Business health and safety requirements

General health and safety information and requirements

Health and safety is about preventing people from being harmed by work or becoming ill through work. This is so important that the law says we must not put ourselves, other workers or the public in danger.

Sector specific information on the areas local authority enforcement officers will be prioritising is available for 2010 to 2011 can be found on the Health and Safety Executive's (HSE) website.

Health and safety law applies to all businesses however small. It covers employees, full or part-time, temporary or permanent, the self-employed, young people doing work experience, apprentices, charity workers, mobile workers and homeworkers.

There are numerous Health and Safety laws applicable to businesses. Details of the current laws are available by following the links from the Health and Safety Law Guide.

There is no longer a requirement for new premises to register for Health and Safety with their local authority and fire service, although other registrations may be required, e.g. for food safety and details can be sorted by contacting your local Environmental Health directorate.

Health and safety advice

This advice has been prepared by Environmental Health Officers to assist owners and employers in identifying and complying with their obligations under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and associated legislation. This advice is not exhaustive.

An online risk assessment enables a review of the hazards in offices to just 20 minutes. The HSE has produced the web tool to help employers to consider relevant hazards in their office and think about how they control them to keep staff safe. There is also a virtual office risk management tool to assist with identifying hazards and control risks in an office environment.

The HSE have also produced some example risk assessments to help you see what a risk assessment might look like. They hopefully make clear that a risk assessment should be about identifying practical actions that protect people from harm and injury, not a bureaucratic experience.

Further information:

General Health and Safety Information and Requirements
Young People at Work
The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989
Gas Safety Regulations
The Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005
European Agency for Safety and Health at Work videos and games
Working Rights (information for employers and employees of their rights at work)

The Health and Safety Executive produces publications on many areas of Health and Safety, most of which are free. For details contact:

HSE publications are available online or by mail order from HSE Books, PO Box 1999, Sudbury, Suffolk CO10 2WA. Telephone 01787 881165, fax 01787 313995
For other enquiries contact the HSE Information Services, Caerphilly Business Park, Caerphilly, CF83 3GG. Telephone 08701 545500