Safe place of work
The duty on employers to maintain the workplace itself, including means of access and egress, in a safe condition and free from risks to health and safety.
By jurisdiction
UK HSE
“safe place of work”Exact equivalentSection 2(2)(d) of HSWA 1974 requires employers to maintain, so far as is reasonably practicable, any place of work under their control in a condition that is safe and without risks to health, and to provide and maintain means of access to and egress from it that are safe and without such risks. The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 supplement this with specific requirements.
Irish HSA
“safe place of work”Close equivalentSection 8(2)(a) of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 requires employers to manage and conduct work activities in such a way as to ensure safety, health and welfare, which encompasses the condition of the workplace. The General Application Regulations 2007 (Part 2, Chapter 1) set specific workplace standards.
US OSHA
“general working conditions”Close equivalentOSHA 29 CFR 1910.22 (general industry) requires that all places of employment, passageways, storerooms and service rooms be kept clean and orderly and in a sanitary condition. Walking-working surfaces must be kept free of hazards. The General Duty Clause also requires a place of employment free from recognised hazards.
Practitioner note: Covers access and egress, not just the work position itself. Traffic routes, stairs and temporary arrangements all fall within it.