Legal framework to promote high standards of health and safety at work. It sets out general duties employers have towards employees, customers and the general public. It also sets out the duties that employees have towards themselves and their colleagues. The duties are based on the ideal of ‘so far as is reasonably practicable’ meaning the time, cost and difficulty to avoid or reduce a risk have to be balanced against the degree of risk itself. Persons with five or more employees must have a written safety policy. The law is enforced by HSE inspectors or environmental health officers. Where problems exist they may issue improvement notices or prohibition notices. Criminal prosecutions can be against companies and individuals. See HEALTH AND SAFETY COMMISSION; HEALTH AND SAFETY EXECUTIVE.