Building & Landscape Services

Set up and run a safe building and landscape services operation

Cleaning, pest control and landscaping carry specific workplace risks — COSHH-controlled chemicals (cleaning agents, biocides, pesticides), working at height (window cleaning, tree surgery), hand-arm vibration (chainsaws, strimmers), manual handling and slips, trips and falls. Whatever service you provide, this is the universal spine. It takes you through your core workplace health and safety duties, fire safety, employers' liability insurance, equality and data protection.

UK-wide
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UK-wide

Related guides in Employment & HR

Building and landscape services — commercial and industrial cleaning, window cleaning, pest control, landscaping, tree surgery and grounds maintenance — combine physical work, exposure to chemicals and powered equipment. The duties in this guide apply to running the operation and employing people, whatever service you provide. Get this spine in place first, then layer the pest-control, pesticide, green-waste and invasive- species rules on top if they apply to you.

Health and safety law here is largely devolved. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is the regulator in Great Britain and the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI) in Northern Ireland; the underlying duties are equivalent across the UK. Work through the sections below in order.

A. Meet your general health and safety duty

The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 is the foundation. You must ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of your employees and of anyone else affected by your work. In building and landscape services that means risk-assessing the specific hazards of your trade — cleaning chemicals and biocides under COSHH, working at height for window cleaners and tree surgeons, hand-arm vibration from chainsaws, strimmers and hedge-cutters, manual handling when moving equipment and materials, and slips, trips and falls on wet or uneven surfaces — providing safe systems of work, and training and supervising your people.

B. Manage fire safety

The responsible person must carry out a fire risk assessment and maintain fire-safety arrangements for the premises you work from — including any storage of flammable chemicals, solvents or fuel for powered equipment. The duty is devolved: 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.

C. Hold employers' liability insurance

As soon as you employ anyone, you must hold employers' liability compulsory insurance — normally at least £5 million of cover — and display or make available the certificate. This is a legal requirement across Great Britain, with an equivalent duty in Northern Ireland.

D. Meet your equality duties

As an employer you must not discriminate against, harass or victimise people because of a protected characteristic. In Great Britain this is governed by the Equality Act 2010; in Northern Ireland separate equality legislation applies, enforced by the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland.

E. Handle personal data lawfully

If you process personal data — about staff, customers or suppliers — you must comply with the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, and in most cases pay the data protection fee to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO). This applies UK-wide.

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    1. Write your health and safety risk assessments

    Assess the hazards specific to 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 under HASAWA 1974.

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    2. Carry 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.

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    3. Take out employers' liability insurance and register with the ICO

    Arrange at least £5 million of cover before anyone starts work, and pay the data protection fee unless you are exempt.

What to do next

This spine covers the duties every building and landscape services operation shares. On top of it, if you carry out pest control, use professional pesticides, remove green waste or work near invasive non-native species:

Official sources

Authoritative health and safety and data-protection guidance.