Building & Landscape Services

Building and landscape services: compliance checklist

Use this checklist to confirm your building and landscape services business (SIC division 81) meets its obligations. Work through the universal workplace and employment items every operation shares, then the pest-control, landscaping and waste items if they apply. If you answer no to any item, follow the linked guide before you proceed.

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Related guides in Health & Safety

Use this checklist to confirm your building and landscape services business meets its obligations. Work through each item and answer yes or no. If you answer no, follow the linked guide before you proceed.

Workplace health and safety is enforced by the Health and Safety Executive in Great Britain and by HSENI in Northern Ireland. The biocidal- products regime is a GB regulation enforced by HSE; if you operate in Northern Ireland, check the position separately under the EU Biocidal Products Regulation (Windsor Framework). Pesticide competence is regulated by HSE (Chemicals Regulation Division) in GB and DAERA in Northern Ireland. The waste duty of care and invasive-species law are devolved — the Environment Agency (England), NRW (Wales), SEPA (Scotland) and NIEA (Northern Ireland). Each section names the body that applies.

Section 1 — Every building and landscape services operation (workplace and people)

These workplace and employment duties apply to every cleaning, pest- control, landscaping and grounds-maintenance business. Confirm each one.

  1. 1

    Have you written your risk assessments and put safe systems of work in place?

    Your general duty under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 is to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of your people. Risk-assess the specific hazards of your trade — cleaning chemicals and biocides (COSHH), working at height, hand-arm vibration from powered equipment, manual handling and slips, trips and falls — and put safe systems of work, training and supervision in place. If not, follow "Set up and run a safe building and landscape services operation".

  2. 2

    Have you carried out your fire risk assessment?

    Assess the fire risk from any flammable chemicals, fuel or equipment you store, under the fire-safety regime for your nation — the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 in England and Wales, the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 in Scotland, and the Fire and Rescue Services (Northern Ireland) Order 2006 in Northern Ireland.

  3. 3

    Do you hold employers' liability insurance and meet your equality and data duties?

    Hold at least £5 million of cover once you employ anyone; do not discriminate under the Equality Act 2010 (or separate NI equality law enforced by the ECNI); and comply with the UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018, registering with the ICO unless exempt.

Section 2 — Pest control, landscaping and waste

Complete this section if you carry out pest control, apply professional pesticides and herbicides, remove green waste or work near invasive non-native species. Confirm each one before you carry out the work.

  1. 1

    Are all the biocidal products you use authorised?

    Confirm that every rodenticide, insecticide, disinfectant and preservative holds a valid GB product authorisation under the GB Biocidal Products Regulation (assimilated Regulation 528/2012). HSE is the GB competent authority. If you operate in Northern Ireland, check the position separately under the EU BPR. If not, follow "Meet your pest control, landscaping and waste duties".

  2. 2

    Do your operators hold pesticide-competence certificates?

    Every operator applying professional plant-protection products must hold a certificate of competence (typically City and Guilds Level 2, or PA1 plus the relevant module such as PA6) or work under the direct supervision of a certificate holder. Application equipment must be tested. HSE (Chemicals Regulation Division) regulates in GB; DAERA in Northern Ireland.

  3. 3

    Are you registered as a waste carrier and using transfer notes?

    If you remove green waste from a customer's site, register with the Environment Agency (NRW in Wales, SEPA in Scotland, NIEA in Northern Ireland), transfer waste only to an authorised person and complete a waste transfer note for every load under section 34 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

  4. 4

    Are you following an invasive-species management plan where needed?

    If you encounter listed invasive non-native plants such as Japanese knotweed or giant hogweed, you must not cause them to spread — an offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (England and Wales), the Wildlife and Natural Environment (Scotland) Act 2011 or the Wildlife (Northern Ireland) Order 1985. Dispose of contaminated material at a licensed facility.

If you answered no to anything

Work through the guide linked in that item. The two task guides — the safe-operation spine and pest control, landscaping and waste duties — set out what to do. Start from the router if you are not sure which apply to you.

Official sources

Authoritative health and safety, environmental and chemicals guidance.