Do You Need a Written Health and Safety Policy? What the Law Says

The Legal Position in One Paragraph

Every employer must have a health and safety policy. If you employ five or more people, section 2(3) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 requires that policy to be written down, brought to the attention of employees, and revised as often as appropriate. Below five employees the policy can be in your head, though writing it down is still sensible, not least because clients, insurers and accreditation schemes such as CHAS and SafeContractor will ask to see it long before any regulator does.

The Three Parts of a Proper Policy

1. Statement of intent

A short declaration of your commitment to managing health and safety, and your aims. It should be signed and dated by the most senior person in the business, the owner or managing director, because that signature signals where responsibility ultimately sits. One page is plenty.

2. Organisation: who does what

This section names responsibilities. Who has overall accountability? Who manages safety day to day? Who covers first aid, fire arrangements, training records, equipment maintenance, contractor control? In a small business several hats sit on one head, and that is fine; the point is that every duty has an owner, and everyone knows who. Include your arrangements for competent health and safety advice, which every employer is required to have access to.

3. Arrangements: how you do it

The practical detail of how risks are managed in your business. Cover the topics that are actually relevant to your work, which might include risk assessment, training and induction, accident reporting and investigation, fire safety, first aid, COSHH, manual handling, display screen equipment, work equipment, lone working, driving for work and contractor management. This section should describe what you really do, not what a template thinks a business like yours might do.

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The Template Trap

A generic policy downloaded and given a new logo is easy to spot: it references procedures you do not have, roles that do not exist and hazards you do not face, while missing the ones you do. That mismatch is worse than useless. If an incident occurs, a policy describing fictional arrangements demonstrates that health and safety was a paperwork exercise, and enforcement authorities, insurers and courts read it exactly that way. A short, accurate policy beats a long, borrowed one every time.

Making It a Working Document

• Communicate it. The law requires the policy to be brought to employees' attention. Cover it at induction, keep it accessible, and highlight changes when it is revised.
• Review it regularly. Annually is good practice, and sooner when things change: new premises, new equipment or processes, significant staff changes, or lessons from an accident or near miss.
• Date and version it. A statement signed by a director who left four years ago tells its own story.
• Let it drive action. The arrangements section is effectively a to-do list for your safety management. If it says inspections happen monthly, they should, and records should show it.

Help Getting It Right

Writing a policy that reflects your actual business takes a little effort up front, but it pays back in clarity, credibility with clients, and a far easier ride through accreditation. Integral Safety prepares tailored policies through our health and safety consultancy, acts as your competent person, and supports applications via our accreditation support service. Get in touch and we will make the paperwork earn its keep.