A committee was appointed by the government in 1970 to consider the whole range of law relating to occupational health and safety. It reported in 1972 and fundamentally criticised the existing legal frame­work. Following this the government introduced le­gislative proposals based on a report in May 1973 and these were passed into law on 31 July 1974.

The Act provides for the establishment of the Health and Safety Commission and the Health and Safety Executive and makes further provision for securing the health and safety and welfare for persons at work, for protecting others against risks to health or safety in connection with the activities of persons at work, and other activities related to health and safety at work.

Provisions are contained for the mass of detailed and technical legislation which was previously adminis-

tered and enforced by a variety of statutory agencies to be replaced by a simpler coherent and co-ordinated body of regulations supported by practical guidance and coming under the scrutiny of one central policy making and enforcing body. That body is the Health and Safety Commission with its enforcing arm, the Health and Safety Executive. The Nuclear Installations Act 1965 (as amended) provides the necessary relevant statutory provisions of the main Act and thus contains the main safety legislation regulating the health and safety standards of nuclear installations in the United Kingdom.

The Health and Safety Executive may issue nuclear site licences under the powers granted by the Nuclear installations Act and attach such conditions to these licences as considered necessary. Within the Executive, the Nil has the responsibility for determining and maintaining the relevant safety requirements and for ensuring that the necessary precautions are effected by the licensee.

In addition to the flexible and effective control over the nuclear licensee given by the conditions attached to the site licence, the Health and Safety at Work Act contains additional means of enforcement by giving the Nil the power to serve improvement notices or prohibition notices.

The Ionising Radiations Regulations 1985 were is­sued under the requirements of the Health and Safety at Work Etc. Act and replace the radiological control requirements previously included as conditions in the nuclear site licence.