Every employer in Great Britain must have a health and safety policy, and with five or more employees it must be written down. It has three parts: a signed statement of intent, the responsibilities of each person, and the arrangements such as risk assessments, training, first aid and accident reporting. It is backed by risk assessments, whose significant findings must also be recorded from five employees, and it should be reviewed at least once a year.
When you need a written policy
Every employer in Great Britain must have a policy for managing health and safety under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. If you employ five or more people, it must be written down, brought to your employees’ attention and revised when needed. Employers with fewer than five employees still need a policy, but do not have to write it down. Northern Ireland has an equivalent duty.
The three parts of a policy
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) describes a policy in three parts:
- Statement of intent: your general commitment to managing health and safety, signed by the most senior person and dated.
- Responsibilities: who is responsible for what, from the director with overall responsibility to managers, supervisors and every employee.
- Arrangements: how you put it into practice, such as risk assessments, training, consultation with employees, first aid, fire safety, accident reporting, equipment maintenance and how often you review the policy.
Risk assessments
The policy is backed by risk assessments, required under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999. You identify what could cause harm, decide who could be harmed and how, and take reasonable steps to prevent it. With five or more employees you must record the significant findings. You also need competent help, which can be your own staff or an outside adviser.
What else the law requires
Alongside the policy and risk assessments, employers must:
- Consult employees on health and safety.
- Display the Health and Safety Law poster or give employees the leaflet.
- Have employers’ liability insurance and display the certificate.
- Provide first aid arrangements and suitable welfare facilities.
- Report certain accidents, diseases and dangerous occurrences to the HSE under RIDDOR.
Keeping it alive
A policy only helps if people follow it. Review it at least once a year and whenever something changes, such as new equipment, premises or work. Keep the accident book, training records and inspection checklists, because inspectors, insurers and customers ask for them. Customer questionnaires and the EU voluntary standard (VSME) ask for the number and rate of recordable work accidents, which your accident records give you.
Doing it in Greener Ahead
Greener Ahead does not write health and safety policies or keep the accident book. Sustainability reporting in Greener Ahead records whether you have the policy, the number and rate of recordable work accidents and your other workforce figures in a VSME report, with the document behind each answer, ready for customers and banks. It costs €995 per year with unlimited users, and you can try it free for 14 days without a card. Check the pricing page for current details.
Duties by number of employees
The main duties for employers in Great Britain.
| Duty | Fewer than five employees | Five or more employees |
|---|---|---|
| Health and safety policy | Required, need not be written | Written and brought to employees’ attention |
| Risk assessment | Required | Significant findings recorded |
| Competent help | Required | Required |
| Employers’ liability insurance | Required, with few exceptions | Required |
| Health and Safety Law poster or leaflet | Required | Required |
| Reporting under RIDDOR | Required | Required |
Check your policy against this list
Before you share it with staff or a customer.
- The statement of intent is signed and dated by the most senior person.
- Every responsibility has a named role.
- Each arrangement points to a risk assessment, procedure or record.
- Employees were consulted and know where to find it.
- It has a review date within the next year.
Sources and scope
- HSE: Preparing your health and safety policy
- legislation.gov.uk: Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, section 2
- HSE: Managing risks and risk assessment at work
These resources explain a preparation workflow. Check your selected standard and recipient requirements before sharing your report.
Joost ThissenFounder
