What you need to do
You must ensure your business is safe for employees and members of the public.
Register your business
If your business involves personal treatments (tattooing, piercing, electrolysis or hairdressing) or food preparation, you must register your business with us and meet the necessary byelaws before you can operate. Please see the licensing section for more information.
Insure your business
As an employer, you must hold employers liability insurance and display a copy of the certificate on your premises. You may also take out additional insurance to cover visitor/customer accidents.
Report accidents and incidents
You are required to report work related accidents, diseases and dangerous occurrences. Find out more and report an incident on the HSE website - report accidents and incidents.
Provide information to your employees
You must display the poster ‘Health and Safety Law - What you Should Know’ where all your employees can read it. Alternatively, you may give all employees the leaflet containing the same information. You can download the posters from the Health and Safety Executive website below:
Prepare a safety policy
If you have five or more employees, you must prepare a written safety policy which clearly sets out your arrangements for workplace safety.
Find out how to prepare and write a safety policy on the HSE website - write a safety policy.
Do a risk assessment
By law, you must assess risks in your workplace. A risk assessment is a careful examination of what, in your work, could cause harm to people. It is an important step in protecting your workers and your business, as well as complying with the law.
Specific requirements and guidance can be found on the HSE website - risk assessments.
Provide adequate first aid
Employers are required to provide adequate and appropriate equipment, facilities and personnel to enable first aid to be given to employees if they are injured or become ill at work. Find out more about first aid at work on the HSE website - first aid.
Further information
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) website provides information for new businesses who are starting up, or for those who want to find out what they must do to comply with health and safety legislation. The health and safety toolbox available on their website has information on specific health and safety issues.