- Latest available (Revised)
- Original (As enacted)
There are currently no known outstanding effects for the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, Section 40.
Revised legislation carried on this site may not be fully up to date. At the current time any known changes or effects made by subsequent legislation have been applied to the text of the legislation you are viewing by the editorial team. Please see ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ for details regarding the timescales for which new effects are identified and recorded on this site.
In any proceedings for an offence under any of the relevant statutory provisions consisting of a failure to comply with a duty or requirement to do something so far as is practicable or so far as is reasonably practicable, or to use the best practicable means to do something, it shall be for the accused to prove (as the case may be) that it was not practicable or not reasonably practicable to do more than was in fact done to satisfy the duty or requirement, or that there was no better practicable means than was in fact used to satisfy the duty or requirement.
Modifications etc. (not altering text)
C1S. 40 applied by S.I. 1989/840, arts. 2-10
S. 40 excluded (with saving) (E.W.S.) (1.12.1997) by S.I. 1997/1840, regs. 7, 9
S. 40: power to apply conferred (E.W.S.) (28.8.1995) by 1995 c. 15, ss. 2(4)(j), 5 (with s. 3(5))
S. 40 applied (with modifications) (E.W.S.) (16.4.1996) by S.I. 1996/772, reg. 17
S. 40 applied (15.11.2000) by S.I. 2000/2831, reg. 26(1)(a)
C2Ss. 33-42 applied (with modifications) (1.4.1999) by S.I. 1999/743, reg. 20(1), (2)(3)
C3Ss. 33-42 applied (with modifications) (19.11.1999) by S.I. 1999/2892, reg. 16(1)
Ss. 33-42 applied (20.9.2001) by S.I. 2001/2975, reg. 19(d)
C4Ss. 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))
Ss. 33-42 applied (E.W.S.) (24.7.2002) by S.I. 2002/1689, reg. 14(1)(b)
Ss. 33-42 applied (16.5.2002) by S.I. 2002/1166, reg. 31 (with art. 37)
C5S. 40 applied (with modifications) (E.W.S.) (3.5.2004) by S.I. 2004/129, reg. 23(3)(e); s. 40 applied (with modifications) (E.W.S.) (9.6.2004) by S.I. 2004/1309, reg. 17; s. 40 applied (E.W.S.) (22.4.2005) by S.I. 2005/928, reg. 4(2)(3)(5)(6); s. 40 applied (E.W.S.) (2.4.2006) by S.I. 2006/397, reg. 34(3)(c)
C6Ss. 37-41 applied (with modifications) (E.W.S.) (the amendment coming into force in accordance with art. 1(1) of the amending S.I.) by The Channel Tunnel (Safety) Order 2007 (S.I. 2007/3531), art. 4(2)(3)(h) (subject to (4)-(6)) (with art. 7)
C7Ss. 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))
C8Ss. 33-42 applied (with modifications) (E.W.) (12.8.2009 with application in accordance with reg. 3 of the amending S.I.) by The Major Accident Off-Site Emergency Plan (Management of Waste from Extractive Industries)(England and Wales) Regulations 2009 (S.I. 2009/1927), {reg. 9(1)}
C9Ss. 37-41 applied (with modifications) (E.W.S.) (6.4.2010) by The Rail Vehicle Accessibility (Non-Interoperable Rail System) Regulations 2010 (S.I. 2010/432), reg. 6(2)(3)(g)
C10Ss. 37-41 applied (with modifications) (E.W.S.) (6.4.2010) by The Train Driving Licences and Certificates Regulations 2010 (S.I. 2010/724), regs. 1(2), 38(2)(3)(g)
C11Ss. 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))
C12Ss. 37-41 applied (with modifications) (16.1.2012) by The Railways (Interoperability) Regulations 2011 (S.I. 2011/3066), regs. 1(2), 39(2)(3)(g) (with reg. 3)
C13Ss. 33-42 applied (with modifications) (E.W.S.) (1.9.2013) by The Biocidal Products and Chemicals (Appointment of Authorities and Enforcement) Regulations 2013 (S.I. 2013/1506), regs. 2(1), 8(1) (with reg. 3(4), (5), 8(2)-(7), 31, 32, 33(1))
C14Ss. 33-42 applied (1.3.2014) by The Biocidal Products and Chemicals (Appointment of Authorities and Enforcement) Regulations 2013 (S.I. 2013/1506), regs. 2(4), 19 (with reg. 3(4)(5)313233(1))
C15Ss. 33-42 applied (1.10.2014) by The Genetically Modified Organisms (Contained Use) Regulations 2014 (S.I. 2014/1663), regs. 1, 30(2)(a) (with reg. 3(1)(2))
C16Ss. 33-42 applied (with modifications) (E.W.S.) (1.6.2015) by The Biocidal Products and Chemicals (Appointment of Authorities and Enforcement) Regulations 2013 (S.I. 2013/1506), regs. 2(2), 17(1) (with regs. 3(4)(5), 31, 32, 33(1))
C17Ss. 33-42 applied (with modifications) (E.W.S.) (1.6.2015) by The Control of Major Accident Hazards Regulations 2015 (S.I. 2015/483), regs. 1(1), 27(1)(d) (with regs. 3(2), 27(3))
C18Ss. 33-42 applied (19.7.2015) by The Offshore Installations (Offshore Safety Directive) (Safety Case etc.) Regulations 2015 (S.I. 2015/398), regs. 1, 36(8)(d) (with reg. 4(2), Sch. 14)
C19Ss. 33-42 applied (19.7.2015) by The Offshore Installations (Offshore Safety Directive) (Safety Case etc.) Regulations 2015 (S.I. 2015/398), regs. 1, 36(1)(d) (with reg. 4(2), Sch. 14)
C20Ss. 34-42 applied (with modifications) (30.7.2018) by The Cableway Installations Regulations 2018 (S.I. 2018/816), regs. 1, 21(1)-(3) (with reg. 4)
Latest Available (revised):The latest available updated version of the legislation incorporating changes made by subsequent legislation and applied by our editorial team. Changes we have not yet applied to the text, can be found in the ‘Changes to Legislation’ area.
Original (As Enacted or Made): The original version of the legislation as it stood when it was enacted or made. No changes have been applied to the text.
Geographical Extent: Indicates the geographical area that this provision applies to. For further information see ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.
Show Timeline of Changes: See how this legislation has or could change over time. Turning this feature on will show extra navigation options to go to these specific points in time. Return to the latest available version by using the controls above in the What Version box.
Access essential accompanying documents and information for this legislation item from this tab. Dependent on the legislation item being viewed this may include:
This timeline shows the different points in time where a change occurred. The dates will coincide with the earliest date on which the change (e.g an insertion, a repeal or a substitution) that was applied came into force. The first date in the timeline will usually be the earliest date when the provision came into force. In some cases the first date is 01/02/1991 (or for Northern Ireland legislation 01/01/2006). This date is our basedate. No versions before this date are available. For further information see the Editorial Practice Guide and Glossary under Help.
Use this menu to access essential accompanying documents and information for this legislation item. Dependent on the legislation item being viewed this may include:
Click 'View More' or select 'More Resources' tab for additional information including: