Britain is one of the safest countries in the world to work, underpinned by a comprehensive framework of health and safety law designed to protect people from accidents and ill health at work. Complying with these standards is a real responsibility for employers — but the payoff, in lives protected and costs avoided, is clear.
What are British safety standards?
“British safety standards” is a broad term covering a vast range of laws, regulations and approved codes of practice. That breadth can feel overwhelming — but the reassuring part is that not all of them apply to your business. A competent health and safety adviser can tell you which standards are relevant to your operation and how to comply with them.
Health and safety doesn’t have to be complicated. Once you have a solid health and safety policy in place, complying with the law and running a safe, well-managed workplace becomes far more straightforward.
Why your health and safety policy matters
An effective health and safety policy is essential for businesses of every size — it’s how you demonstrate, and deliver, a safe and low-risk environment for your people.
Directors can be held personally responsible
If a business fails to comply with health and safety law, directors and managers can be held legally responsible. That’s why your health and safety policy belongs at the top of your priorities — it protects your workforce and you.
8 points for writing your health and safety policy
If you employ five or more people, you’re legally required to have a written health and safety policy. It needn’t be costly or time-consuming — and these eight points will get you there.
Start with a risk assessment
Every policy begins here. Walk around your workplace and identify anything that could cause harm to workers or visitors.
Rate each hazard
Judge the likelihood and severity of each risk (high or low), and focus your policy on the ones you consider most serious.
Ask your employees
The people doing the work often spot hazards you’d miss. Involve them — they’re a valuable source of insight.
Put controls in place
For each risk identified, decide how to control and limit it. Eliminate where you can; reduce where you can’t.
Record everything in writing
Document your findings and the control measures in a written risk assessment — the backbone of your policy.
Make it accessible
Keep the risk assessment and policy easily available to staff and managers — a document nobody can find protects no one.
Review and update
A policy isn’t a one-off. Revisit it when work changes, after an incident, or at regular intervals to keep it current.
Get help if you need it
If you’re unsure, bring in a professional. Done right, a clear policy and risk assessment is straightforward to maintain.
A worked example
Say you identify a fall hazard on a flight of steps. Controlling it might mean improving the lighting, fitting a handrail, and marking each step edge with high-visibility strips — then recording the hazard and those controls in your written assessment.
Training to support your policy
These courses introduce risk assessment and control measures and help you build and maintain your health and safety policy:
NEBOSH HSE Award in Managing Risks & Risk Assessment
A one-day introductory qualification built around the HSE’s approach to controlling workplace risks.
NEBOSH IIRSM Certificate in Managing Risk
A broader grounding in risk for managers and professionals who already handle risk in their role.
IOSH Managing Safely
For managers and supervisors — hazard identification, risk assessment and control across all sectors. See also all IOSH courses.
NEBOSH General Certificate
The benchmark general H&S qualification for those with workplace safety responsibilities. Browse all NEBOSH courses.
Frequently asked questions
Do I legally need a written health and safety policy?
If you employ five or more people, yes — the policy must be written down. Below that threshold a written policy isn’t legally required, but you still have a duty to manage health and safety, and writing it down is good practice.
Where do I start when writing a policy?
With a risk assessment. Identify the hazards in your workplace, rate them, decide on controls, and record it all in writing. That risk assessment becomes the foundation everything else builds on.
Can directors be prosecuted for safety failures?
Yes. Directors and managers can be held personally liable where a business fails to meet its health and safety duties — which is why leadership ownership of the policy matters.
How often should the policy be reviewed?
Whenever your work, equipment or premises change, after any incident, and at regular intervals regardless — so it always reflects the actual risks in your workplace.