On the frontline 12: Keeping healthy and safe in the optical practice

We cover health and safety in the Level 3 optical assistant (OA) apprenticeship but what do OAs based in an optical practice need to learn and why? 

All practices have legal obligations under the Health and Safety at Work Act (HSWA) 1974. It is the most important and main piece of health and safety at work legislation – it is updated twice each year. 

The Act has two main objectives: 

The Act applies to all workplaces regardless of their size and makes all employees responsible for health and safety – it is not only the responsibility of managers and employers.