Health and safety

Avoiding breaches of health and safety law is essential. In the most serious cases, they can lead to the death or injury of an employee, a visitor to your premises - or anyone else affected by your failure. It can lead to fines and imprisonment for both your business and your managers - including liability for corporate manslaughter in some instances.

Overview of your health and safety responsibilities

You should appoint competent people to be responsible for health and safety and make sure they are trained and involve and consult employees in your health and safety plans and activities. Consider including health and safety responsibilities in contracts of employment.

Ensure you carry out a health and safety risk assessment, including a fire-risk assessment (contact the fire safety officer to check what is required and whether you need a fire certificate). Conditions such as lighting and ventilation, and work practices such as rest breaks, should be organised to promote employee welfare and health.

Make sure you are protecting the health and safety of people with disabilties, pregnant women, young people, foreign workers, staff working with computers and any other groups at particular risk when working for you or visiting your premises.

Prepare a written health and safety policy and monitor and regularly review your policies and procedures to improve them.

Employees should be trained to cope with accidents, and you should provide equipment such as first-aid kits. Maintain an accident book and a reporting system for serious injuries, diseases and incidents. Posters, leaflets and signage can help keep employees informed.

Check you have employers’ liability insurance (required by law) and whether you need public liability or other insurances.