Health and Safety in the UK Workplace: A Practical Guide for Your Business

UK employers are legally required to

manage risks to their staff, visitors and contractors. The primary legislation is the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, supported by others such as the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 and PUWER 1998 (covering work equipment).

This guide sets out the key responsibilities every business must meet, based on law, best practice and experience.

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Health & Safety Policies: Your Written Commitment to Safety

A Health & Safety Policy outlines your organisation’s approach to workplace safety and legal compliance. It sets clear expectations for employees, management and it’s a legal requirement if you employ five or more people.

The policy acts as a foundation for all your safety efforts. It shows regulators, clients and staff that your business is serious about protecting people and staying compliant.

What Should a Health & Safety Policy Include?

Statement of Intent: A clear statement from the business confirming your commitment to providing a safe and healthy working environment.
Roles & Responsibilities: Defines who is responsible for what. This can include senior management, line managers safety representatives and employees. Everyone should know their part in keeping the workplace safe.
Arrangements for Managing Risks: Describes how you identify hazards, carry out risk assessments, implement controls and provide training. This section explains your practical systems.
Review & Updates: Policies should not be static. This section confirms how often you review your policy, typically annually or whenever significant changes occur (e.g. new premises, processes or legislation).

Identifying Risks: Start with a Solid Risk Assessment

Every employer in the UK must carry out suitable and sufficient workplace risk assessments. This involves identifying anything that could cause harm (hazards), deciding who might be affected and how, evaluating the level of risk and taking action to control it.

You must also record your findings (if you have five or more employees) and review the assessment regularly—especially if anything in the workplace changes.

Common hazards include:

Slips and trips from wet floors or cluttered walkways
Poor manual handling, leading to sprains or back injuries
Inadequate lighting or ventilation
Incorrectly used equipment
Stress or mental health strain from workload or environment

Risk assessments should be written down, reviewed regularly and updated after incidents or changes to the workplace. They’re not just a legal formality, they help prevent injuries, insurance claims, and lost time.

Appointing a Competent Person

By law, businesses with more than 5 employees must appoint someone competent to manage health and safety. This could be the business owner, a trained employee or an external adviser.

A competent person should:

Understand UK health and safety law
Be able to identify risks and suggest control measures
Oversee inspections, audits, training and emergency planning...

The right person ensures legal compliance, but also improves your team’s safety awareness and confidence.

Workplace Inspections & Audits

Regular inspections help identify safety issues early and ensure compliance with legal duties. A competent person should carry them out and keep proper records.

Inspections should cover:

General conditions (cleanliness, lighting, ventilation)
Equipment safety and maintenance
Fire safety systems and escape routes
Storage and handling of hazardous substances
Whether staff are following safety procedures

Audits go deeper, reviewing policies, training and incident logs. Both should be scheduled routinely and used to improve your health and safety system.

Safe Working Procedures & Training

Make sure employees know how to work safely. Training ensures staff understand hazards, follow procedures and respond correctly if something goes wrong. Good training improves competence, builds confidence, reduces accidents and supports a positive safety culture.

Common training topics include:

Manual handling
Fire safety
Working at height
General safety awareness

Understanding and using RAMS (Risk Assessments & Method Statements)

All training should be documented and refreshed regularly, especially when processes, staff or legislation change.

Incident Reporting & Emergency Preparedness

Even with strong prevention in place, incidents can still happen. Being prepared ensures your business can respond quickly, protect people and meet legal obligations.

A solid emergency plan should include clear procedures, trained responders and regular drills. Communication must cover staff, contractors and visitors on site.

All incidents and near misses should be documented and reviewed. For serious cases, employers must follow RIDDOR reporting rules. Investigating incidents thoroughly helps prevent them from happening again.

Maintaining a Culture of Safety

A strong safety culture is about shared values, daily behaviours and how seriously safety is taken across the business. When safety is part of your workplace mindset, compliance becomes second nature.

How to Support a Safety-First Approach:

Involve employees in safety decisions and risk discussions
Encourage open reporting of hazards or near misses
Recognise and reward safe behaviour
Communicate clearly, make sure everyone understands procedures and expectations

Culture is built over time, but small, consistent actions from leadership and staff make the biggest impact.

PPE: The Last Line of Defence

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is essential when other safety measures can't fully eliminate a risk. It doesn’t replace good safety systems, it supports them.

Common PPE includes: hard hat, gloves, eye protection, respirators, high-vis clothing, safety boots and hearing protection.

To stay compliant and effective:

Make sure PPE is suitable for the task
Provide training on how and when to use it
Check, maintain and replace PPE regularly
Encourage consistent use, no shortcuts

Legal Responsibilities for Employers - Summary

UK employers have a legal duty under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 to protect the health, safety and welfare of their employees. Failing to comply can result in fines, prosecution or serious reputational damage.