Police (Health and Safety) Act 1997

1 Application of Part I of Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 to police

After section 51 of the [1974 c. 37.] Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 there is inserted—

“51A Application of Part to police

(1) For the purposes of this Part, a person who, otherwise than under a contract of employment, holds the office of constable or an appointment as police cadet shall be treated as an employee of the relevant officer.

(2) In this section “the relevant officer”—

(a) in relation to a member of a police force or a special constable or police cadet appointed for a police area, means the chief officer of police,

(b) in relation to a person holding office under section 9(1)(b) or 55(1)(b) of the Police Act 1997 (police members of the National Criminal Intelligence Service and the National Crime Squad) means the Director General of the National Criminal Intelligence Service or, as the case may be, the Director General of the National Crime Squad, and

(c) in relation to any other person holding the office of constable or an appointment as police cadet, means the person who has the direction and control of the body of constables or cadets in question.

(3) For the purposes of regulations under section 2(4) above—

(a) the Police Federation for England and Wales shall be treated as a recognised trade union recognised by each chief officer of police in England and Wales,

(b) the Police Federation for Scotland shall be treated as a recognised trade union recognised by each chief officer of police in Scotland, and

(c) any body recognised by the Secretary of State for the purposes of section 64 of the Police Act 1996 shall be treated as a recognised trade union recognised by each chief officer of police in England, Wales and Scotland.

(4) Regulations under section 2(4) above may provide, in relation to persons falling within subsection (2)(b) or (c) above, that a body specified in the regulations is to be treated as a recognised trade union recognised by such person as may be specified.”