Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974

49 Adaptation of enactments to metric units or appropriate metric units. U.K.

(1) [F1 Regulations made under this subsection may amend]—

(a) any of the relevant statutory provisions; or

(b) any provision of an enactment which relates to any matter relevant to any of the general purposes of this Part but is not among the relevant statutory provisions; or

(c) any provision of an instrument made or having effect under any such enactment as is mentioned in the preceding paragraph,

by substituting an amount or quantity expressed in metric units for an amount or quantity not so expressed or by substituting an amount or quantity expressed in metric units of a description specified in the regulations for an amount or quantity expressed in metric units of a different description.

(2) The amendments shall be such as to preserve the effect of the provisions mentioned except to such extent as in the opinion of the [F1 authority making the regulations] is necessary to obtain amounts expressed in convenient and suitable terms.

(3) Regulations made F2 . . . under this subsection may, in the case of a provision which falls within any of paragraphs (a) to (c) of subsection (1) above and contains words which refer to units other than metric units, repeal those words [F1 if the authority making the regulations] is of the opinion that those words could be omitted without altering the effect of that provision.

[F3 (4) The power to make regulations under this section shall be exercisable by the Secretary of State F4 . . .].

Textual Amendments

F1 Words substituted by Employment Protection Act 1975 (c. 71), Sch. 15 para. 15(1)

F2 Words repealed by Employment Protection Act 1975 (c. 71), Sch. 18

F3 S. 49(4) substituted by Employment Protection Act 1975 (c. 71), Sch. 15 para. 15(2)

F4 Words in s. 49(4) repealed (27.3.2002) by S.I. 2002/794, art. 5(2), Sch. (with art. 6)

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 Pt. 1 modified (1.1.2018) by The Ionising Radiations Regulations 2017 (S.I. 2017/1075), regs. 1(2), 2(3) (with regs. 2(5), 3, Sch. 8)

C2 Ss. 1–25, 26, 27, 28, 30, 33, 34–59, 80, 81 and 82 applied by S.I. 1989/840, arts. 2–10

C3 Ss. 1-59, 80-82 applied (11.7.2001) by S.I. 2001/2127, arts. 4(1), 5(1)(2), 6(1), 7(1), 8(1), 10 (with art. 11) (as amended by S.I. 2009/1750, art. 2(2)(4))

C4 Ss. 1-59, 80-82 applied (temp.) (5.8.2009) by The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (Application outside Great Britain) Order 2001 (S.I. 2001/2127), arts. 8A, 8B (as inserted by S.I. 2009/1750, art. 2(3))

C5 Ss. 1-59 applied by S.I. 2001/2127 art. 8A 8B (as inserted (E.W.S.) (6.4.2011) by The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (Application outside Great Britain) (Variation) Order 2011 (S.I. 2011/745), arts. 1(1), 3(2))