Getting Started on Health and Safety

Help and advice on actions small businesses must take to meet health and safety law.

There are 10 key things which you must do:

• Decide what could cause harm to people and how to take precautions. This is your risk assessment. See the booklet Introduction to Health and Safety for a ready-made self-assessment form.

• Decide how you are going to manage health and safety in your business. If you have 5 or more employees you need to write this down. This is your health and safety policy. See the booklet as above for a self-assessment form.

• If you employ anyone you need Employers Liability Compulsory Insurance and you must display the certificate in your workplace.

• You must provide free health and safety training for your workers so they know what hazards and risks they may face and how to deal with them.

• You must have competent advice to help you meet your health and safety duties. This can be provided by workers from your business, external advisers or a combination of these.

• You need to provide toilets, washing facilities and drinking water for all your employees, including those with disabilities. These are basic health, safety and welfare needs.

• You must consult employees on health and safety matters.

• If you have employees you must display the health and safety law poster or provide workers with a leaflet with the same information.

• If you are an employer, self-employed or in control of work premises, by law you must report some work-related accidents, diseases and dangerous occurrences.

• If you are a new business you will need to register either with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) or your Local Authority - depending on the sort of business you have.