Environmental compliance for construction sites
Your environmental obligations for construction sites including site waste management, environmental permits, dust control, and noise management.
Professional & Financial Services
Which professional, scientific and technical rules apply to you
If you operate or plan to operate a professional, scientific or technical business in Great Britain — specialised design, photography, translation, interpretation or other professional services — you must comply with workplace health and safety, fire safety, insurance, equality and data protection duties that bind every employer. Patent and trade mark attorneys face additional registration requirements. This guide introduces the rules and routes you to the detail.
UK-wide
On this page
UK-wide
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Division 74 covers specialised design activities (fashion, industrial and graphic design — SIC 74.10), photographic activities (74.20), translation and interpretation services (74.30) and other professional, scientific and technical activities not classified elsewhere (74.90), which includes patent attorneys and registered trade mark attorneys. These are predominantly office-based and studio-based businesses, but photographers and interpreters may regularly work on location or at client premises.
On top of the universal workplace duties that bind every employer, businesses providing patent attorney or trade mark attorney services must register with the Intellectual Property Regulation Board (IPReg). This registration requirement does not apply to other division 74 businesses.
The Health and Safety Executive enforces workplace health and safety across Great Britain. Local fire and rescue authorities enforce fire safety in offices, studios and other non-domestic premises. The Information Commissioner's Office enforces data protection UK-wide. IPReg regulates patent attorneys and registered trade mark attorneys UK-wide under the Legal Services Act 2007 framework.
What you need to do
- Set up a safe business — meet the universal workplace duties covering health and safety, fire safety, employers' liability insurance, equality and data protection.
- Meet your regulatory duties — if you practise as a patent attorney or registered trade mark attorney, register with IPReg and comply with the Code of Conduct.
- Confirm compliance — use the checklist to verify every obligation is met.
Official sources
Authoritative starting points for professional, scientific and technical regulation.