Understanding and strengthening awareness of workers’ responsibilities for health and safety helps reduce accidents and injuries. While employers have significant legal duties under UK health and safety law, employees have clear responsibilities too.
Every workplace relies on employees following safe working practices, whether they work in an office, on a construction site, from home, or in a customer-facing role. Here we explain what the law requires, what ‘reasonable care’ means in practice, and how employees contribute to workplace safety day to day.
Workers’ responsibilities for health and safety – the law
Workers’ responsibilities for health and safety are set out primarily in the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HSWA). While employers hold the main duty of care for workplace safety, employees also have legal obligations.
The law recognises that workplace safety is a shared responsibility. Employers are expected to provide safe working environments, training, supervision, and equipment, while employees must act responsibly and cooperate with workplace safety measures.
The legal duties placed on employees apply across all industries and working environments, including offices, construction sites, warehouses, retail settings, healthcare environments, and remote or hybrid workplaces.
Employees’ responsibilities under the Health and Safety at Work Act
Under Section 7 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HSWA), employees have three core legal duties:
- Take reasonable care of their own health and safety
- Take reasonable care of others who may be affected by their acts or omissions at work
- Cooperate with their employer so they can comply with health and safety law and other statutory requirements.
Reasonable care
The HSWA does not provide a precise legal definition of “reasonable care”. Instead, the term is interpreted according to what a sensible, competent, and properly trained person would reasonably do in the same circumstances.
Duty to cooperate
The requirement to ‘cooperate’ with employers is particularly important because many employer duties under the HSWA and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 rely on employee participation.
For example, employers may need employees to follow safety instructions, attend training, report hazards, or participate in risk control measures to meet their legal obligations.
Misuse duty
Employees must also comply with Section 8, which states that no person shall intentionally or recklessly interfere with or misuse anything provided in the interests of health, safety, or welfare. This includes safety equipment, control measures, welfare facilities, and emergency arrangements provided by the employer to protect people at work.
Employees’ responsibility for health and safety in practice
These are employees’ responsibilities for health and safety day-to-day:
Follow health and safety procedures
Employees play an important role in maintaining a safe workplace by following health and safety policies, safe systems of work, and emergency procedures. This may include following guidance for activities such as manual handling, working at height, lone working, fire safety, or the use of hazardous substances.
Employees also contribute to workplace safety by following site-specific rules, warning signs, permit-to-work systems, and instructions provided by supervisors or competent persons.
Use equipment correctly
Workplace equipment should be used in accordance with training, workplace procedures, and manufacturer instructions. This includes machinery, hand tools, vehicles, lifting equipment, display screen equipment, and electrical appliances.
Employees contribute to safe working practices by using equipment they have been trained and authorised to operate, carrying out basic pre-use checks where appropriate, and reporting any faults or damage promptly.
Using equipment correctly helps maintain safety for both the operator and those working nearby.
Wear PPE correctly
Where personal protective equipment (PPE) is required, employees are responsible for wearing it correctly and using it for its intended purpose. PPE may include items such as safety helmets, gloves, eye protection, respiratory protective equipment (RPE), hearing protection, or high-visibility clothing.
Employees also help maintain effective protection by storing PPE appropriately, checking for signs of wear or damage, and reporting any issues that may affect its effectiveness or fit.
If suitable PPE is unavailable or concerns arise regarding its condition, employees should raise this with management, or health and safety staff so appropriate action can be taken.
Report hazards and unsafe practices
Reporting hazards and safety concerns promptly helps organisations address risks early and maintain a safe working environment.
Employees can support workplace safety by reporting hazards, unsafe practices, accidents, defects, and near misses as soon as they become aware of them. Examples may include damaged equipment, exposed wiring, blocked fire exits, spills, defective PPE, or signs of work-related ill health.
Many organisations also provide confidential reporting channels to encourage employees to raise concerns openly and safely.
Attend health and safety training
Health and safety training helps employees understand workplace risks, safe working procedures, and their legal responsibilities.
Employees support a positive safety culture by attending mandatory training sessions, refresher courses, toolbox talks, and emergency drills where required. Applying this training in daily work helps ensure procedures and control measures remain effective.
Where clarification or additional guidance is needed, employees should feel confident seeking support from supervisors or health and safety advisers.
Maintain good housekeeping
Good housekeeping helps create a safer, more organised, and more efficient workplace. It also reduces the likelihood of common workplace incidents such as slips, trips, falls, and fire risks.
Employees contribute by keeping work areas tidy, storing materials safely, disposing of waste correctly, managing trailing cables, cleaning spills promptly, and helping keep walkways and emergency exits clear.
Maintaining good housekeeping standards also makes hazards easier to identify and address quickly.
Protect others from harm
Employees have a duty to consider how their actions may affect colleagues, contractors, visitors, customers, and members of the public.
This includes communicating hazards clearly, following traffic management systems, using warning signage where appropriate, and carrying out tasks safely and responsibly.
By working collaboratively and remaining aware of potential risks to others, employees help create a safer workplace for everyone.
Employer and employee responsibilities for health and safety
Understanding employer and workers’ responsibilities for health and safety helps organisations create safer workplaces and maintain compliance.
| Responsibility | Employer duty | Employee duty |
| Equipment | Provide safe, maintained tools and machinery | Use equipment safely and as trained |
| Risk assessments | Carry out suitable risk assessments | Report hazards and unsafe conditions |
| PPE | Provide suitable PPE free of charge | Wear and care for PPE correctly |
| Training | Deliver appropriate health and safety training | Attend and apply training |
| Workplace safety | Maintain safe working environments | Follow workplace procedures |
| Incident management | Investigate accidents and implement controls | Report incidents and near misses |
What are the consequences of employees breaching health and safety rules?
Breaching health and safety rules can have serious consequences for employees, colleagues, and employers. This includes increased risk of accidents and injuries, workplace disciplinary action, and in some cases legal enforcement action.
In 2024/25, 680,000 working people sustained a workplace injury in Great Britain while 124 workers were killed in work-related incidents. Interestingly, the HSE states that human failure contributes to almost all workplace accidents and incidents.
Examples of breaches may include:
- Failing to wear PPE correctly
- Misusing machinery or tools
- Bypassing safety controls
- Ignoring training or procedures
- Engaging in unsafe behaviour
At work, these breaches may lead to:
- Verbal or written warnings
- Retraining or increased supervision
- Disciplinary investigations
- Dismissal in serious cases
Employees can also face legal consequences under Section 7 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 if their actions place themselves or others at risk. The HSE has the power to prosecute employees in certain circumstances, particularly where unsafe behaviour contributes to serious incidents or injuries.
Even when nobody is injured, enforcement action may still be taken where unsafe practices create a significant risk of harm.
Are remote workers responsible for home office safety?
Employees working remotely or in hybrid roles still have legal health and safety responsibilities under the HSWA.
Under Section 7 of the HSWA, employees must take reasonable care of their own health and safety and that of others who may be affected by their work activities, regardless of where they are working.
Remote workers are also expected to cooperate with their employer so they can comply with their legal duties under the HSWA and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999.
Remote workers must:
- Follow employer guidance and homeworking policies
- Set up workstations in line with DSE guidance
- Report hazards, discomfort, or work-related health concerns
- Use equipment safely and correctly
- Take reasonable care of their wellbeing
The HSE states that the Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992 apply to workers who use DSE daily for continuous periods of an hour or more, including “mobile workers” and “home workers”.
The HSE also confirms that employers have the same health and safety responsibilities for employees working at home as for those working in the workplace.
Employees’ right to raise safety concerns
Under The Health and Safety at Work Act, Section 2, employers have a duty, so far as is reasonably practicable, to ensure the health, safety, and welfare of employees while at work. This includes providing safe systems of work, safe equipment, appropriate training, competent supervision, and a working environment without risks to health.
If employers fail to meet their duty, employees have the right to raise concerns about unsafe working conditions without fear of unfair treatment.
Additional legal protection is provided under the Employment Rights Act 1996, Section 44. This states that employees have the right not to suffer detriment if, in circumstances they reasonably believe to involve serious and imminent danger, they:
- Leave or propose to leave the workplace
- Refuse to return while the danger persists
- Take appropriate steps to protect themselves or others
Importantly, the law refers to an employee’s ‘reasonable belief’, meaning protection may still apply even if the danger later turns out not to exist, provided the employee genuinely believed there was a serious and imminent risk at the time.
Examples could include concerns about unsafe equipment, fire risks, exposure to harmful substances, dangerous working practices, or violence in the workplace.
Employees may also have protection under the Employment Rights Act 1996, Section 100, which makes dismissal automatically unfair in certain health and safety situations.
Understand health & safety responsibilities with IOSH Working Safely
Ensuring everyone in the workplace has a clear understanding of workers’ responsibilities for health and safety reduces the risk of accidents and injuries.
IOSH Working Safely provides a practical introduction to workplace health and safety, including common workplace hazards, risk awareness, and employer and employee responsibilities under UK health and safety law.
Available online, virtually, or in person, the course is suitable for organisations across all industries and works well as part of employee induction training, refresher learning, or wider health and safety development programmes.
Find out more about IOSH Working Safely on our website or contact our friendly team today on 0203 011 4242 / [email protected]
Adam Clarke
Managing Director (Consulting)
