The health and safety act was introduced to protect the welfare of people of the workplace. Before being introduced in 1974 it was estimated that 8 million employees had no legal safety protection at their workplace. Safety is everybody’s responsibility. The employees and organisations must comply with the following rules for the health and safety system to work. 1.To provide adequate control of the health and safety risks that appear from work activities. 2. To consult with employees or colleagues with the matters affecting their health and safety 3. To maintain safe and healthy working conditions. 4. To provide information, instruction and supervision for their workplace.

5. To ensure staff are aware of instructions provided off the suppliers or manufacturers of the equipment being used. 6. To ensure safe handling and use of substances. 7. To avoid accidents and cases of work – related ill health. 8. To ensure that all employees are able to do their tasks i.e. to ensure that employees can cope with the duties the job entails. This will be done through adequate training. 9. Employers should ensure that there are adequate training schemes in operation to ensure that employees are given the correct safety training for the equipment they use and the environment in which this equipment is situated.

The computer Misuse act 1990 is a law in the United Kingdom that makes illegal activities such has hacking into other peoples systems, the misusing of software and helping other people access protected files of someone else’s computer serious crimes. The computer misuse act allows people to be prosecuted if they commit one of the following crimes- Unauthorised access to certain computer material for example copying programmes illegally. Unauthorised access with intent to commit a crime. To gain unauthorised access data for blackmail purposes. This mostly relates to the hacking and dispensing viruses. Although other computer offences can be attempted in this act.

The Copyright act makes it illegal to copy and use a file or software without the owners permission. The consequences if you are found guilty of breaking the rules of this act are up to 5 years imprisonment and a hefty fine. Several other countries have based their own acts on the 1990 misuse act using it as a model for their own act. The computer misuse act is an act passed by the government of the United Kingdom.

Copyright, Design and Patent act was introduced to protect the copyright of individuals who have created original pieces. For example authors of books, composers of music and software developer. This act gives creators of literacy, dramatic, musical and artistic works the right to decide the ways in which their material may be used. Software privacy has become a huge problem with people frequently copying items of friends or buying illegal copies of products from markets or other such places. It has been estimated lately that at least a staggering 40% Of all software is copied.

The penalties for this act are up to two years imprisonment and unlimited fines. Interpretation is related to the single creation rather than the idea behind the creation. For example, your idea for a musical or film would not itself be protected, but the actual content of the musical or film you write would be. In other words, someone else is still permitted to write their own book around the same idea, provided they do not directly copy or adapt yours to do so. Some of the types of work covered under this act are as follows – Dramatics – plays, dance etc Artistic- Photography, Painting, logos Literary – Song lyrics, manuscripts, Computer Programmes, newsletters and articles.

The Data protection act gives you the right to know what information is held about you, and lays out the rules to be followed for this information to be handled in a proper manner. The act works in two ways, firstly it says that anyone who processes personal information must conform with eight principles, which make sure that all personal information is: Processed fairly and lawfully Processed for limited purposes Adequate, Relevant and excessive Accurate, when required, kept up to date

Not kept for longer than is necessary Processed in agreement, with your rights Kept Secure Not to be transferred to the countries without the adequate protection The second part covered by the act is that individuals with important rights, to help them find out what personal information is being held on a computer and most paper records. If the individual or an organisation is unable to access any personal information, they are allowed to, or if they feel that their data has not been handled according to the policy of the eight principles. Then they can contact the information Commissioners Office for assistance.