It is possible that the general duty in s 6 has less significance now that product harmonisation in the EC has led to the identification of standards for many commodities and regulatory provisions, some EC inspired, have been introduced to deal with specific hazards. See the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 1999 and the Chemicals (Hazard Information and Packaging) Regulations 1993:

General duties of manufacturers, etc, as regards articles and substances for use at work

(1) It shall be the duty of any person who designs, manufactures, imports or supplies any article for use at work or any article of fairground equipment-

(a) to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that the article is so designed and constructed as to be safe and without risks to health when it is being set, used, cleaned or maintained by a person at work;

(b) to carry out or arrange for the carrying out of such testing and examination as may be necessary for the performance of the duty imposed on him by the preceding paragraph;

(c) to take such steps as are necessary to secure that persons supplied by that person with the article are provided with adequate information about the use for which the article is designed or has been tested and about any conditions necessary to ensure that it will be safe and without risks to health at all such times as are mentioned in paragraph (a) above and when it is being dismantled or disposed of;

(d) to take such steps as are necessary to secure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that persons so supplied are provided with all such revisions of information provided to them by virtue of the preceding paragraph as are necessary by reason of its becoming known that anything gives rise to a serious risk to health or safety.