This guide explores why health and safety is important in the workplace, discusses employer’s and employee’s legal responsibilities, and highlights practical steps to promote a safer, healthier organisation.
What is health and safety?
Health and safety refers to the policies, procedures, and practices in the workplace that prevent accidents, injuries, ill health, and harm to anyone affected by work activities. This includes employees, contractors, visitors, and the wider public. It involves identifying hazards, assessing risks, implementing control measures, providing training, ensuring safe systems of work, and complying with legal requirements.
Health and safety is about fostering a positive, proactive culture where the physical and mental wellbeing of everyone in the workplace is a priority. This includes managing physical risks such as hazardous machinery or working at height, as well as psychological risks like stress and burnout. It also covers critical areas such as fire safety, chemical handling, and emergency procedures.
Why is health and safety important?
Health and safety is vital because it protects lives. The introduction of the Health and Safety at Work Act (HSWA) in 1974 marked a significant turning point in workplace safety. Prior to its enactment, there were alarmingly high rates of workplace incidents in the UK, with 651 fatal injuries recorded in 1974. In 2023/24 this number had decreased to 138 fatal injuries, representing a reduction of 78%.
Although HSWA has been instrumental in reducing workplace injuries and fatalities, ongoing efforts are essential. Workplace accidents and fatalities devastate lives, and for organisations they can result in legal action, fines, reputational damage, lost productivity, and higher staff turnover. In 2022/23 workplace ill health and injuries cost UK employers £5 billion.
Investing in health and safety leads to reduced costs, fewer absences, improved staff retention, and a stronger brand image.
What are the main causes of workplace injury and illness?
Ensuring workplace health and safety is vital for safeguarding employees from harm and promoting wellbeing.
According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), in 2023/24, approximately 1.7 million workers in Great Britain suffered from work-related illnesses, with 776,000 cases attributed to stress, depression, or anxiety, and 543,000 cases related to musculoskeletal disorders. There were 604,000 self-reported non-fatal workplace injuries during the same period.
The leading causes of non-fatal workplace injuries include slips, trips, and falls, which are the most common, as well as handling, lifting, or carrying incidents. These incidents not only affect employee health but also result in significant economic costs.
Addressing mental health in the workplace is increasingly important. Stress, depression, or anxiety accounted for 16.4 million of the 33.7 million working days lost due to work-related ill health and injuries in 2023/24.
Implementing comprehensive health and safety measures can mitigate these issues, leading to a healthier, more productive workforce.
Why is it important to assess health and safety risks?
Assessing health and safety risks is fundamental to creating a safe working environment. During the risk assessment process potential hazards are identified, the likelihood and severity of harm from these hazards is calculated, and the measures needed to mitigate risks are determined.
By identifying hazards (such as unsafe machinery, manual handling risks, or trip hazards) employers and employees can act before harm occurs. This proactive approach helps prevent injuries and ill health while also supporting compliance with legal duties under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, which require suitable and sufficient risk assessments to be carried out.
Risk assessments are also key to prioritising safety improvements and allocating resources effectively. They help organisations focus their time, training, and investment on the most significant risks. As the workplace evolves, with new technologies, tasks, or working arrangements, risk assessments must be reviewed and updated to ensure ongoing protection.
To support your organisation to meet health and safety responsibilities, Praxis42 offers an online Risk Assessment Training course which gives employees the knowledge and confidence to assess risks. The course is ideal for managers, supervisors, and anyone involved in identifying and managing workplace risks.
By assessing risks and acting on the findings, organisations can protect people, improve productivity, and strengthen their safety culture.
What are an employer’s responsibilities for health and safety?
An employer’s responsibilities for health and safety in the workplace are defined primarily by the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, along with supporting regulations. These duties are legal requirements and apply to all employers, regardless of the size or nature of their business.
Here is a summary of the main health and safety legislation that affects employers, but this list is not exhaustive.
Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974
Employers have a legal duty to protect the health, safety, and welfare of their employees under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.
Section 2(1) states that employers must ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the safety of employees during their work. This includes providing a safe working environment, maintaining safe equipment and systems, and offering suitable welfare facilities.
Under Section 2 (2), employers are responsible for providing employees with relevant health and safety information, instructions, and training. This ensures employees understand the risks associated with their work and how to stay safe. Training should be given at induction, when new risks arise, and at regular intervals thereafter.
Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999
Employers must assess workplace risks under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, Regulation 3. Risk assessments help identify hazards and determine the necessary precautions to reduce or eliminate them.
Employers with five or more employees must record significant findings and review assessments regularly, especially when changes in the workplace occur.
Under Regulation 7 employers must appoint at least one competent person to assist in complying with health and safety laws. A competent person is someone with the necessary knowledge, skills, and experience to advise on managing risks in the workplace effectively.
The Health and Safety (Consultation with Employees) Regulations 1996
The Health and Safety (Consultation with Employees) Regulations 1996 require employers to consult employees on matters that affect their health and safety.
Where there is no recognised trade union, consultation must take place either directly with employees or through elected representatives of employee safety (RoES). This helps ensure that employees have a voice in safety decisions and that measures are both practical and effective.
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Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR)
Employers must report certain incidents under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR). These include work-related fatalities, specified injuries, cases of occupational disease, and dangerous occurrences such as near misses involving equipment or hazardous substances. Timely reporting helps identify patterns and prevent future harm.
What are an employee’s responsibilities for health and safety?
Health and safety is a shared duty. When employees actively participate it helps prevent accidents, reduces absenteeism, and contributes to a stronger safety culture across the organisation.
Under Section 7 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, employees have a legal duty to take reasonable care of their own health and safety and that of others who may be affected by their actions at work. This includes colleagues, visitors, contractors, and members of the public. Employees must also cooperate with their employer on all matters related to health and safety to ensure compliance with legal duties.
Under Section 8 of the Act, employees must not intentionally or recklessly interfere with or misuse anything provided in the interests of health, safety, or welfare. This includes tampering with alarms, disabling guards on machinery, or misusing PPE.
Support compliance and wellbeing through effective training
Effective training reduces workplace injuries and ill health, leading to fewer absences, greater productivity, and long-term cost savings. It supports compliance, reduces risk, and demonstrates a clear commitment to employee welfare.
At Praxis42, our health and safety eLearning courses support you to meet your legal responsibilities and embed best practice across your organisation. We also offer a range of wellbeing courses that address key topics such as stress, mental health, and resilience, helping you foster a more engaged and productive workforce.
Discover why health and safety training is important and how we can support your business by visiting our health and safety eLearning courses and wellbeing courses or talking to our friendly team on 0203 011 4242/info@praxis42.com
Adam Clarke
Managing Director (Consulting)
