9. Physical hazards at work

This chapter covers the regulations and latest union and Health and Safety Executive (HSE) guidance around physical hazards in the workplace. It highlights the most common physical hazards during the Covid-19 pandemic, especially in relation to homeworking, before covering the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 (and how they work with the Equality Act 2010); fire safety: the Building Regulations 2010 (Part B), Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005,Fire Safety Act 2021 and the new Building Safety Bill; excessive noise and the damage it can cause: Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005, Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005 and protection from all types of radiation: the Ionising Radiations Regulations 2017,Radiation (Emergency Preparedness and Public Information) Regulations 2019, Control of Electromagnetic Fields at Work Regulations 2016 and Control of Artificial Optical Radiation at Work Regulations 2010; as well as the regulations for working with electricity, gas, in confined spaces, pressure systems and compressed air.