would be covered under health and safety
Making the workplace safe and healthy
So that the work premises provide a safe and healthy place to work, your employer should:
make sure that workplaces are properly ventilated, with clean and fresh air
keep temperatures at a comfortable level (a minimum of 13 degrees C where the work involves physical activity; 16 degrees C for 'sedentary' workplaces (eg offices) - there's no maximum limit)
light premises so that employees can work and move about safely
keep the workplace and equipment clean
ensure that workrooms are big enough to allow easy movement (at least 11 cubic metres per person)
provide workstations to suit the employees and the work
keep the workplace and equipment in good working order
make floors, walkways, stairs, roadways etc safe to use
protect people from falling from height or into dangerous substances
store things so they're unlikely to fall and cause injuries
fit openable windows, doors and gates with safety devices if needed
provide suitable washing facilities and clean drinking water
if necessary, provide somewhere for employees to get changed and to store their own clothes
set aside areas for rest breaks and to eat meals, including suitable facilities for pregnant women and nursing mothers
let employees take appropriate rest breaks and their correct holiday entitlement
**make sure that employees who work alone, or off-site, can do so safely and healthily
Exceptions to the regulations
The rights to breaks apply differently to you if:
you have to travel a long distance from your home to get to work or you constantly work in different places making it difficult to work to a set pattern
you're doing security or surveillance-based work
you're working in an industry with busy peak periods, like agriculture, retail or tourism
there's an emergency or risk of an accident
the job needs round-the-clock staffing (e.g. hospital work)
you're employed in the rail industry and you work on board trains or your activities are irregular or linked to seeing that trains run on time
Instead of getting normal breaks, you're entitled to 'compensatory rest', which is rest taken later, ideally during the same or following working day. The principle is that everyone gets 90 hours rest a week on average, although some rest may come slightly later than normal.
There are separate special rules for mobile workers in air, sea and road transport. The armed forces, emergency services and police are excluded in some circumstances.