Set up and run a safe veterinary practice

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 delivery drivers. You must carry out a suitable and sufficient risk assessment covering animal handling, sharps and needlestick injuries, slips and trips, lone working and manual handling. If you employ five or more people you must record the risk assessment in writing.

B. Control of substances hazardous to health (COSHH)

Veterinary practices use anaesthetic gases (isoflurane, sevoflurane), cytotoxic drugs, formaldehyde, glutaraldehyde disinfectants, cleaning chemicals and may handle zoonotic biological agents (brucella, leptospira, ringworm, MRSA). Under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 you must assess the risks from each substance, prevent or adequately control exposure, provide information and training, and carry out health surveillance where necessary. Anaesthetic gas scavenging systems must be maintained and workplace exposure monitored. Equivalent COSHH Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003 apply in Northern Ireland.

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. Practices storing flammable anaesthetic agents, surgical spirit and oxygen cylinders must control ignition risks and keep quantities managed.

D. Employers' liability insurance

If you employ anyone — including part-time staff, locum veterinary nurses or receptionists — 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.

Most veterinary surgeons also carry professional indemnity insurance — this is common practice in the profession but it is not a statutory requirement.

E. Equality

The Equality Act 2010 applies in England, Scotland and Wales. It protects employees, job applicants and clients 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 — owner contact details, animal clinical histories, vaccination records, insurance claims, staff payroll, CCTV footage — 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.