Health and safety at work

The duty to keep people safe. Proportionate to the risk, and not optional.

What it means

Employers must ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of employees and of others affected by the work.

Why it matters

Breaches are criminal. The Health and Safety Executive can prosecute, and fines are set by reference to turnover, so they scale with the business.

What it looks like in practice

Five or more employees means a written health and safety policy and written risk assessments. Everyone needs risk assessments; only the writing down is threshold-based.\n\nRIDDOR requires certain injuries, diseases and dangerous occurrences to be reported.

What to watch out for

Assuming an office is low risk and doing nothing. Display screen equipment, stress, lone working and fire safety all apply, and stress-related risk assessment is the most commonly ignored duty.

Where to get proper advice

The HSE's guidance for small businesses is free and genuinely usable. A competent person, which for most small businesses can be someone in-house who has done a short course.