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.

Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HASAWA)

The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 - primary UK workplace health and safety legislation establishing employer and employee duties. Pure data reference.

The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HASAWA 1974) is the primary legislation governing workplace health and safety in the United Kingdom. It establishes the legal framework for protecting the health, safety and welfare of people at work and those affected by work activities.

Legal status: Primary legislation - principal UK health and safety statute
Royal Assent: 31 July 1974
Came into force: 1 April 1975 (in stages)
Geographic scope: Great Britain (separate legislation applies in Northern Ireland)
Applies to: All employers, employees, self-employed persons, and those who control work premises
Primary duty (Section 2): Employers must ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of all employees
Duty to non-employees (Section 3): Employers must protect persons not in their employment (contractors, visitors, public) who may be affected by work activities
Employee duties (Sections 7-8): Employees must take reasonable care for their own health and safety and that of others, cooperate with employers, and not misuse safety equipment
Enforcement authority: Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and local authorities
Maximum penalties (post-2008 amendments): Unlimited fines in Crown Court; imprisonment up to 2 years for individuals; up to 12 months and/or an unlimited fine in Magistrates' Court in England and Wales (12-month custody powers from 18 November 2024; fines unlimited since March 2015 under LASPO 2012, s.85)
Referenced by regulators: Cited in 31 regulatory documents in the ORDS (Office for Regulatory Delivery and Simplification) dataset
Secondary regulations: Enables creation of health and safety regulations (e.g. Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, COSHH, Manual Handling)

Reasonably practicable: The Act uses the term "so far as is reasonably practicable" throughout. This means employers must balance the level of risk against the time, trouble and cost of controlling it. However, the law is weighted in favour of health and safety - employers must demonstrate that control measures would be grossly disproportionate to the risk before they can be considered not reasonably practicable.

Self-employed persons: The Act also places duties on self-employed persons to protect their own health and safety and that of others who may be affected by their work activities.

Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (legislation.gov.uk)

HSE - Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 guidance

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

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 and Fire Safety (Scotland) Regulations 2006 in Scotland, and the Fire and Rescue Services (Northern Ireland) Order 2006 in Northern Ireland.
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). 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

Are all the biocidal products you use authorised, and do you meet rodenticide stewardship rules?

Confirm that every rodenticide, insecticide, disinfectant and preservative holds a valid GB product authorisation under the GB Biocidal Products Regulation (assimilated Regulation 528/2012), and use each one to its label and authorisation conditions. HSE is the GB competent authority. For professional second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides, also hold a current stewardship-approved competence certificate or approved CPD membership — required at the point of sale from 1 January 2026. 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

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 regulates in Northern Ireland.
3

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

If you remove green waste from a customer's site, register as a waste carrier — upper tier, because you carry another person's waste — with the Environment Agency in England, NRW in Wales or SEPA in Scotland under section 34 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, or with NIEA in Northern Ireland under Article 5 of the Waste and Contaminated Land (Northern Ireland) Order 1997. Transfer waste only to an authorised person and complete a transfer note for every load.
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.

Building and landscape services: compliance checklist

Meet your pest control, landscaping and waste duties

Veterinary practice compliance checklist

Set up and run a safe mineral products factory

Security and investigation compliance checklist

Set up and run a safe management consultancy

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

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

Have you carried out your fire risk assessment?

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

Section 2 — Pest control, landscaping and waste

Are all the biocidal products you use authorised, and do you meet rodenticide stewardship rules?

Do your operators hold pesticide-competence certificates?

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

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

If you answered no to anything

Official sources

Related guides in Health & Safety

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

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

Have you carried out your fire risk assessment?

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

Section 2 — Pest control, landscaping and waste

Are all the biocidal products you use authorised, and do you meet rodenticide stewardship rules?

Do your operators hold pesticide-competence certificates?

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

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

If you answered no to anything

Official sources