| Guvnor

What this means for your business

24 obligations

19 penalties

19 can imprison

4 guides

Enforced by: HSE
Applies to: United Kingdom
On this page: 24 compliance obligations, 4 practical guides across 3 topics

Read full text on legislation.gov.uk

What you must do

24 compliance obligations under this legislation — 19 can result in imprisonment.

Equipment and safety 8

If your workplace has any tank, pit or similar structure that could contain a dangerous substance, you must securely cover or fence it wherever practicable. Likewise, any traffic route that goes over an uncovered tank, pit or structure must be securely fenced. This helps stop people falling into or being harmed by hazardous substances.

Employer s.13 HSE Presence of a tank, pit or structure where a person could fall …

You must make sure every door and gate at your workplace is built safely and fitted with the right safety devices. This includes preventing sliding doors from leaving their track, stopping upward‑opening doors from falling back, protecting people from powered doors that could trap them, providing a manual override if the power fails, and ensuring doors that open from both sides give a clear view when closed. Regularly checking and maintaining these safety features is part of your health‑and‑safety responsibilities.

Employer s.18 HSE

If you have escalators or moving walkways in your premises you must make sure they operate safely, are fitted with any required safety devices, and have clearly marked, easily reachable emergency‑stop controls. This means carrying out regular checks, maintaining the equipment and ensuring the stop buttons are visible and can be used quickly in an emergency.

Employer s.19 HSE If your workplace has escalators or moving walkways

You must make sure any window, skylight or ventilator that can be opened is designed and maintained so that opening, closing or adjusting it does not put the person doing it at risk. When these openings are in the open position they must not create a hazard for anyone else in the workplace.

Employer s.15 HSE

If your premises have any windows, doors, gates or walls that are made of glass or other clear material, you must make sure they are either built from safety‑rated glass or fitted with a protective film/guard to stop breakage. You also need to clearly mark these surfaces so people can see they are safety‑protected.

Employer s.14 HSE When your workplace contains windows, doors, gates or walls that are transparent …

You must make sure your workplace has enough toilets that are easy to reach, well‑ventilated, properly lit, kept clean and orderly, and provide separate facilities for men and women unless each is in a lockable single‑sex room.

Employer s.20 HSE

You must set up every workstation so it fits the person using it and the work being done. For outdoor stations you also need some protection from the weather, a quick way to get out in an emergency and a safe, non‑slip surface. If any task is meant to be done sitting, give each worker a proper chair (and a foot‑rest if required).

Employer s.11 HSE

You must make sure that clean, safe drinking water is available to everyone who works at your premises. The water has to be easy to reach, placed in suitable locations and clearly signed where health or safety reasons require it. You also need to supply enough cups or other drinking vessels unless the water comes from a jet that people can drink from directly.

Employer s.22 HSE

Management duties 16

If your business operates inside a building, you must make sure the structure is stable and solid enough for the way you use it. This means checking that the building is fit for purpose before people start work and keeping it safe throughout its use. Failure to do so can lead to criminal prosecution.

Employer Stability and solidity HSE when the workplace is located inside a building

You must make sure that any windows or skylights in your premises are designed or built so they can be cleaned without exposing anyone to risk. This means choosing appropriate window designs, installing safety devices or using suitable cleaning equipment, and keeping records that show the windows meet the safe‑cleaning requirement.

Employer s.16 HSE

You must make sure that any workplace you control – including any modifications, extensions or conversions – meets the requirements set out in the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992. This covers keeping the site safe, providing suitable facilities and maintaining them, and ensuring any matters you control are compliant.

Employer s.4 HSE

You must make sure that your premises, furniture, fittings and any other items in the workplace are kept clean. Floors, walls and ceilings should be designed so they can be cleaned easily, and waste must not be allowed to build up – it should be put in appropriate bins wherever reasonably practicable.

Employer s.9 HSE

You must keep the temperature in any indoor area where people work at a reasonable level during working hours. This includes ensuring the space is properly insulated, avoiding excessive sunlight heating, and using heating or cooling systems that don’t release harmful fumes. You also need to provide enough thermometers so staff can check the temperature.

Employer s.7 HSE

You must make sure every floor and walk‑way in your business is fit for its purpose – no holes, uneven surfaces, dangerous slopes or slippery areas that could harm anyone. Keep these areas clean and clear of anything that could cause a slip, trip or fall, provide drainage where needed, and fit suitable handrails on stairways unless it is truly impossible.

Employer s.12 HSE

You must keep your premises, plant, and any devices or systems (including ventilation) clean, working efficiently and in good repair. Where needed you should have a suitable maintenance routine or schedule to ensure everything stays in that condition.

Employer s.5 HSE

You must set up your workplace so that people and vehicles can move around safely. This means providing enough clearly marked routes that are the right size, placed correctly, keep vehicles away from doors and other traffic, and separate pedestrians from vehicles. The routes must be signed or otherwise indicated for health and safety reasons.

Employer s.17 HSE

If you have employees with disabilities, you must make sure the parts of the workplace they use – such as doors, stairways, showers, toilets and workstations – are set up so they can access and use them safely and comfortably. This means assessing those areas and making any necessary changes or adjustments.

Employer Disabled persons HSE if disabled persons are present and use parts of the workplace

You must make sure every enclosed area of your workplace has enough fresh or purified air to keep it safe and healthy. If you use mechanical plant to provide that air, it must have a visible or audible alarm that warns you if the system fails and that failure could affect health or safety.

Employer s.6 HSE

You must make sure your factory rooms aren’t overcrowded – each person needs at least 11 cubic metres of space, measured up to 4.2 m high and treating any gallery as a separate room. You also need enough toilets: one for every 25 female workers and one for every 25 male workers, rounding up to the next full 25.

Employer Schedule 1 HSE When employees are working in any workroom of a non‑new factory (i.e., …

You must make sure every room where people work has enough floor area, ceiling height and free space so it is safe and comfortable. If a room is too cramped you need to redesign the layout, reduce how many people use it at once, or alter the space to meet the requirement.

Employer s.10 HSE

You must give your staff a safe, secure place to store work clothing that they don’t wear while on the clock and any special work clothing they keep at work. The storage should be locked where required, keep work and personal clothes separate if needed, allow drying where reasonably practical, and be located conveniently for employees.

Employer s.23 HSE

If any of your staff have to wear special clothing for their job and it would be inappropriate or unhealthy for them to change in another room, you must give them proper changing rooms. The rooms must be easy to reach, big enough for the number of people using them, include seating, and, where needed, have separate spaces for men and women.

Employer s.24 HSE An employee must wear special work clothing and cannot reasonably change in …

You must make sure every area of your workplace has enough light for people to work safely. Where possible you should use natural daylight, and you must install emergency lighting in any room where a power loss could put workers at risk.

Employer s.8 HSE

You must make sure your workplace has enough clean, accessible rest rooms or break areas where employees can take a break and eat their meals. These areas must be smoke‑free, have enough tables and chairs (including for disabled people), and include separate provisions for pregnant or nursing women. If meals are regularly eaten on site, you also need a proper eating area to keep food safe.

Employer s.25 HSE