Land transport businesses deploy people and vehicles in higher-risk environments — drivers on long shifts, loading and coupling operations, working at or near moving vehicles and live track, and the carriage of members of the public. Before the mode-specific licensing regime that applies to your operation, every land transport employer carries the same workplace duties as any other business. Start here, then follow the guide for your kind of operation — road haulage, bus and coach, taxi and private hire, rail, or pipelines.

A. Health and safety at work

The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HASWA) requires you to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of your employees and anyone else affected by your work — drivers, depot and yard staff, passengers and the public. You must carry out a suitable and sufficient risk assessment, and if you employ five or more people you must record it in writing. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) enforces in Great Britain; the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI) enforces in Northern Ireland. Driver fatigue, lone working, vehicle movements in yards and manual handling are typical transport risks your assessment must address.

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 6 months and/or £20,000 fine in Magistrates' Court
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

B. Reporting accidents (RIDDOR)

Under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR), you must report certain workplace injuries, occupational diseases and dangerous occurrences to the HSE (or HSENI in Northern Ireland). Most road traffic accidents on the public highway are excluded from RIDDOR, but incidents during loading, unloading, maintenance, or in depots and yards are usually reportable — as are injuries to passengers and the public arising from your work.

C. Employers' liability insurance

If you employ anyone — including drivers, agency staff on your payroll and apprentices — you must hold employers' liability insurance with a minimum of £5 million cover and make the certificate available. The Employers' Liability (Compulsory Insurance) Act 1969 applies in Great Britain; in Northern Ireland the equivalent duty is under the Employers' Liability (Defective Equipment and Compulsory Insurance) (Northern Ireland) Order 1972. This is separate from the motor and goods-in-transit insurance your operating regime requires.

Employers' Liability Insurance Requirements

Legally required insurance for businesses that employ staff

Legal requirement: LEGALLY REQUIRED if you employ anyone (even part-time or family members working for you)
Minimum cover: £5 million minimum (most policies provide £10 million)
Penalty for non-compliance: £2,500 fine per day without insurance, plus £1,000 fine for not displaying certificate
What it covers: Compensation claims from employees injured or made ill at work
Exemption: Close family businesses may be exempt

Employers' Liability Insurance

D. Equality

The Equality Act 2010 applies in England, Scotland and Wales and protects employees, job applicants and members of the public from discrimination on nine protected characteristics. It is particularly relevant to passenger transport — accessibility and the duty to make reasonable adjustments for disabled passengers. In Northern Ireland, separate equality legislation enforced by the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland (ECNI) provides equivalent protections.

E. Data protection

The UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018 apply UK-wide. Booking records, CCTV and dashcam footage, telematics and tachograph data, and staff and customer records are all personal data. You must identify a lawful basis for each processing activity, keep data secure, set retention periods and respond to subject access requests within one calendar month, and register with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) unless exempt.

UK GDPR lawful bases for processing personal data

The 6 (now 7) lawful bases under UK GDPR Article 6 for processing personal data.

Under UK GDPR Article 6, you must have a valid lawful basis to process personal data. You cannot process personal data without identifying at least one lawful basis that applies to each processing activity.

1. Consent (Article 6(1)(a)): The individual has given clear, specific, informed consent for you to process their personal data for a specific purpose
2. Contract (Article 6(1)(b)): Processing is necessary to fulfil a contract with the individual, or to take steps at their request before entering a contract
3. Legal obligation (Article 6(1)(c)): Processing is necessary to comply with a common law or statutory obligation under UK law
4. Vital interests (Article 6(1)(d)): Processing is necessary to protect someone's life
5. Public task (Article 6(1)(e)): Processing is necessary for performing a task in the public interest or for official functions that have a clear basis in law
6. Legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f)): Processing is necessary for your legitimate interests or those of a third party, unless overridden by the individual's interests, rights, or freedoms

Consent requirements: Must be freely given, specific, informed, and unambiguous. Must be as easy to withdraw as to give.

Legitimate interests: Requires a documented Legitimate Interest Assessment (LIA) balancing test. Not available to public authorities for their core tasks.

7. Recognised legitimate interests (NEW - from June 2025): Processing necessary for certain pre-approved purposes without requiring a balancing test (Data Use and Access Act 2025)
Recognised purposes include: National/public security, defence, emergencies, crime prevention/detection, safeguarding vulnerable individuals
Effective date: 19 June 2025

Note: Direct marketing and intra-group data sharing still require a Legitimate Interest Assessment even under recognised legitimate interests.

ICO guide to lawful basis

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What to do next

Follow the guide for your kind of land transport operation — road haulage, bus and coach, taxi and private hire, rail, or pipelines — then complete the land transport compliance checklist.

Official sources

Authoritative guidance on workplace duties for transport businesses.

HSE: transport and logistics (opens in a new tab) HSE
Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (opens in a new tab) legislation.gov.uk
ICO: guide to data protection (opens in a new tab) ICO

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A. Health and safety at work

B. Reporting accidents (RIDDOR)

C. Employers' liability insurance

D. Equality

E. Data protection

What to do next

Official sources

Related guides in Compliance & Legal

A. Health and safety at work

B. Reporting accidents (RIDDOR)

C. Employers' liability insurance

D. Equality

E. Data protection

What to do next

Official sources