UK Health and Safety Laws Explained

Criminal and civil law are the two types of law that apply to the everyday management of health and safety in the workplace. Regulators such as the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and local authorities may take action under criminal law if health and safety standards are not enforced and maintained. This can result in fines or imprisonment, with the resulting costs and reputational damage leading to potential loss of business. However, neither HSE nor local authorities have the responsibility for applying civil law or setting the rules for the conduct of civil cases.

Health and safety law posters must be displayed as a legal requirement and be completed with details of health and safety contacts within the business. Under the Health and Safety Information for Employees Regulations (HSIER), this poster can only be purchased directly from the HSE, which is proactive in identifying counterfeit posters.

Authentic HSE law posters from 2009 onwards will have a hologram in the bottom corner, while the 2018 reprint of the poster includes enhanced security features, and is more durable. These features include an image flip hologram with surface relief, optical variable ink, embossed roundel, rounded corners, as well as printed on recyclable PP5 material.

It is critical that the HSE poster is fixed in a prominent position in each workplace location, ensuring all workers can read and have access to it. If the poster can’t be displayed, potentially due to staff working hybrid or having no fixed base, there is a pocket version of the poster that can be issued instead.

Civil law is primarily concerned with compensation for anyone injured or subject to ill health linked to their workplace – having the right type of insurance is a legal requirement for employees as well as good business practice.

The business’ approach to risk influences how much insurance the business should have. You must have at least £5m of Employers’ Liability Insurance, and this must be displayed in a place everyone has access to. The HSE can fine businesses up to £2,500 per day for operating without this insurance. Additional fines of £1,000 may apply for failure to display an EL certificate or provide it to inspectors upon request.

Strategic compliance audits are a great way to ensure a business is complying with all UK health and safety laws, managing risks effectively.