H&S Checklist for Small Businesses

• The law states that businesses must have access to competent H&S advice, either in-house or an external consultant, this should also give you access to advice about health and safety law.
• H&S policy - if a business has more than 5 employees then this should be written down and communicated.  If the business does not have 5 or more employees, then the policy doesn’t have to be written down, however it is still considered good practice to make a written record.
  
• The health and safety law poster, “It will be ok behind the door, wont it?”  Short answer is no, it should be displayed in a prominent location where employees can see it.  “But I only have a small business and nowhere to display a poster, so what now?”  Well, the HSE provides a range of leaflets and pocket cards free to download.  These should then be given to employees with a brief about the details.  
• Insurance might seem like a straightforward process, however if you have employees then you will require employers’ liability insurance.

 

• You must assess the risks associated with your work activities, if you employ 5 or more staff then you will need to make a written record of these assessments.  If you do not have 5 or more employees, then as a minimum you should follow the methodology of risk assessment as follows:

1. Identify the hazards, these are things that have the potential to cause harm.

    2. Identify the risks, this is the likelihood that a hazard will cause harm and if it does, what is the likely severity of that harm. 
  3. Take all steps that are reasonably practicable to eliminate or reduce the hazard, if elimination is not possible, then the risk must be controlled. i.e., you notice that you have a large pothole on a walking surface, you decide that it is a hazard and that you will act, and place a small, printed sign on the wall next to the pothole warning employees, despite having access to traffic cones, warning tape and material to fill the hole etc.   
An employee uses the walking route and badly damages their ankle, it could well be argued that you as the employer reduced the risk by placing the sign on the wall, the question to ask yourself is “Did I do everything which was reasonable and practicable” so could I have done more “Yes” is often the answer.
So, what is reasonable and practicable, well it is a balance between time, cost, and effort, the three scenarios above should give a spotlight into the balance to be struck.

• Communication and consultation with employees are extremely important, employees should be involved in the H&S decision making process, as often as possible, the road to compliance and keeping people safe is a two-way street.

 

• As communication is a two-way street, then as an employer you will have to provide, information, instruction, training, and supervision to and for your employees including those self-employed.

 

• Employees spend a large portion of their time at work; therefore, the provision of welfare facilities are key to showing a businesses commitment to health and safety. These should include toilets both male and female, hand washing facilities with basins, an area to rest and eat meals.  Employees also have the right to work in an environment that is clean and clear, has good ventilation, temperature, suitable lighting, well maintained equipment. 

• As an employer you are required to a suitable and sufficient assessment of risks associated with work activities, one of the key assessments is the provision of first aid and first aid equipment, again we see how communication plays a big part in health and safety as you will have to provide information to employees on who the first aid trained employees are.

• Duties to report accidents and incidents if you employ more than 10 staff, there is a legal requirement to provide an accident book or some form of written reporting system to record workplace accidents.  It is however good practice to have an accident book even with less than 10 employees.  There is also a legal requirement to report certain workplace accidents and incidents to the HSE under the Reporting of injuries diseases and dangerous occurrences regulations, known as RIDDOR.     
• You need ensure you are complying with specific Hazard or equipment specific legislation such as COSHH, Work at Height, Lifting Equipment, Work Equipment, Asbestos, Electricity at Work.

References: Source: Health and Safety Made Simple: The basics for your business (hse.gov.uk)