Do you have a written health and safety policy?
Quick check to see where you stand
Why workplace safety matters
Every year in the UK, over half a million workers are injured at work. While major accidents make headlines, most workplace harm is preventable with proper risk management and basic safety precautions.
Workplace safety isn't just about avoiding injuries. It's about:
- Protecting people — employees, visitors, contractors, and the public
- Meeting legal duties — employers have clear responsibilities under UK law
- Avoiding costs — accidents cost businesses through absence, compensation, and enforcement
- Building trust — safe workplaces attract better staff and customers
- Staying operational — serious failures can shut down your business
Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, employers must ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of all their employees. Failure to comply can result in unlimited fines, imprisonment, and in serious cases, manslaughter charges.
Who has workplace safety responsibilities?
Workplace safety is a shared responsibility, but the law places specific duties on different people:
Employers
You have the main duty to protect:
- Your employees
- Anyone affected by your work (contractors, visitors, customers, the public)
This applies whether you have 1 employee or 1,000.
Employees
Workers also have legal duties to:
- Take reasonable care of their own health and safety
- Take reasonable care not to put others at risk
- Cooperate with their employer on health and safety
- Not interfere with safety equipment
- Report dangerous situations
Self-employed
If you're self-employed, you must protect yourself and anyone affected by your work.
Those who control premises
Building owners, landlords, and facility managers have duties to maintain safe premises, especially for shared or common areas.
In most workplaces, there will be multiple duty holders — the employer, building owner, contractors, and employees all have responsibilities. Cooperation between all parties is essential.
The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974
The HSWA is the main piece of UK health and safety legislation. It sets out the general duties that employers have toward employees and members of the public, and employees have to themselves and to each other.
What it requires of employers
The Act requires employers to do what is "reasonably practicable" to ensure health, safety and welfare. This includes:
- Providing safe systems of work — how tasks are organised and carried out
- Ensuring safe equipment and substances — properly maintained and used correctly
- Providing information, instruction, training and supervision
- Maintaining a safe workplace — including access and egress routes
- Providing a safe working environment — including welfare facilities
"Reasonably practicable" means balancing the level of risk against the time, trouble, cost and physical difficulty of taking measures to avoid it. If the risk is high and the measures are simple, they're likely to be reasonably practicable.
Written health and safety policy
If you employ 5 or more people, you must have a written health and safety policy that includes:
- General statement of intent — your commitment to health and safety
- Organisation — who does what, roles and responsibilities
- Arrangements — how you'll actually manage health and safety day-to-day
The policy must be brought to the attention of all employees.
Even if you have fewer than 5 employees, it's good practice to document your approach.
Key employer duties
Here's what you need to do as an employer to comply with health and safety law:
1. Conduct risk assessments
You must identify hazards in your workplace, assess the risks they present, and put measures in place to control those risks.
If you employ 5 or more people, your risk assessment must be written down.
Learn more: How to do a workplace risk assessment →
2. Provide health and safety training
All employees must receive:
- Induction training when they start
- Training when they're exposed to new or increased risks
- Refresher training as needed
Training must be delivered during working hours and at no cost to employees.
3. Consult with employees
You must consult employees (or their representatives) on health and safety matters, including:
- Changes that might affect their safety
- Appointing competent people to help with health and safety
- Information they need about risks and controls
- Planning and organising health and safety training
4. Provide adequate welfare facilities
Your workplace must have:
- Toilets and washing facilities
- Drinking water
- Rest areas (including for pregnant and nursing mothers)
- Facilities to eat meals if food would otherwise be contaminated
- Somewhere to store clothing
- Changing facilities if special clothing is worn for work
5. Display the health and safety law poster
You must either:
- Display the approved HSE poster where your employees can easily read it, or
- Give each worker a copy of the approved leaflet
You can buy these from the HSE or download a free basic version.
6. Have employer's liability insurance
If you employ anyone, you must have at least £5 million of employer's liability insurance. You must display the certificate where employees can see it (or make it available electronically).
7. Report serious incidents
You must report certain work-related accidents, diseases and dangerous occurrences to the HSE under RIDDOR:
- Deaths
- Specified serious injuries
- Injuries that keep someone off work for more than 7 days
- Certain occupational diseases
- Certain dangerous occurrences (near misses)
Employer vs Employee Responsibilities
Employer Duties
- •Conduct risk assessments
- •Provide safe systems of work
- •Maintain safe equipment
- •Provide training and information
- •Consult with workers
- •Provide welfare facilities
- •Report serious incidents
Employee Duties
- •Take care of own safety
- •Take care not to endanger others
- •Cooperate with employer
- •Use equipment properly
- •Don't interfere with safety measures
- •Report dangers
- •Follow training and instructions
Bottom line: Both employers and employees have legal duties. The employer carries the main responsibility, but employees must play their part too. A safe workplace requires cooperation.
Risk assessment requirements
Risk assessment is at the heart of workplace safety. It's how you identify what could cause harm and decide whether you're taking reasonable steps to prevent that harm.
The 5 steps to risk assessment
- Identify the hazards — walk around your workplace and spot things that could cause harm
- Decide who might be harmed and how — employees, visitors, contractors, vulnerable groups
- Evaluate the risks — how likely is harm, how serious could it be, what controls are in place?
- Record your findings — document significant findings if you have 5+ employees
- Review and update — regularly and when things change
You don't need to eliminate all risks — that's usually impossible. The goal is to ensure all risks are "adequately controlled". This means reducing risks so far as is reasonably practicable.
Common workplace hazards to assess
Don't just focus on the obvious. Consider:
- Slips, trips and falls — the most common cause of workplace injury
- Manual handling — lifting, carrying, pushing, pulling
- Display screen equipment (DSE) — computers, laptops, prolonged screen use
- Workplace transport — vehicles, forklifts, deliveries
- Work equipment — machinery, tools, ladders
- Hazardous substances — chemicals, cleaning products, dust, fumes
- Fire — sources of ignition, escape routes, detection
- Electricity — equipment, fixed wiring, portable appliances
- Working at height — even low heights like stepladders
- Noise and vibration — from equipment or processes
- Stress and mental health — workload, hours, bullying
- Violence and aggression — particularly in customer-facing roles
- Lone working — working alone or in isolation
Workplace welfare requirements
The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 set minimum standards for working environments.
Temperature
- Workplaces must have a "reasonable" temperature during working hours
- Minimum 16°C (13°C if the work involves severe physical effort)
- No maximum, but employers must ensure thermal comfort
- Provide thermometers so temperature can be checked
Lighting
- Natural light where possible
- Adequate artificial lighting for safe working
- Emergency lighting where sudden loss of light would cause danger
- Windows must be cleanable and not cause glare
Ventilation
- Fresh or purified air
- Natural ventilation (opening windows) is often adequate
- Mechanical ventilation must be maintained and regularly checked
Space
- Minimum 11 cubic metres per person (including furniture)
- Enough free space to move around safely
- Suitable workstations and seating
Cleanliness
- Workplace, furniture, furnishings and fittings must be kept clean
- Waste must not be allowed to accumulate
- Floors and indoor traffic routes must be cleaned at least weekly
Condition of floors and traffic routes
- Free from obstructions and hazards
- Not slippery, uneven or damaged
- Drainage where necessary (wet processes)
- Handrails on stairs
Falls and falling objects
- Protection from falls from height
- Secure fencing where people could fall into dangerous substances
- Protection from falling materials
Toilets and washing facilities
Minimum provision depends on number of people:
| Number of people | Toilets required |
|---|---|
| 1-5 | 1 |
| 6-25 | 2 |
| 26-50 | 3 |
| 51-75 | 4 |
| 76-100 | 5 |
- Must be adequately lit and ventilated
- Must be clean and in working order
- Provide soap and drying facilities
- Hot and cold (or warm) running water
- Separate facilities for men and women (unless each is in a lockable room)
Drinking water
- Adequate supply of wholesome drinking water
- Clearly marked
- Cups provided (unless water jets upward)
Rest areas
- Suitable facilities to rest and eat meals
- Protection from tobacco smoke for non-smokers
- Seats with backrests where work permits sitting
- Arrangements for pregnant women and nursing mothers
Slips, trips and falls prevention
Slips, trips and falls account for over a third of all workplace injuries. They're also highly preventable.
Common causes
Slips happen when there's too little friction between footwear and floor surface:
- Wet or contaminated floors (water, oil, grease, food)
- Unsuitable floor surfaces
- Weather (rain, snow, ice)
- Unsuitable footwear
Trips happen when your foot strikes an object:
- Uneven floors or surfaces
- Trailing cables
- Poor lighting
- Cluttered walkways
- Changes in level
- Rugs, mats, and carpets
Falls from height include:
- Ladders and stepladders
- Platforms and stages
- Roofs and edges
- Through fragile materials
How to prevent them
Key prevention measures:
- Ensure floors are in good condition with adequate grip
- Keep walkways clear of obstructions and trailing cables
- Provide adequate lighting in all areas
- Deal with spillages quickly using warning signs
- Make arrangements for wet weather (entrance mats) and ice/snow (gritting)
Don't just put up a "Caution: Wet Floor" sign and think you're done. Warning signs are a last resort, not a control measure. You must still take steps to reduce the risk — dry the floor, fix the leak, divert people around it.
Workplace safety by sector
Different industries face different workplace risks. Here's sector-specific guidance:
| Sector | Main Workplace Risks | Key Controls |
|---|---|---|
| Offices | DSE, slips/trips, stress, fire | Workstation assessments, housekeeping, mental health support |
| Retail | Manual handling, violence, slips/trips, lone working | Training, security measures, floor maintenance, buddy systems |
| Warehousing | Forklifts, manual handling, falls, loading bays | Traffic management, lifting equipment, edge protection, high-vis |
| Hospitality | Burns/scalds, slips, manual handling, violence, late hours | Kitchen safety, floor maintenance, training, security |
| Construction | Falls, struck by objects, electricity, manual handling, vehicles | Edge protection, hard hats, safety boots, method statements, site rules |
| Healthcare | Manual handling, violence, infections, sharps, stress | Hoists, de-escalation training, PPE, safe disposal, support |
| Manufacturing | Machinery, noise, hazardous substances, manual handling | Machine guarding, hearing protection, ventilation, lifting aids |
This is general guidance. Conduct your own risk assessment for your specific workplace.
Related sectors
Your sector determines which specific workplace safety requirements apply to you. Select your sector for tailored guidance:
Offices
DSE, fire safety, welfare facilities, and stress management for office environments.
Retail
Manual handling, customer safety, lone working, and security for retail premises.
Small Business
Proportionate health and safety for small employers with limited resources.
Common questions
You're not legally required to have a written policy if you employ fewer than 5 people. However, you still have all the same health and safety duties, and it's good practice to write down how you'll manage health and safety. It helps you think it through and shows you take it seriously.
Review your risk assessment at least annually, and sooner if: there's been a significant change (new equipment, processes, or premises); after an accident or near miss; you have reason to think it's no longer valid; or there are changes to the people at risk (new vulnerable workers, for example).
You must appoint one or more 'competent persons' to help you meet your health and safety duties. This can be yourself if you have the necessary skills, knowledge and experience. For simple workplaces, this is often adequate. For complex or high-risk operations, you may need external help.
The HSE or local authority can issue improvement notices (requiring you to fix problems) or prohibition notices (stopping activities until you fix serious risks). They can also prosecute you. Penalties include unlimited fines and up to 2 years imprisonment for serious failures. Directors can be disqualified, and serious failures causing death can result in manslaughter charges.
Yes. If an offence is committed with the consent, connivance or neglect of a director or manager, they can be prosecuted personally as well as the company. This means personal criminal liability, not just corporate liability. The consequences can include fines, imprisonment, and disqualification from being a director.
Yes. If someone works for you from home, you still have health and safety duties toward them. You should assess the risks of their home working (DSE, stress, lone working) and ensure they have suitable equipment and working arrangements. You don't need to visit their home, but you should discuss arrangements with them.
A hazard is something with the potential to cause harm (a wet floor, a chemical, a moving vehicle). Risk is the likelihood that the hazard will actually cause harm, combined with how serious that harm might be. Risk assessment is about identifying hazards and evaluating the risk they present.
Certain activities require specific assessments: fire (required by the Fire Safety Order), manual handling (where there's a risk of injury), DSE (for regular users), hazardous substances (COSHH), and others. Start with a general workplace risk assessment, then do specific assessments where the law requires or where there are particular risks.
Keep risk assessments for as long as they're current, plus at least 3 years after you replace them. Keep accident records for at least 3 years from the date of the incident. For certain exposures (asbestos, lead, radiation), keep health records for 40 years. When in doubt, keep records longer — they may be needed if a claim is brought years later.
Real enforcement examples
Manufacturing company fined £800,000 after worker loses fingers
A manufacturing company in the Midlands was prosecuted after a worker's fingers were crushed in a machine.
- ✗Inadequate machine guarding
- ✗No risk assessment for the specific task
- ✗Insufficient training on safe operation
- ✗Previous near misses not investigated
- ✗No system to ensure guards were kept in place
The company was fined £800,000 plus £80,000 costs. The injured worker received life-changing injuries and was unable to return to his previous role.
Machine safety requires proper guarding, risk assessment, training, and systems to ensure controls remain effective. Near misses are warnings — investigate them before someone is seriously hurt.
Source: Based on HSE prosecution records
Retail director personally prosecuted after fatal fall
A retail shop director was personally prosecuted after an employee fell through a fragile roof while carrying out repairs.
- ✗No risk assessment for work at height
- ✗No edge protection or fall prevention measures
- ✗Worker not trained in safe working at height
- ✗Director was aware work was being done but took no steps to ensure safety
The company was fined £200,000. The director was personally fined £20,000 and given a suspended prison sentence. The employee died from his injuries.
Directors and managers can be prosecuted personally if an offence occurs with their consent, connivance or neglect. You can't delegate your way out of responsibility. Work at height requires proper planning, training and equipment.
Source: Based on HSE prosecution records
Restaurant fined after employee suffers serious burns
A restaurant was prosecuted after an employee suffered serious burns from hot oil.
- ✗No written risk assessment despite having 12 employees
- ✗No training provided on safe handling of hot oil
- ✗Inadequate first aid arrangements
- ✗No reporting of previous minor burns incidents
The restaurant was fined £40,000 plus costs. The employee was off work for 6 months and suffered permanent scarring.
Even if your business seems low-risk, you must assess and control the hazards that are present. Training is essential, particularly for young or inexperienced workers. Minor incidents are often warnings of more serious harm to come.
Source: Based on HSE prosecution records
Get started
Not sure what applies to you? Start with our interactive tools:
Responsibility Checker
Find out which health and safety responsibilities apply to your role and premises.
How to do a risk assessment
Step-by-step guide to conducting workplace risk assessments.
Related content
Learn more about specific workplace safety topics:
Preventing slips, trips and falls
Practical guidance on the most common workplace accidents
Workplace welfare requirements
Minimum standards for toilets, washing facilities, rest areas and more
Display screen equipment (DSE)
Requirements for computer users and workstation assessments
Manual handling safety
Reducing the risk of injury from lifting and carrying
Need help getting your workplace safety compliance in order? A qualified health and safety consultant can review your workplace, conduct risk assessments, and create the documentation you need.
Disclaimer: This guidance is for information only and does not constitute legal advice. Health and safety law is complex and fact-specific. While we aim to keep our guidance up to date, legislation and case law change regularly. For specific legal advice about your situation, consult a qualified health and safety professional or solicitor.