Tree
Policy
Trees and your power supply: An
Introduction to the Electricity (Hazards from Trees) Regulations
2003
Click
here for the Regulations pdf
Click
here to go to the Government Legislation web page
A Guide
to Trees and Powerlines
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Am I Liable?
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When Do I Have A Duty to Warn
People About Hazards?
Section 16 of the Health and Safety in Employment
(HSE) Act 1992 was amended in March 1998. Now people who
control workplaces, including farmers, have only a simple
DUTY TO WARN VISITORS, who have permission to be on their
properties, of any significant out-of-the-ordinary, work-related
hazards that they know about.
This leaflet answers questions you may have about this change
to the law.
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Why has the
Law Changed?
Farmers were worried about their liability
under the HSE Act if visitors to their farm, including recreational
visitors such as hunters and anglers, were harmed.
The amendment makes it clear that you CANNOT BE HELD LIABLE
as long as you warn authorised visitors of any significant
out-of-the-ordinary hazards arising from work in the farm
which you know about.
Now, under Section 16 of the Act, you have
two types of duties:
• A DUTY TO WARN authorised visitors
• A FULL DUTY to employees, contractors,
and people who are paying customers (this is explained later).
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You are not
Liable...
Under the Health and Safety in Employment
Act, if anyone comes on to your land WITH YOUR PERMISSION
and suffers harm, whether from a work-related hazard or
any other hazard.
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| Is
this a place where people work? |
|
No
Duty to Warn |
| 
|
|
|
| Do
you control the place of work? |
|
No
Duty to Warn |
|
|
|
|
| Do
you know of any work-related hazards in your workplace? |
|
No
Duty to Warn |
|
|
|
|
| Is
the hazard significant? |
|
No
Duty to Warn |
|
|
|
|
| Is
it an out-of-the-orinary hazard for the workplace? |
|
No
Duty to Warn |
|
|
|
|
| Does
the person have legal authority to be in place? |
|
|
|
|
| Has
the person given verbal notice that they will be working
in the place? |
|
Have
you given express permission for the person to be
there? |
|
|
Duty
to Warn |
|
| No
Duty to Warn |
|
No
Duty to Warn |
| |
Provided
by |
|
| 
|
FEDERATED
FARMERS |
|
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|
