The health and safety law poster

Published: HSE, March 2009

As from 6 April 2009, HSE is publishing new versions of its approved health and safety poster and leaflet.

The new versions are modern, eye-catching and easy to read. They set out in simple terms, using numbered lists of basic points, what employers and workers must do, and tell you what to do if there is a problem.

Employers can, if they wish, continue to use their existing versions of poster and leaflet until 5 April 2014, as long as they are readable and the addresses of the enforcing authority and the Employment Medical Advisory Service up to date. This information can be obtained from HSE's Infoline on 0845 345 0055.

The leaflet that employers can give to workers, instead of displaying the poster, will be in the form of a pocket card that is better suited to the workplace. These will also be available from 6 April 2009.

As from 6 April 2009 it will only be possible to buy the new law poster and obtain the new pocket cards.

What is the law poster?

Employers have a legal duty under the Health and Safety Information for Employees Regulations (HSIER) to display the poster in a prominent position in each workplace or provide each worker with a copy of the equivalent leaflet outlining British health and safety laws.

Why is it changing?

Recent research showed that the poster and leaflet approved in 1999 are visually unappealing and rarely read. Both workers and employers can expect to benefit from the increased awareness and clearer understanding of key health and safety messages that the new versions will bring. The new poster and pocket card also reduce the administrative cost for employers, who no longer have to add further information and keep this up to date.

Will the information be made available in other formats or languages?

Equivalent easy read and large print leaflets will be produced, along with an MP3 version on the HSE Talking leaflets website. The poster and pocket card will also be available in Welsh.

How can employers obtain the new poster, pocket cards or other formats?

The new law poster, pocket cards and other formats can be ordered from HSE Books (tel: 01787 881165) and will be distributed by HSE Books and booksellers from 6 April 2009 onwards.

Employers will be able to check that they have a genuine HSE law poster by checking the unique, serially numbered hologram on each poster.

HSE has managed to keep the price of the new poster and packs of the pocket cards the same. The poster is being printed using a new fully bio-degradable form of plastic. At current VAT rates the standard version costs £7.34. The semi-rigid version costs £11.75. Packs of the pocket card cost £5.00

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