Approved Code of Practice
A document approved by a national authority that gives practical guidance on how to comply with health and safety law. Failure to follow one is not an offence, but a court can use that failure as evidence of a breach of the underlying duty.
The same term carries different legal meaning across frameworks. Read each jurisdiction entry carefully.
Also known as
By jurisdiction
UK HSE
ACOPExact equivalentApproved under section 16 of HSWA 1974. An ACOP gives practical guidance on how to comply with specific statutory requirements. Failure to follow an ACOP is not in itself an offence, but a court may treat failure as evidence of a breach of the relevant duty.
Irish HSA
“code of practice”Close equivalentThe Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005, section 60, enables the HSA to approve codes of practice. Approved codes are admissible in evidence in proceedings for a breach of a relevant statutory provision.
US OSHA
“ACOP”No equivalentNo equivalent in this jurisdiction.
Practitioner note: ACOP status does not make the code mandatory, but a failure to follow it is admissible as evidence of non-compliance, shifting the burden of proof to the employer in prosecution.