Ensuring your business follows health and safety laws is important to keep everyone safe and avoid fines or legal trouble. As a small or medium-sized business, it might seem complicated, but following some basic steps can help you comply with the law easily. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) provides practical advice to make this manageable. Here are the key things you need to do to meet health and safety requirements in your workplace.
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Have a written health and safety policy if you have 5 or more employees. This must include a statement of intent, responsibilities, and your arrangements to manage risks.
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Appoint a competent person to provide health and safety advice and help with compliance. This can be someone in-house or an external consultant.
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Carry out regular risk assessments to identify hazards and put controls in place to prevent harm.
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Provide your workers with clear information, training, and supervision on health and safety.
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Consult your employees about health and safety issues and involve them in solutions.
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Keep records of risk assessments, accidents, and any enforcement actions.
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Ensure basic workplace facilities and emergency procedures are in place for a safe working environment.
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Use free HSE guidance and tools designed for SMEs to manage health and safety simply and effectively.
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It doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact the simpler the process the more people will follow it.
