Unit 3: Working in the Leisure, Travel and Tourism Industry
Chapter: Health and Safety in the Workplace
Welcome to your study notes for Health and Safety in the Workplace! Whether you are visiting a busy theme park, working at an airport check-in desk, or training in a fitness club, keeping everyone safe is the number one priority. In this chapter, you will learn the laws, duties, and practical steps needed to protect staff and visitors across Northern Ireland's leisure, travel, and tourism industry.
Don't worry if legal terms seem a little tricky at first—we will break down every concept step-by-step with real-world examples that you can use directly in your Unit 3 Controlled Assessment portfolio.
1. The Law in Northern Ireland: Statutory Framework
Every workplace must follow health and safety laws. Because CCEA qualifications are based in Northern Ireland, it is essential to name the correct Northern Ireland legislation in your portfolio and exams.
The Main Law: Health and Safety at Work (Northern Ireland) Order 1978
The Health and Safety at Work (Northern Ireland) Order 1978 is the primary piece of legislation governing occupational health, safety, and welfare across all leisure, travel, and tourism businesses in Northern Ireland.
Top Tip for Controlled Assessment: Avoid writing the English act (Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974) alone. Always refer to the Health and Safety at Work (Northern Ireland) Order 1978 to show specific regional knowledge.
Employer Responsibilities
Employers have a legal duty of care to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety, and welfare of all employees, customers, and visitors. Their legal duties include:
• Safe Work Equipment: Providing and maintaining machinery and gear that is safe to use (for example, gym treadmills, kitchen ovens, or luggage conveyor belts).
• Safe Systems of Work: Setting up clear, step-by-step safety rules for daily tasks (such as pool cleaning procedures or luggage-handling techniques).
• Welfare Facilities: Providing adequate rest areas, clean drinking water, clean toilets, and washing facilities.
• Information, Instruction, Training, and Supervision: Giving all staff—especially new and young workers during induction—proper health and safety training.
• Insurance: Holding and displaying a valid Employers' Liability Compulsory Insurance certificate.
Employee Responsibilities
Health and safety is not just the manager's job. Employees also have clear legal duties under the 1978 Order:
• Take Reasonable Care: Looking after their own health and safety and making sure their actions do not endanger others (such as guests or co-workers).
• Cooperate with Employers: Following safety rules, attending mandatory training, and following instructions.
• Report Hazards and Accidents: Immediately reporting broken equipment, spills, near-misses, or injuries to a supervisor.
• Use PPE Correctly: Wearing and properly using all provided Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), such as high-visibility vests on an airport runway or non-slip footwear in a commercial kitchen.
Key Takeaway: Safety is a shared two-way street. Employers must provide a safe environment and training, while employees must follow rules, use equipment properly, and report hazards.
2. Hazards and Risks: Knowing the Difference
A very common mistake in GCSE coursework is mixing up the words hazard and risk. They mean two different things!
What is a Hazard?
A hazard is anything that has the potential to cause harm.
Examples in Leisure, Travel, and Tourism:
• A wet, tiled floor next to a hotel swimming pool.
• A frayed electrical cable on a gym treadmill.
• Heavy suitcases needing to be lifted into an aeroplane cargo hold.
• Cleaning chemicals used in hotel housekeeping.
What is a Risk?
A risk is the chance (or likelihood) that someone will be harmed by the hazard, together with an indication of how severe that harm could be.
Example: If a swimming pool walkway is wet (hazard), the risk is that a customer running along the edge might slip, fall, and break an arm (high likelihood and severe harm).
Everyday Analogy
Think of a lion in a secure cage at a zoo. The lion is the hazard (it has the potential to bite or cause harm). If the cage door is locked tight, the risk of a visitor getting bitten is extremely low. If the door is left open, the risk becomes dangerously high!
Key Takeaway: A hazard is the source of harm; risk is the chance and severity of harm actually happening.
3. The Five Steps of Risk Assessment
The Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI) sets out a standard 5-step process that leisure and tourism businesses must follow to manage risks.
Step 1: Identify the Hazards
Walk around the workplace, inspect equipment, talk to staff, and check accident books to spot anything that could cause injury or illness.
Step 2: Decide Who Might Be Harmed and How
Think about everyone who enters the premises, including:
• Staff members (e.g., receptionists, lifeguards, chefs).
• Customers and visitors (e.g., families, tourists).
• Contractors and delivery drivers.
• Vulnerable groups, such as young children, elderly visitors, or people with disabilities.
Step 3: Evaluate the Risks and Decide on Control Measures
Consider how likely harm is to happen and what precautions are needed. Can the hazard be removed completely? If not, how can the risk be controlled? Control measures include:
• Putting up yellow warning signs around wet floors.
• Providing staff with manual handling training for lifting luggage.
• Fitting safety guards on machinery.
Step 4: Record the Significant Findings and Implement Them
Write down what hazards were found, who is at risk, and what actions are being taken to fix them. Put the plan into action across the workplace.
Step 5: Review the Risk Assessment and Update if Necessary
Workplaces change over time. Risk assessments must be reviewed periodically, or immediately if new equipment is bought, new staff are hired, or an accident occurs.
Memory Aid: The 5 Steps
Remember the letters I-D-E-R-R:
1. I - Identify hazards
2. D - Decide who might be harmed
3. E - Evaluate risks & control measures
4. R - Record findings
5. R - Review & update
4. Workplace Regulations and Operational Safety
Leisure, travel, and tourism businesses must follow several specific operational rules to keep daily activities safe for workers and visitors.
Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations (Northern Ireland)
These regulations focus on the basic working environment. Businesses must provide:
• Adequate ventilation: Fresh or purified air in gyms, kitchens, and offices.
• Suitable temperature: Comfortable indoor heating and working conditions.
• Lighting: Good lighting so people can work safely and see steps or obstacles.
• Cleanliness: Clean floors, clear walkways free from tripping hazards, and proper waste bins.
• Welfare facilities: Clean toilets, washing facilities, and rest areas for breaks.
First Aid at Work Regulations
Businesses must be ready to help anyone injured or taken ill on site. This requires:
• Appropriately stocked and easily accessible first-aid kits.
• Appointed persons or fully qualified first aiders trained in emergency response.
• Clear first-aid signage showing where kits are stored and who the designated first aiders are.
Emergency and Evacuation Procedures
Every leisure facility (hotels, visitor centres, airports) must have clear emergency procedures:
• Clearly marked, unobstructed fire exit routes and illuminated emergency exit signs.
• Safe, designated outdoor assembly points.
• Operational fire alarms and emergency lighting systems tested regularly.
• Regular fire drills so staff and guests know what to do.
• Trained fire marshals / wardens to guide people out safely during an evacuation.
Safeguarding and Vetting (AccessNI)
Leisure and tourism staff often work closely with children and vulnerable groups (for example, holiday rep kids' club staff, swimming coaches, and ski instructors).
• Businesses conduct background vetting checks through AccessNI before hiring staff to ensure they are safe to work with children.
• Businesses must enforce clear safeguarding policies to protect young and vulnerable visitors from harm or abuse.
Disability & Equality Access
Under the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) and equality legislation, leisure and tourism providers must make reasonable adjustments so that facilities are safe and accessible for all guests and staff.
• Physical features: Access ramps, wide doorways, automatic doors, and adapted accessible toilets.
• Safety planning: Preparing Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEPs) to ensure guests or staff with mobility or sensory impairments can be safely evacuated in an emergency.
5. Unit 3 Controlled Assessment Success: Avoiding Common Pitfalls
To score top marks in your Unit 3 portfolio, keep these examiner tips in mind:
1. Always Use Specific Control Measures:
Avoid: Writing vague statements like "the manager must make sure the gym is safe."
Better: "The gym manager must introduce regular Portable Appliance Testing (PAT) for all electrical treadmill cables, schedule daily equipment inspections, and display clear safety usage notices for guests."
2. Use Northern Ireland Terms:
Reference the Health and Safety at Work (Northern Ireland) Order 1978 and AccessNI vetting checks rather than general UK mainland equivalents.
3. Highlight Employee Duties:
Remember to explain that employees also have legal responsibilities to follow safety training and report faults—not just management.
Quick Review Checklist
Before moving on, check that you can:
• Name the primary health and safety law in Northern Ireland (Health and Safety at Work (NI) Order 1978).
• Explain at least three employer duties and three employee duties.
• Clearly define and give examples of a hazard versus a risk.
• List the 5 steps of risk assessment in order (Identify, Decide, Evaluate, Record, Review).
• Describe how businesses manage first aid, fire emergencies, AccessNI checks, and disability access (PEEPs).