Do you need a health and safety policy?
Updated 3 July 2026 · Policy Mind guides
Almost certainly yes — and if you employ five or more people, the law requires it to be written down. This guide explains where that duty comes from, what the policy must contain, and how to get one in place without a consultant.
What the law says
The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 requires every employer to prepare a statement of their general policy on health and safety at work, together with the organisation and arrangements for carrying it out. Businesses with fewer than five employees are exempt from the written requirement — but not from having a policy and arrangements. In practice, writing it down is the easiest way to prove you have them.
The count is people employed, not full-time equivalents — part-time staff count. If you're at four employees and hiring, it's time.
The three parts every policy needs
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) expects a policy in three sections:
- Statement of intent — your commitment to managing health and safety, signed and dated by the most senior person.
- Responsibilities — who does what: overall responsibility at the top, plus named duties for day-to-day tasks like first aid, fire checks and reporting.
- Arrangements — how you actually do it: risk assessments, training, equipment maintenance, accident reporting, emergency procedures.
Don't confuse it with a risk assessment
The policy and the risk assessment are separate legal duties. Every employer must assess workplace risks; with five or more employees you must also record the significant findings. Your policy's "arrangements" section should say how and when you carry assessments out.
Keeping it alive
A policy from three years ago that nobody has read is nearly as bad as no policy. Review it when anything significant changes — premises, headcount, new equipment or activities — and make sure employees actually see it. If an inspector or insurer asks, "current, signed and shared" is what they want to find.
What happens if you don't have one
No written policy at five-plus staff is a breach of the Act in itself, and it's one of the first documents HSE inspectors, insurers, and larger customers ask for. Missing or stale policies also weaken your position badly if there's ever an accident claim.
Read next: what policies does a small business need?