If your business employs staff or contractors or receives visitors, in addition to employment law obligations, there are a number of health and safety obligations that you need to consider.
All workers, whether employed or self-employed, are entitled to work in a safe environment. The requirements for complying with this obligation are very broad.
In addition, if your business has premises and you employ staff and volunteers, then you need to consider fire safety and the obligations imposed by the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.
Your business needs to abide by Health and Safety law, which includes PAT testing, Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations (PUWER), Manual Handling and Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) where appropriate.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety.
Other considerations include food safety and food hygiene registrations.
Compliance with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 legislation, requires that all businesses with premises install and maintain a fire protection system. This means as a minimum that you must have fire extinguishers available on the premises. In addition, you need to carry out and keep a written fire risk assessment. You should also appoint a fire marshal and establish an office evacuation procedure.