Managing premises

Whether you own your business premises outright or are a tenant, effective premises management helps you minimise risks and ensure that you meet your legal responsibilities. Key issues include health and safety, environmental impact, security and insurance. 

Health and safety regulations 

You are responsible for the health and safety of everyone affected by your business. This includes any visitors to your premises as well as employees. A health and safety risk assessment is a crucial step, and for many businesses relatively straightforward. Identifying the hazards and risks allows you to decide how best to control potential harm. Providing appropriate safety training can be an important part of risk reduction. 

Specific issues you need to take into account include workplace fire safety, dangerous equipment, how you look after dangerous substances (covered by the COSHH regulations) and the management of any asbestos in the premises. You may want to take industrial safety advice to identify particular regulations and requirements for your business. 

Separately, you need to consider whether your premises meet health and safety requirements for employee welfare. You will also need a policy setting out your approach to health and safety. 

You can be held responsible for harm caused by unsafe premises that you control, even harm to people who you did not invite to your premises. For example, you could be responsible for an accident suffered by a child trespassing on your building site. If your premises cannot be made safe, you need to at least put up appropriate warning signs and take steps to secure the premises. 

Your business premises and the environment 

You have responsibilities for the environmental impact of your business. This includes responsibility for any emissions or effluent your business produces. If your business causes environmental contamination, or if you own land that is already contaminated, you may be liable for the costs of putting it right. 

You also have a duty to properly store and dispose of waste. There are additional requirements for businesses that use or produce hazardous substances. You may want to take advice on any specific environmental issues for your particular kind of business. 

Premises security and insurance 

As a practical matter, you want to ensure that your premises are properly secured to help protect employees, equipment and the premises themselves. As well as physical security measures such as alarm systems and locks, you need effective training of employees and security policies. For example, you might think about policies and procedures for working alone, handling cash and locking up at the end of the day. Your insurance policy may include various security requirements.

 As well as getting building and contents insurance, employers’ liability insurance is a legal requirement (if you have employees). You may also want public liability insurance (for harm to the public) and legal expenses insurance. A thorough review of your business risks can help you decide what other insurances you want.