General duties of Controllers of Premises

A "controller of premises is a person who has control of premises used by people as a place of work, including a person who has only limited control of the premises, and, under any contract or lease, an obligation to maintain or repair the premises.

(Refer : www.lawinsider.com)

As per the HSWA Act 1974

(Refer: www.legislation.gov.uk, HSWA Act 1974 , Section4)

To the extent that they have control, controllers of premises are responsible for ensuring that the premises are safe to use as a workplace, and that there is safe access(entry) to it and egress(exit) from it.

(3) Where a person has, by virtue of any contract or tenancy, an obligation of any extent in relation to—

(a) the maintenance or repair of any premises to which this section applies or any means of access thereto or egress therefrom; or
(b) the safety of or the absence of risks to health arising from plant or substances in any such premises;

General duties of Controllers of Premises:

To identify hazards: A Controller of Premises must identify any foreseeable hazard arising from the premises that has the potential to harm the health or safety of any person accessing, using, or egressing from the premises.
To assess risks: A controller of premises must assess the risk of harm to the health or safety of any person arising from any hazard identified in accordance with this Division.
To eliminate or control risks: A controller of premises must eliminate any risk, arising from the premises, to the health or safety of any person accessing, using, or egressing from the premises.
To review risk assessments and control measures: A controller of premises must review a risk assessment, and any measures adopted to control the risk.
To provide information: A controller of premises must provide other persons who have responsibilities under this Regulation with all available information that is necessary to enable the other persons to fulfil their responsibilities with respect to identifying hazards, assessing risks arising from those hazards, eliminating or controlling those risks.