The Health and Safety Information (Amendment) Regulations 1989 already requires employers to provide health and safety information, including the contact details for the local health and safety enforcing authority office and Employment Medical Advisory Service (EMAS) office, to their employees by displaying, in a prominent position within the workplace the approved poster or giving each employee the approved leaflet. The amendments to this Regulation has allowed the HSE to approve and publish new posters and leaflets, which do not require the addition or updating of enforcing authority and EMAS contact information by businesses displaying them.

As from 6th April 2009 the HSE is publishing new versions of its approved health and safety poster and leaflet. To avoid an unnecessary burden on business the HSE has set a five year transition period. The current poster and leaflets must be replaced by the new versions by no later than 5th April 2014. However, employers who choose to retain the old poster after 6th April 2009 do need to make sure it is readable and keep the addresses of the enforcing authority and the Employment Medical Advisory Service up to date. This information can be obtained from HSE’s Infoline on 0845 345 0055. There is consequently no immediate requirement for businesses to purchase the new poster.

The leaflet that employers can give to workers, instead of displaying the poster, will be in the form of a pocket card that is better suited to the workplace. These will also be available from 6th April 2009. As from 6th April 2009 it will only be possible to buy the new law poster and obtain the new pocket cards.

The new poster and pocket card set out in simple terms, using numbered lists of basic points, what employers and workers must do, as well as showing what to do if there is a problem.

They are more visually appealing, simpler and more accessible for workers. They also reduce the administrative cost for employers, who no longer have to add further information and keep this up to date, although there is a space to add details of your Health & Safety representatives and a further space for other Health & safety contact information

What are the features of the new poster?

The new poster will:

• embody the Royal Coat of Arms. This means that it can only be reproduced by Crown bodies; and

• be produced using environmentally friendly materials; and incorporate unique security features involving hologram technology; and be serially numbered; and

• continue to be priced by the HSE at £6.38 + VAT for the standard format (ISBN 978 0 7176 6314 9) and £10.22 + VAT for the semi-rigid version (ISBN 978 0 7176 6339 2) despite increased material, production and distribution costs although, as a result of our buying power, we are selling these posters for £5.75 plus VAT.