of toxic properties will add strength to these general provisions. The implementation of the new regulations will be the responsibility of the Health and Safety Commission, advised by an expert subcommittee. Ad hoc decisions about handling known and suspected carcinogens are made in consultation with employers and employees. For practical purposes, there must be working limits for carcinogens; zero levels and 'lowest levels of detection' are impracticable. The difficulties of defining the criteria by which substances are judged to be carcinogenic to humans are outlined. Science plays only one part in decision-making, and final decisions depend also on social and economic needs.