Other Personal Services UK-wide

Set up and run a safe personal services business

Whatever personal service you provide — hairdressing, beauty treatments, dry cleaning, funeral services or pet care — you must manage the same workplace health and safety, fire safety, insurance, equality and data protection duties before you open. This guide walks you through each one.

Guide summary

Before you open a personal services business, you must carry out a health and safety risk assessment, a COSHH assessment for chemicals, and a fire risk assessment. You also need insurance, follow equality law, and protect customer data. If you employ 5 or more people, you must write down your risk assessment.

  • Carry out a health and safety risk assessment before you start
  • Write down the risk assessment if you have 5 or more employees
  • Assess risks from chemicals and control exposure under COSHH
  • Train staff on how to use chemicals safely
  • Do a fire risk assessment – rules differ in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland
  • Get public liability insurance (check your specific needs)
  • Follow equality law – treat all customers and staff fairly
  • Protect customer data under data protection law
  • Contact HSE (Great Britain) or HSENI (Northern Ireland) for help
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Related guides in Compliance & Legal

Personal services businesses use chemicals, sharp tools and electrical equipment in close contact with the public. Every employer and self-employed person has duties under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HASWA). The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) enforces in Great Britain; the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI) enforces in Northern Ireland.

A. Health and safety at work

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 — clients, visitors and passers-by. You must carry out a suitable and sufficient risk assessment, and if you employ five or more people you must record it in writing.

B. Control of substances hazardous to health (COSHH)

Salon chemicals, hair dyes and bleaches, nail acrylates, dry-cleaning solvents, embalming fluids, spa-pool biocides and cleaning products are all substances hazardous to health. Under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 you must assess the risks, prevent or adequately control exposure, provide information and training, and monitor health where necessary. HSE publishes sector-specific COSHH guidance for hairdressing and beauty salons.

C. Fire safety

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 applies in England and Wales. Scotland has the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 and the Fire Safety (Scotland) Regulations 2006. Northern Ireland has the Fire and Rescue Services (Northern Ireland) Order 2006 and the Fire Safety Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2010. You are the 'responsible person' for the premises and must carry out a fire risk assessment, maintain escape routes, install fire detection and provide staff training. Salons storing flammable products such as aerosols, acetone and alcohol-based sanitiser must keep quantities controlled and ventilated.

D. Employers' liability insurance

If you employ anyone — including part-time staff, apprentices and family members — you must hold employers' liability insurance with a minimum cover of £5 million and display the certificate (or make it available electronically). 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.

E. Equality

The Equality Act 2010 applies in England, Scotland and Wales. It protects clients, employees and job applicants from discrimination based on nine protected characteristics. In Northern Ireland, the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, the Sex Discrimination (Northern Ireland) Order 1976 and the Fair Employment and Treatment (Northern Ireland) Order 1998 provide equivalent protections enforced by the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland (ECNI).

F. Data protection

If you hold client records — booking details, medical questionnaires, patch-test results, CCTV footage, staff payroll — you process personal data. The UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018 apply UK-wide. You must register with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) unless exempt, identify a lawful basis for each processing activity, keep data secure and respond to subject access requests within one calendar month.

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    What to do next

    If your business dry-cleans with solvents, pierces skin, offers beauty or cosmetic procedures that may need a licence, or operates a spa pool, follow "Meet your personal services regulatory duties" for the registration, permit and licensing duties that apply on top of this universal foundation.

Official sources

Authoritative guidance for personal services workplace duties.