1.2. How health and safety is regulated and the consequences of non-compliance?
The Role of Enforcement Agencies
The framework for regulating health and safety will vary across the world. Most legislation is driven by a framework of Acts, regulations and support material including Codes of Practice and Standards.
In European countries there is another layer of legislation known as Directives, above the Member States’ own legislation. The US system of federal and individual state legislation is very similar.
The role of national regulatory authority is crucial to the successful implementation of an occupational health and safety management system. In many parts of the world, such as south-east Asia, formal adoption of a recognised management system is required with third-party auditing by government-approved auditors. In the USA, organizations with approved management systems may be exempted from normal inspections by the occupational safety and health administration.
