Respecting UK health and safety regulations is among the many obligations of UK company directors and owners. In this article, we will discuss what it means and how to ensure that your company is legally compliant by following our five top suggestions for ensuring safety and health at work.
The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974
The primary legislation about health and safety you should remember includes the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. It is an expansive piece of legislation listing the essential health and safety requirements UK companies must meet.
In addition, Above all else, the Act stipulates that all employers must ensure the safety, health and welfare of employees as well as employees who are not employed, casual workers, self-employed people, customers, visitors and all people who are on the premises of a business.
The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 applies to most companies in the UK, including sole traders and other self-employed persons. Some kinds of self-employment are exempt from health and safety regulations provided that the worker and their work activities aren’t a source of any risk to the public.
In the words of the British government’s Health and Safety Executive (HSE), Exemptions are frequently given to novelists, journalists, graphic designers, accountants and financial consultants. There is no strict and quick policy.
If you are unsure and whenever feasible, make sure that your company is obliged to adhere to HSE safety rules. This shows an obligation to follow best practices and tells your clients, customers, and the public that your company is concerned about its community and the people who live in it.
In addition, it’s worth noting that the UK’s health and safety regulations have been implemented to protect you and your business from injury. It’s in everyone’s interests and that of yours to follow the rules.
What do you think your business needs to take care of to meet the safety and health requirements?
It’s a good thing that managing your health and safety obligations, as well as ensuring compliance with the current laws, is straightforward and inexpensive. It’s a manageable amount of time. All you have to do is complete the tasks above. The time and effort you’ll need to put into these tasks is contingent upon your company’s size and the work it performs.
To ensure your business remains on top of safety and health requirements, follow these five tips below.
Designate a health and safety officer for health and safety.
One of the most critical steps that any company owner must take to ensure that they meet safety and health requirements is to choose a team member to oversee all safety and health-related activities (which we’ll discuss in less than one minute).
Suppose you have a small-sized company that’s an unrisky business regarding health and safety. In that case, it is likely to choose an employee already employed to handle these duties without adding too much to the workload of that individual.
However, suppose your business is more significant, or your company’s operations are hazardous (such as running fairground rides, planning large-scale events or performing construction work). In that case, you will likely need to permanently employ an employee with the right capabilities, expertise and expertise to handle safety and health standards.
If you’re uncertain about how large a health and safety management undertaking might be for your small business or are unsure who you’re supposed to appoint, guidance and assistance are accessible from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
Develop a health and safety policy.
It’s great having someone in charge of the health and safety of your business regulations, but you must also have written policies.
The creation of a health and safety plan for your business is a vital step to minimize any potential dangers. The policy ensures that your health and safety official is in a position of focus and can be shared with employees to ensure that everyone understands your dedication to safety and health. In addition, they will know what you expect from them in terms of the way they behave, their processes and the reporting of potential hazards or incidents.
While creating a health and safety policy can seem difficult, it shouldn’t be complicated or lengthy. All you require is a brief sheet or a document that lists the person responsible for which task, the time it takes to get completed, and the method by which it’s finished.
If you require assistance, you can contact the HSE, which provides a wealth of examples and templates for safety and health policies to use. In addition, some of these contain a section on risk assessment, which we’ll come to in the following area.
If you’re required to follow The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, but you have fewer than 5 employees, you do not necessarily have to record your health and safety guidelines. It’s generally easier to keep up to date with health and safety rules when you register the policy and keep it in a place where it can be referenced on short notice.
Conduct an assessment of risk.
One of the most critical aspects of your business’s safety and health compliance will be the completion of an extensive risk assessment of your workplace.
Risk assessment is an extensive exercise where your business must determine any dangers to health and safety at the workplace. Then, you must develop and implement controls to limit those identified hazards. Based on the type of risks you have identified, your company could be required to take specific steps following the law.
In general, assessing risks at work is easy, quick and cost-effective.
The first step
The first step of conducting the risk assessment is to determine the hazards. It is essential to flip your building upside down and consider what processes, procedures or chemicals used may cause harm to employees, customers, employees, or other people in the community. An easy way to do this is to review all the manufacturer’s guidelines or information sheets on chemicals and equipment, then go through the company’s accident logs to find common themes and think about non-routine tasks like cleaning or maintenance.
Once you’ve identified and documented the potential risks, you have to determine who will likely be impacted by these risks and how to mitigate them. Consider how individuals might encounter threats and how they might be negatively affected. While you are doing this, take note that some employees may be subject to specific requirements, which could cause them to be affected by risks in various ways.
Examine the risk
In the next step, you must examine the risks and select measures your business can (and will) use to reduce these risks. Legally, you are required to do what is “reasonably practical” to mitigate risks to promote safety and health within the workplace. It is left to determine how much time, money or effort you will put into reducing your identified risks.
There is no legal obligation to undertake actions that could be deemed to be excessively risky in the risk. But you are responsible to your customers, employees and the general public to ensure everyone is away from danger. For instance, if you have an extremely sharp and dangerous corner in your property, there’s no need to alter your vehicle’s route. However, placing mirrors on the corners to prevent accidents could be a sensible and cost-effective measure to reduce the risks.
Another essential thing to keep in mind is that you’re only required to incorporate risks into your risk assessment that you, as proprietor of the company, can reasonably be aware of. It is impossible to be held accountable for the lack of a plan for unknown risks.
Ultimately, getting your entire team involved in the risk assessment process is essential to let them express their concerns and draw attention to any hazards or risks they may encounter. Most of the time, these are things you’re unaware of.
Note your findings and take mitigation actions.
Ensure you keep a record of your findings and the mitigation strategies you have proposed. Like the company’s health and safety policies, You are only legally required to record the risk assessments if your company employs at least five employees. Keeping a record of your risk assessment is vital, and it doesn’t have to take up a lot of time.
Make sure your risk assessment must show that:
You performed the checks you could.
You’ve spoken to people who are affected
You have dealt with all the significant risks
You’ve taken reasonable precautions, and the chance of a catastrophe is meagre.
You have enlisted your team members in your risk assessment
The HSE offers a risk assessment template to develop an extensive and organized risk assessment quickly.
Remember that your risk assessment must be revised as your business alters. There are always new risks to be identified, and you must make time to review your risk assessment documents frequently to ensure everything is in order.
Get insurance
If you have employees with whom you aren’t associated, you are legally required to purchase the employer’s liability insurance. The insurance will cover you if someone is injured or sick while employed with your company. According to UK law, your employer’s liability insurance will cover your company for at minimum PS5m and needs to be issued by an authorized insurance company.
A handful of companies are not required to purchase employers” liability insurance. If you don’t have employees or are an established family business where the employees are all closely linked to you, you might not require insurance. In general, however, it’s a great product to have, regardless of whether you’re legally bound.
If any employee is injured or becomes sick because of the job they perform on your behalf, the employee may seek compensation. This being said, so that you’ve made reasonable efforts to avoid injuries or accidents for your workers (and the illness or injury was caused after the 1st of October 2013), You should not be required to pay compensation. If a court decides that you are responsible and found liable, the employers’ liability insurance will assist you in delivering any due amount.
If you are a business owner identified as having no employer insurance, you could be penalized up to PS2,500 for every day you need to be adequately covered. In addition, the UK Government can also find an additional PS1,000 if you do not choose to present your employer’s liability certificates or if you choose not to provide your insurance certificates open to any inspectors they request to view the documents.