What Health & Safety topics should you consider for your new business?

Every business, regardless of size, must comply with the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. This legislation requires employers to protect their employees and others who might be affected by their work activities. Here are the key topics to consider.

1. Risk Assessment

This is the most fundamental requirement. You must identify what could cause harm in your business, decide how likely it is that someone could be harmed and how seriously, and then put measures in place to eliminate the hazard or control the risk. If you employ five or more people, you must record your risk assessment in writing. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking this is just a paper based task – It’s Not! Your risk assessment document is just the record of what you have done / plan to do to reduce the risk level. You should put much more focus on risk management (actually eliminating or reducing the risk).

2. Health and Safety Policy

If you have five or more employees, you must have a written health and safety policy. This document should clearly state how you will manage health and safety in your business. It's usually broken down into three sections:

• Statement of Intent: Your general commitment to health and safety, signed by a senior person.

• Responsibilities: Who is responsible for specific health and safety tasks.

• Arrangements: The practical steps you'll take to manage risks (e.g., training, consultation).

  
  

3. Appointing a Competent Person

You must appoint someone with the necessary skills, knowledge, and experience to manage health and safety. This could be yourself, an employee, or an external consultant, but they must be competent (qualified, experienced, skilled). This person helps you with things like risk assessments, policy, advice and training etc. You may also need separate technical support from a specialist in areas like PUWER, ISO management systems, accident investigations, fire safety – All topics which LESH can help you with.

4. Training and Information

It's crucial to provide all your employees with the information, instruction, training, and supervision they need to work safely. This includes informing them about the risks they may face and the measures in place to control those risks. The HSE's Health and Safety Law Poster must also be displayed in a prominent location where all employees can easily see it. Make a concerted effort to communicate with your team about safety, they will have some great suggestions and understand the hazards very well after experience. And remember the quickest way to disengage your team is to ignore them.

5. First Aid and Accidents

You must provide adequate and appropriate first-aid provisions for your workplace. This includes a suitably stocked first-aid box and an "appointed person" to take charge of first-aid arrangements. You also need a way to record all work-related accidents and illnesses.

For certain incidents, you have a legal duty to report them to the HSE under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR). This includes:

• Deaths.

• Major injuries (e.g., most fractures, amputations).

• Injuries causing more than seven days of absence from work.

• Certain work-related diseases and dangerous occurrences.

LESH are experienced and highly qualified accident investigators, we are members of the Institute of Industrial Accident Investigators (IIAI). Get in touch if you need help

6. Employer's Liability Insurance

If you have employees, you're legally required to have Employers' Liability Insurance with a minimum coverage of £5 million. You must also display the certificate of insurance where employees can see it.

If you work on other businesses sites, there may be certain levels of cover required depending on the nature of your work, its best to check what level is common for your industry.

7. Specific Workplace Risks

Depending on your industry, you'll need to consider specific risks. Common ones include:

• Fire Safety: You must carry out a fire risk assessment and have an emergency plan.

• Manual Handling: Consider risks from lifting, carrying, and pushing heavy objects.

• Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH): If you use or create hazardous substances, you need to assess the risks and put controls in place.

• Display Screen Equipment (DSE): If your staff use computers or other screens for long periods, you must assess and manage the risks of musculoskeletal problems and eye strain.

• Mental Health: Employers have a legal duty to assess and manage risks to employee mental health, such as stress.

• Machinery and Equipment Safety: Make sure your equipment is the correct type, used correctly by trained staff and has the correct safety features. The PUWER regulations and associated standards can get very technical, machinery is still a big factor in national statistics causing significant injuries daily – seek specialist help.

• Occupational Health Hazards: Closely linked with CoSHH and other hazards surrounding exposures such as asbestos, lead, radiation, noise, vibration, biological risks etc. Employers have a duty to check their controls are effective, a good way to do this is monitoring health or biological monitoring to ensure staff are not exposed and their health condition reduced over time.

LESH Consulting operates in and around Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire but does travel nationwide.