Workplace Health and Safety FAQs

Health and safety is the practice of protecting people from harm by identifying risks, preventing accidents and ill health, and creating safe, healthy environments in the workplace and other settings.

Health and safety protects the wellbeing of employees, prevents workplace injuries and illnesses, and ensures a safe environment for everyone.

A strong health and safety culture reduces risks, improves productivity, and enhances employee morale by showing that their welfare is valued. It also helps organisations comply with legal obligations, avoid costly incidents, and maintain a positive reputation.

In the end, prioritising health and safety creates a secure and efficient workplace where people can thrive.

The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 was introduced to establish a comprehensive legal framework ensuring the health, safety, and welfare of employees and others affected by workplace activities.

The Act has significantly reduced workplace accidents and fatalities. For instance, fatal injuries to employees have decreased by approximately 90% since 1974, with 81 employee deaths reported in 2021/2022.

It is a legal requirement for organisations with 5 or more people to have written risk assessments and a health and safety policy. Even if you have less than that number of employees it’s a good idea to have your arrangements written down so that you can train employees and reference back in the future or in the event of an accident or incident.

Health and safety in the workplace is primarily regulated by the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, which sets out employers’ duties to protect the health, safety, and welfare of employees and others who may be affected by their work activities.

The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 is the main legislation governing workplace health and safety in the UK, setting out the general duties of employers, employees, and others to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that people are protected from risks arising from work activities.

For more information, please read our article, What is the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974?

The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act was introduced in 1974 and came into force on 1 January 1975.

The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 was introduced to improve workplace safety by creating a clear legal framework for protecting people at work, at a time when serious injuries and fatalities were far more common.

The number of employees fatally injured at work has fallen by around 85 per cent since the Act came into force, from approximately 651 fatal injuries in 1974 to 138 workers killed in work-related accidents in 2023/24.

Non-fatal injuries have also reduced significantly, from an estimated 336,700 reported injuries in 1974 to 60,645 non-fatal injuries reported under RIDDOR in 2022/23.

These improvements have occurred alongside major changes in the UK economy, including a substantial shift away from high-risk manufacturing and heavy industry towards lower-risk service sectors.

A breach in regulation compliance could result in include fines and in some cases imprisonment.

Yes, workers can be prosecuted for breaking health and safety laws under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.

Employees must take reasonable care for safety, follow procedures, and not misuse safety equipment.

Under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, employers are legally required to:

1. Provide a safe workplace. Ensure the environment, equipment, and systems are safe and free from risks.
2. Conduct risk assessments. Identify and minimise workplace hazards as per the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999.
3. Offer training and information. Provide employees with adequate health and safety training and information about risks.
4. Provide safety equipment. Supply and maintain personal protective equipment (PPE) in line with the Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 2022.
5. Report incidents. Record and report workplace accidents, diseases, and dangerous occurrences under RIDDOR (Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013).
6. Consult employees. Engage with employees or safety representatives about health and safety matters.

Health and safety law is enforced by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and local authorities, depending on the type of workplace.

The HSE enforces the law in higher-risk sectors such as construction, manufacturing, and industry, while local councils are responsible for enforcement in lower-risk workplaces such as offices, shops, and hospitality settings.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is the UK’s national regulator for workplace health and safety, responsible for protecting people by enforcing health and safety law, providing guidance, and promoting safe working practices across a wide range of industries.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) enforce health and safety law, inspect workplaces, investigate accidents and incidents, issue enforcement notices, and take legal action where necessary, while also providing guidance, advice, and research to help organisations manage risks and protect people at work.

Health and safety inspectors can visit your workplace at any time. For routine inspections they are more likely to schedule it in beforehand.

Responsibility for workplace health and safety is shared.

Employers must provide a safe environment, conduct risk assessments, and offer training. Employees must follow safety policies and report hazards. Self-employed individuals must ensure their activities are safe, and contractors or visitors must adhere to site guidelines.

Under health and safety law, an employer must provide a safe working environment, safe systems of work, suitable equipment, information, instruction, training and supervision, and adequate welfare facilities to protect the health, safety, and wellbeing of employees and others affected by their work.

A health and safety policy is a written statement that sets out an organisation’s commitment to protecting the health, safety, and welfare of its employees and others, explaining how risks will be managed, who is responsible for safety, and the arrangements in place to prevent accidents and ill health.

Here is an example health and safety policy.

It is a legal requirement for companies with 5 or more employees to have a health and safety policy. Health and safety policies should include a statement of intent, a list of who is responsible for what and information about how issues will be managed.

A health and safety management system is a structured framework used to identify hazards, assess and control risks, and manage health and safety performance through clear policies, procedures, responsibilities, training, and monitoring.

An example is SHINE, which helps organisations manage documents, assessments, actions, and compliance in one central platform.

The purpose of a health and safety file is to provide essential information about a building or structure to help manage health and safety during future construction, maintenance, repair, or demolition work, and it is a legal requirement under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM 2015).

A hazard is anything with the potential to cause harm, such as a substance, activity, condition, or piece of equipment that could lead to injury, ill health, or damage if not properly controlled.

Common workplace hazards depending on the sector industry include:

• Safety hazards – including trailing power cables, unguarded machinery and frayed or faulty electrical wires.
• Ergonomic hazards – including manual handling, use of display screen equipment and vibration.
• Slips, trips and falls on the same level
• Work at height
• Lone working
• Stress and mental health
• Chemical and hazardous substances
• Fire
• Driving

In health and safety, a risk is the likelihood that a hazard will cause harm and how severe that harm could be.

Risk is assessed by considering how likely an incident is to occur, how serious the consequences would be, and how many people could be affected, considering the existing control measures in place.

In health and safety, a near miss is an unplanned event that did not result in injury, ill health, or damage, but had the potential to do so under slightly different circumstances.

Unfortunately, most health and safety training does not have a defined refresher time period. Almost all legislation leaves the decisions for refresher training to the employer. The general approach is that refresher training is undertaken every three years.

It is common for organisations to schedule key health and safety refresher training annually, such as fire safety and manual handling training.

The HSE Health and Safety Law Poster should be shown in a visible place in the workplace, or circulated to all employees if required.

Other safety documents you may want to display includes:

• Fire safety signage
• Employers’ Liability Certificate
• No Smoking signage

Green health and safety signs indicate safe conditions, such as the location of emergency escape routes, first aid equipment, or emergency exits, and are used to guide people to safety in an emergency.

LOLER stands for the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998.

In health and safety, TILE stands for Task, Individual, Load, and Environment, and is used in manual handling risk assessments to identify risks by considering:

• Task – how the activity is carried out, including movements, posture, and repetition
• Individual – the person’s capability, training, and physical condition
• Load – the size, weight, shape, and stability of the item being handled
• Environment – the space, flooring, lighting, and other workplace conditions

Full-time employees are entitled to 28 days paid annual leave a year. This is the equivalent of 5.6 weeks of holiday. Part-time workers will get the equivalent holiday based on the hours they work.