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Written by Brad Askew
Legal Tech Founder
Civil & Commercial Law background · Founder of LegalDocuments.co.uk
We’re not a law firm — we help you find the right legal support. For advice on your situation, speak to a legal adviser or find a solicitor.
Updated April 2026 · England & Wales
BA
Written by Brad Askew Legal Tech Founder
Civil & Commercial Law background · Founder of LegalDocuments.co.uk
Updated May 2026
·
England & Wales
Health and safety at work is one of those areas of law that most UK business owners know they need to take seriously, but few feel fully confident about. The rules touch almost every workplace in the country, from a two-person office above a shop to a national logistics operation, and the consequences of getting things wrong can range from a formal improvement notice through to criminal prosecution.
This page walks through the main statutes that shape workplace health and safety in Great Britain, what they ask of employers and workers, and how enforcement works in practice. I'm Brad Askew, Legal Tech Founder at LegalDocuments.co.uk, and the aim here is to give you a plain-English overview without the jargon, so you can work out where your own obligations sit and what you may need to put in place.
Overview
Workplace health and safety law in the UK is built on a layered system. At the top sits the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (often shortened to HASAWA or HSWA), which sets out the broad duties that employers, employees, the self-employed and others owe to anyone who might be affected by work activities.
Sitting underneath the Act is a body of regulations that flesh out the detail, the most important of which is the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999. These Regulations require employers to assess risks properly, put sensible controls in place, and manage those controls over time.
Alongside these, there are more specialist rules dealing with particular hazards such as manual handling, display screen equipment, hazardous substances, working at height, and noise. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) publishes guidance and Approved Codes of Practice that explain how to comply, and either the HSE or your local authority will enforce the rules depending on the kind of business you run.
Key steps
01
Identify who has duties in your workplace. Work out which categories apply to your situation. An employer owes duties to its own workers and to anyone else affected by its activities. The self-employed also have duties if their work could put others at risk. Employees must take reasonable care for themselves and their colleagues, and cooperate with the employer's safety arrangements.
02
Carry out a suitable and sufficient risk assessment. The 1999 Regulations require employers to identify hazards in the workplace, decide who might be harmed, and judge whether existing controls are adequate. If you employ five or more people, the significant findings must be recorded. Review the assessment whenever something changes materially or an incident suggests it is out of date.
03
Put proportionate controls in place. Apply the hierarchy of control: eliminate the hazard where you can, then reduce, isolate or substitute, and only rely on personal protective equipment as a last line of defence. Controls should be proportionate to the risk. A small office will need far less than a construction site, but both need to be able to show they have thought it through.
04
Train, inform and consult your workers. Workers need to understand the risks they face and the measures in place to protect them. That means induction training, refresher training where appropriate, clear written procedures for higher-risk tasks, and genuine consultation with staff or their representatives on health and safety matters. Keep records of training, because enforcement officers will often ask to see them.
05
Monitor, report and review. Set up simple systems to check that controls are actually being used, to capture near misses and accidents, and to report reportable incidents under RIDDOR where required. Review your arrangements at sensible intervals and after any significant event. Good health and safety is a continuous loop, not a one-off exercise you complete and file away.
Common questions
QDoes the Health and Safety at Work Act apply to very small businesses?
Yes. The Act applies regardless of how many people you employ, and even sole traders have duties if their work could affect others. The difference is that the response expected from a small, low-risk business is very different from a large industrial operator. The principle is that your arrangements should be proportionate to the risks actually present in your workplace.
QDo I need a written health and safety policy?
Employers with five or more employees are required to have a written health and safety policy, and to bring it to the attention of their workforce. Below that threshold a written policy is not strictly required, but having one in writing is still sensible because it helps you demonstrate your arrangements to workers, clients, insurers and, if it ever comes to it, an inspector.
QWho enforces health and safety law in the UK?
Enforcement is split mainly between the Health and Safety Executive and local authority environmental health teams. Broadly, the HSE deals with higher-risk sectors such as construction, manufacturing and agriculture, while local authorities cover offices, retail, hospitality and similar lower-risk premises. Some sectors have their own specialist regulators, for example the Office of Rail and Road for the railways.
QWhat happens if an inspector visits my workplace?
An inspector can enter premises without prior notice, ask questions, take photographs, inspect equipment and look at documents. If they find issues, the response can range from informal advice to an improvement or prohibition notice, and in more serious cases a prosecution. Cooperating openly, keeping good records and acting on any informal feedback will usually put you in a stronger position.
QWhat must workers do under health and safety law?
Employees have personal duties too. They must take reasonable care for their own safety and that of others affected by their work, follow the training and instructions they have been given, use equipment and substances correctly, and not interfere with or misuse anything provided for health and safety purposes. They should also report hazards and incidents to their employer.
QDo contractors and the self-employed have health and safety duties?
Yes. Self-employed people whose work could create a risk to others must manage that risk in much the same way as an employer. Where contractors and clients work alongside each other, there are duties to cooperate and share information about risks. On construction projects, the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations impose specific roles and responsibilities for clients, designers and contractors.
QWhat is RIDDOR and does it apply to me?
RIDDOR stands for the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations. It requires certain work-related deaths, specified serious injuries, some occupational diseases and listed dangerous occurrences to be reported to the HSE. Most employers and the self-employed are within scope. The HSE website sets out what is reportable, how to report, and the timescales that apply.
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Brad Askew Legal Tech Founder
Brad has a background in civil and commercial law and founded LegalDocuments.co.uk to make clear, reliable legal information accessible to everyone. This site is not a law firm and does not provide regulated legal advice.
Legal disclaimer
This article is for general information only and does not constitute legal advice. We are not solicitors. For advice on your specific situation, please consult a qualified solicitor.
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