Getting Started with Health and Safety

If you run a business, you have a responsibility to protect the health and safety of your staff and others affected by your work. Managing health and safety does not need to be expensive, time-consuming or bureaucratic. In fact, good health and safety is good business.

This list shows some of the key actions required by law that apply to nearly every business.

Take out Employers' Liability Compulsory Insurance and display the certificate
Make sure you have someone competent to help you meet your health and safety duties. This does not have to be an external consultant
Decide how you are going to manage health and safety. This is your health and safety policy
Decide what could harm people and what precautions to take. This is your risk assessment. You must act on the findings of you risk assessment, by putting sensible controls in place to prevent accidents and ill health and making sure they are followed
Provide basic welfare facilities, such as toilets, washing facilities and drinking water
Provide free health and safety training for your workers
Consult your workers on Health and Safety
Display the health and safety law poster or give workers a leaflet with the information
Report some work related accidents, diseases and dangerous occurrences