Ensuring Health Safety Heathrow Airport

Introduction

The health and safety at the workplace are important for the employees as it promotes wellness of them as well as their employer and leads the employees to work with value due to presence of a safe and secure working atmosphere. In this assignment, the health and safety condition and management at Heathrow Airport is to be discussed.

The Health and Safety legislation at workplace is referred to the government acts and principles set to be maintained by the organisation so that wellness for the employees, as well as others at workplace, can be achieved and a protected working environment can be established (). In Heathrow Airport, different health and safety legislation indicated by the Health and Safety Executive are followed. The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) regulation indicates that employers are to design the workplace in such a way so that the employees are protected against any effect of fumes, chemicals, dust and others (www.hse.gov.uk, 2002). The Heathrow Airport follows COSHH according to which they store flammable substances such as acetylene and others on the area so that the safety of the employees working at the place is ensured (www.heathrow.com, 2018). Heathrow Airport also follows the Data Protection Act so that the data of the employees at the airport are securely stored. The Health and Safety at Work 1974 informs wide range of duties for the employers to ensure health and safety at the workplace (www.hse.gov.uk, 1974). Heathrow Airport follows the Act and accordingly frames the policy guidelines and safety training in the organisation to ensure protection to the employees (www.heathrow.com, 2018).

The Regulation Reform Fire Safety Order and BAA Airport Fire Safety Plan are the legislation and guidance applied by Heathrow Airport to ensure fire safety at the place (www.era.lib.ed.ac.uk, 2019; www.heathrow.com, 2018). The application of the legislation and guidance has a major impact on the Airport which is evident as no major fire breakout is been experienced. Moreover, all the employees are well-knowledgeable about the way to work to control fire accidents and protect them along with the place during accidental fire breakout in the Airport. The Heathrow Airport has also implemented various Acts under the Public Health Legislation such as the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, Equality Act 2010 and others (www.heathrow.com, 2018; www.gov.uk, 2010; www.legislation.gov.uk, 1995). The implication of the Act has a major impact on the organisation to avoid discrimination of employees at work. The Building Regulations are also implemented within the Airport (www.heathrow.com, 2018).). This has majorly affected them to avoid the unauthorised building of any structure that may be accidental in nature, in turn, ensure health and safety at the workplace. Smoking is referred to as health hazard because the smoke from tobacco even taken passively negatively affects the health of the individuals (www.heathrow.com, 2018). Thus, Smoking Policies are being implemented in the Airport which had a major effect to avoid health hazards to employees and visitors at the place as a result of passive intake of smoke. The Heathrow Airport has implemented different Risk Assessment and Management legislation and policies all over the place to ensure safety of the employees. This has impacted them to avoid unnecessary accidents at the place (www.heathrow.com, 2018).

In 2018, Heathrow Airport is found to be responsible for breach in data of employees which hindered the safety of the staffs as their personal data was exposed. This happened when a USB stick containing 1000 confidential files and 76 folders with names, passport details, date of birth and other information related to the aviation security staffs were lost. The breach in data which hindered the safety of the security personals of the airport led Heathrow Airport to face fine of £120,000 from the UK Information Commissioner Office (ICO) (securitytoday.com, 2018). Thus, the safety issue created for the employees at the Airport leads the organisation to face financial loss in the form of fine.

In relation to Health and Safety at Heathrow Airport, the employers are responsible to ensure that proper fire training is offered annually to each of the employees. Moreover, the employers are to maintain up-dated fire risk assessment, ensure effective installation of electric goods, build safe accommodations, ensure proper and safe transfer and handling of goods and others. The employees are responsible for executing working activities by following the guidelines and policies mentioned at the workplace (www.heathrow.com, 2018). For instance, to ensure safe and secured storage of employee data the employer at the Heathrow Airport is responsible for the act. In case of any accidents or probable risk, the employees are responsible to alert concerned authorities to maintain health and safety at the pace.

Analysing the way system within Heathrow Airport conform legislation related to:

a. Data protection: The Data Protection Act 2018 informs that employers are responsible for securing personal data of the employees and no data is to be shared without the prior permission of the employees (www.legislation.gov.uk, 2018). The Heathrow Airport follows this Act and has recruited the Data Protection Officer to ensure the guidelines of the Act are properly followed for the protection of personal data of the employees (www.heathrow.com, 2018).

b. Copyright: In Heathrow Airport, the copyrights are maintained according to the policy guidelines set by the LHR Airports Limited. The rules are properly looked after by the data security officer at the Heathrow Airport so that no violation of the policy is experienced (www.heathrow.com, 2018).

c. freedom of information: The Freedom of Information Act 2000 offers an advantage to the public to have the right access to any data held by any public authorities (www.legislation.gov.uk, 2000). In Heathrow Airport, the employees involved in solving queries of the public and customers follow the guidance of the Act (www.heathrow.com, 2018).

d. security and safeguarding of customers: The Security-Safeguarding Civil Aviation Against Acts of Unlawful Interferences is followed by the Heathrow Airport to ensure the protection of the customers from any unlawful activities at the airport (www.heathrow.com, 2018; www.icao.int, 2018).

Conclusion

The above discussion informs that Heathrow Airport has faced data breach for which they have experienced financial punishment. However, they are following Data Protection Act 2018, Freedom of Information Act 2000, ensures fire protection and others to ensure health and safety at the workplace for the employees, visitors as well as employers at the organisation.

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References

• securitytoday.com 2018, Heathrow Airport Fined Over USB Data Breach, Available at:
• www.era.lib.ed.ac.uk 2019, Fire and rescue operations at Heathrow Airport, Available at: [Accessed on: 28 March 2019]
• www.heathrow.com 2018, Safety guidance: Heathrow Airport, Available at: [Accessed on: 28 March 2019]
• www.heathrow.com 2018, Fit-out-guidelines, Available at:[Accessed on: 31 March 2019]
• www.heathrow.com 2018, Fire Safety Guidance, Available at: [Accessed on: 30 March 2019]
• www.hse.gov.uk 1974, Health and Safety at Work 1974, Available at:
• www.hse.gov.uk 2002, Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH), Available at:
• www.icao.int 2018, Reporting of Acts of Unlawful Interference, Available at:
• www.legislation.gov.uk 1995, Disability Discrimination Act 1995, Available at:
• www.legislation.gov.uk 2000, Freedom of Information Act 2000,
• www.legislation.gov.uk 2018, Data Protection Act 2018, Available at: