
1 
These Regulations may be cited as the Police (Health and Safety) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2000 and shall come into operation on 24th April 2000.
2 
For the purposes of Regulations made under Part II of the 1978 Order before the coming into operation of the Police (Health and Safety) (Northern Ireland) Order 1997—
(a) a person who, otherwise than under a contract of employment, holds the office of constable shall be treated as an employee of the relevant officer referred to in Article 47A of the 1978 Order; and
(b) a person holding the office of constable shall be treated as at work throughout the time when he is on duty but not otherwise,and any reference to an “employee” and “at work” in those Regulations shall have effect accordingly.
3 

(1) The Safety Representatives and Safety Committees Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1979 shall be amended in accordance with paragraphs (2) to (6).
(2) In regulation 2(1), in the definition of “recognised trade union”, before the words “means an independent trade union” there shall be inserted the words “, subject to regulation 2A,”.
(3) After regulation 2, the following regulation shall be inserted:“
2A 
In relation to the undertaking listed in column 1 of Schedule 1, the body specified in column 2 shall be treated as a recognised trade union, recognised by the person specified in column 3.”.
(4) In regulation 4(2), for the words “the Schedule” there shall be substituted the words “Schedule 2”.
(5) The Schedule shall be numbered as Schedule 2 and before that Schedule there shall be inserted as Schedule 1 the Schedule set out as follows—“
SCHEDULE 1
Regulation 2A


Column 1 Column 2 Column 3
Name of undertaking Name of body Specified person
National Criminal Intelligence Service Police Association for Northern Ireland Director General of the National Criminal Intelligence Service.”.
4 

(1) The Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1993 shall be amended in accordance with paragraphs (2) and (3).
(2) In regulation 4(1), for the words “Every employer”, there shall be substituted the words “Subject to paragraph (1A), every employer”.
(3) After paragraph (1), there shall be inserted the following paragraph—“
(1A) Where the characteristics of any policing activity are such that compliance by the relevant officer with the requirement in paragraph (1) would lead to an inevitable conflict with the exercise of police powers or performance of police duties, that requirement shall be complied with so far as is reasonably practicable.”.
5 
For regulation 4(4) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1999 there shall be substituted the following paragraph—“
(4) In this regulation “suitable”—
(a) subject to sub-paragraph (b), means suitable in any respect which it is reasonably foreseeable will affect the health or safety of any person;
(b) in relation to—
(i) an offensive weapon within the meaning of Article 22(2) of the Public Order (Northern Ireland) Order 1987 provided for use as self-defence or as deterrent equipment; and
(ii) work equipment provided for use for arrest or restraint,
by a person who holds the office of constable, means suitable in any respect which it is reasonably foreseeable will affect the health or safety of such person.”.
Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment on 14th March 2000.
Adrianne L. Brown
A senior Officer of the
Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment
