Your frequently asked questions
- What is health and safety all about?
- Why are there health and safety laws?
- Do health and safety laws apply to me?
- How do I get started on health and safety?
- Who enforces health and safety law?
- What do inspectors actually do?
- Do I have to contact an inspector to get information?
- Do I need to register my business?
- Do I need to have employers' liability compulsory insurance?
- Do I need to display any posters?
- Do I have to report injuries at work?
- What is a health and safety policy?
- Do I have to have a written health and safety policy?
- What is meant by 'hazard' and 'risk'?
- I will be hiring temps or agency workers, what do I need to consider?
- Do I have to provide my employees with protective equipment?
- Do I need to display safety signs in the workplace?
- Working alone, what should I consider?
- Do health and safety regulations apply to people who work from home?
- Where can I find published accident and ill-health statistics?
What is health and safety all about?
Preventing people from being harmed or becoming ill at work, by taking precautions – and providing a satisfactory working environment.
Why are there health and safety laws?
Because health and safety at work is so important, there are rules which require all of us not to put ourselves, or others, in danger. The law is also there to protect the public from workplace dangers.
Do health and safety laws apply to me?
Yes to all businesses, however small; also to the self-employed, and to employees.
How do I get started on health and safety?
Controlling dangers at work is no different from tackling any other task – recognising the problem, knowing enough about it, deciding what to do and putting the solution into practice. Click here to take you to the section on 'Getting Started'.
Who enforces health and safety law?
Depending on your type of business inspectors from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) or your Local Authority. For example, at factories, farms and building sites, the HSE will enforce the law; whereas in offices, shops, hotels, catering, and leisure activities, the local authority is the enforcer.
What do inspectors actually do?
They visit workplaces to check that people are maintaining appropriate heath and safety standards. They investigate some accidents and complaints but mainly they help you to understand what you need to do. They enforce only when something is seriously wrong. The following leaflet provides more information 'What to expect when a health and safety inspector calls'.
Do I have to contact an inspector to get information?
No. The HSE operates a confidential telephone information service called InfoLine, which is open Mon-Fri between 8am and 6pm. You can contact InfoLine by telephone 0845 345 0055 or fax 02920 859260, or e mail – hse.infoline@natbrit.com. Alternatively you can write to HSE Information Services, Caerphilly Business Park, Caerphilly CF83 3GG.
We also have Safety and Health Awareness Officers (HSAOs), (also known as Workplace Contact Officers (WCOs) who can visit your business to provide you with information, guidance and advice. They also collect information about your business, which will be used solely by the HSE in any further contact with you. HSAOs are not health and safety inspectors; they will not give advice on technical matters or express an opinion on compliance with the law. You may find the following leaflet useful 'What to expect when a health and safety awareness officer calls', WCOVL100.
Do I need to register my business?
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. Broadly speaking, you should register with:
The definition of a factory is pretty wide-ranging, and covers most businesses where things are made, altered, adapted, repaired, decorated, finished, cleaned or demolished: or where people are employed in manual labour. Places where animals are slaughtered or held awaiting slaughter are also covered.
If you work with certain hazardous substances, such as asbestos or explosives, or in a hazardous industry such as construction or diving, you may also need to apply for a licence before your business starts to operate, or you may need to notify the HSE or your Local Authority that you are starting certain specific activities. If you are already operating a business, you may also need to notify HSE or your Local Authority if you start certain specific activities.
Most farms will need to register, but if in doubt please contact the HSE Infoline who will be able to advise you (0845 345 0055).
If you are unsure whether you need to register or notify the HSE or your Local Authority about the type of work you are doing, contact HSE's InfoLine on 0845 345 0055 or the Environmental Health Department of your Local Authority.
Do I need to have employers' liability compulsory insurance?
Yes, it's the law if you employ anyone – and you should display the certificate in the workplace. See the free leaflet 'Employers' Liability Compulsory Insurance Act 1969. A guide for employers' HSE40 and 'Employers Liability (Compulsory Insurance) Act 1969 – a guide for employees and their representatives' HSE 39.
Do I need to display any posters?
Yes, the health and safety law poster (ISBN 0 7176 2493 5) if you employ anyone. Alternatively you can provide your employees with individual copies of the same information in a leaflet called 'Your Health and Safety – a guide for workers'. The poster and leaflet are available from HSE Books.
Do I have to report injuries at work?
Yes, and other incidents. Often a quick phone call to the Incident Contact Centre on 0845 300 9923 is all that's required. The Incident Contact Centre is open Monday to Friday, 8.30 am to 5.00 pm, (calls are charged at local call rate). Outside working hours, you can e-mail your reports to riddor@natbrit.com or complete an online report via the RIDDOR website.
Make sure you are aware of which kinds of incidents need to be reported. For example, which accidents and ill health cases to report, including who should report it, when, and how? Employers, the self-employed and people in control of work premises all have duties. Read this for more information on which ones and who should report them.
What is a health and safety policy?
A health and safety policy means the health and safety arrangements for your business, such as the effective planning, organisation, control, monitoring, and review of preventative and protective measures. Read this for more information about health and safety policies.
Do I have to have a written health and safety policy?
If you have five or more employees you are required by law to document your health and safety policy. If you have less than five employees the appropriate arrangements still need to be in place.
What is meant by 'hazard' and 'risk'?
A hazard means anything that can cause harm (e.g. chemicals, electricity, working at height, machinery, etc). Risk is the chance, high or low, that somebody will be harmed by the hazard.
I will be hiring temps or agency workers, what do I need to consider?
If you hire temps or agency workers, you must tell the employment business (agency) hiring them to you, about risks to the worker's health and safety, and steps you have taken to control them; along with any necessary legal or professional qualifications or skills, and any necessary health surveillance. The employment business/agency should pass this information on to the worker in a way that he/she can clearly understand, and you must ensure the worker has received and understood it.
Do I have to provide my employees with protective equipment?
Personal protective equipment is to be supplied and used at work wherever there are risks to health and safety that cannot be adequately controlled in other ways. The following leaflets will provide more information:
Do I need to display safety signs in the workplace?
Wherever there is a risk that has not been avoided or controlled by other means, such as by engineering controls and safe systems of work, employers are required to provide specific safety signs. Where a safety sign would not help to reduce that risk, or where the risk is not significant, there is no need to provide a sign. Specific information is available in leaflet 'Signpost to The Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996' INDG184L.
Working alone, what should I consider (employee and employer responsibility)?
It is the employer's duty to assess risks to lone workers and take steps to avoid or control risk where necessary. Employees have responsibility to take reasonable care of themselves, and other people affected by their work, and to co-operate with their employers in meeting their legal requirements. More information is available in 'Working alone in safety – controlling the risks of solitary work' INDG73(rev).
Do health and safety regulations apply to people who work from home?
Most of the Regulations made under the Health and Safety at Work Act apply to homeworkers as well as to employees working at an employer's workplace. Employers are required to do a risk assessment of the work activities carried out by homeworkers. More information is available in 'Homeworking – Guidance for employers and employees on health and safety' INDG226.
Where can I find published accident and ill-health statistics?
The HSE statistics webpages contain these details.
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If you have a health and safety related question that you would like answered, simply call us now on
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