Step 4: Write your health and safety policy

A health and safety policy sets out your general approach and objectives (your vision) and the arrangements you have put in place for managing health and safety in your business. It is a unique document that says who does what, when and how.

If you have five or more employees, you must write your policy down.

A written policy statement shows your staff, and anyone else, your commitment to health and safety. It should describe how you will implement and monitor your health and safety controls. You should review it regularly.

A policy is different from a risk assessment:

Policy: general vision and arrangements for the whole business.
Risk assessment: a systematic review of how you eliminate and control each significant hazard, and whether you are doing enough

A policy will only be effective if you and your staff act on it and follow it through.