A learning path introducing new employers to the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 (MHSWR). Understand your legal duties for risk assessment, appointing competent help, and establishing emergency procedures - the foundations of workplace health and safety management.
This learning path is for employers who are new to health and safety management. If you have recently taken on your first employee, or are about to, you need to understand your legal duties.
Even if you have employed people before, this guide will help you understand the legal framework that underpins everything you must do to keep your workers safe.
What you will learn: The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 (MHSWR) is the framework that tells you how to manage workplace safety. This journey covers your three core duties under MHSWR: risk assessment, appointing competent help, and emergency procedures.
The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HASAWA) is the overarching law that requires you to ensure the health, safety and welfare of your employees. But HASAWA does not tell you how to do this.
The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 (MHSWR) fills this gap. These regulations set out the practical duties you must fulfil to manage health and safety properly. They apply to every employer from day one, regardless of size or sector.
MHSWR covers several duties, but three form the foundation of your health and safety management system:
This journey takes you through each of these duties in turn, linking to detailed guides for implementation.
These are criminal duties: Failing to comply with MHSWR is a criminal offence. The HSE can issue improvement and prohibition notices, and prosecute for serious breaches. Fines are unlimited in the Crown Court. However, for businesses that take reasonable care, compliance is straightforward.
Before diving into the requirements, consider your starting point. Your compliance effort should be proportionate to your actual risks.
If you employ 5 or more people, MHSWR requires you to record your risk assessment findings and your health and safety arrangements in writing.
Even with fewer than 5 employees, keeping written records is strongly recommended - it demonstrates due diligence and helps you manage safety consistently.
Risk assessment is the foundation of everything else. Until you know what hazards exist in your workplace and who might be harmed, you cannot properly manage health and safety.
Understand your legal duties for risk assessment, the nine principles of prevention, when to review assessments, and the threshold for recording findings in writing.
Read the guide →Getting started: Walk through your workplace with fresh eyes. What could cause someone harm? Who might be affected? What controls do you already have, and what more might you need? For most small businesses, this takes an hour or two - not days.
You do not have to be a health and safety expert yourself. Regulation 7 requires you to appoint one or more competent persons to help you meet your duties. In many cases, this can be you.
Understand what competence means, when you can be your own competent person, when to use external consultants, and how to check consultant credentials.
Read the guide →For small, low-risk businesses: Complete the free HSE guidance at hse.gov.uk/simple-health-safety. If you understand your workplace hazards and can conduct a basic risk assessment, you are likely competent to assist yourself. You do not need to pay for expensive consultants unless your risks warrant it.
Once you have assessed your risks and have competent help in place, you must establish procedures for dealing with serious and imminent danger. This goes beyond fire evacuation to cover all emergencies that could threaten your workers.
Understand your duties under MHSWR Regulations 8-9 for emergency planning, worker protection rights, restricting access to danger areas, and contacts with external services.
Read the guide →Worker protection: Under Regulation 8(2), workers facing serious, imminent and unavoidable danger can stop work and proceed to safety immediately. They cannot be subjected to any disadvantage for doing so. This is a fundamental right that cannot be contractually overridden.
Use this checklist to verify you have met your core MHSWR duties. Review this periodically and whenever your business changes.
You now understand the three core duties under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999:
For most small, low-risk businesses, establishing these foundations takes hours, not days. The key is to start - a basic system you actually use is better than a perfect system that never gets implemented.
Free resources: HSE provides excellent free guidance and templates at hse.gov.uk/simple-health-safety. Their tools are designed for small businesses to use without expensive consultants.
MHSWR provides your management framework, but other regulations create specific duties. As a new employer, you should also ensure you have:
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View journey →What to do if Trading Standards has contacted you, visited your premises, or conducted a test purchase. Covers understanding their powers, identifying the compliance area under investigation, gathering your due diligence evidence, responding appropriately, and strengthening your procedures.
View journey →Launch a renewable energy generation business (solar, wind, hydrogen, battery storage)
View journey →Grow your childcare business through multi-site expansion, franchising, acquisitions, or achieving Outstanding Ofsted ratings
View journey →Set up and register a farming or agricultural business - from choosing your structure to registering land and getting support
View journey →Learning path covering the regulatory obligations for construction materials in Great Britain. Understand product marking (CE and UKCA), hazardous materials management under COSHH, aggregate levy, and timber sourcing compliance.
View journey →A learning path for retailers adding an online sales channel. Covers the additional compliance obligations for distance selling, including cooling-off periods, website legal requirements, online data protection, accessibility, subscription rules, and handling complaints from online customers.
View journey →Month-by-month calendar of key farm compliance deadlines covering SFI scheme declarations, TB testing windows, NVZ closed periods, scheme payments, and tax filing. Bookmark this page for quick reference throughout the year.
View journey →Launch a financial technology business requiring FCA authorisation
View journey →Launch a brewery, distillery, winery, or cidery in the UK
View journey →Quick-check permit type, notice period, qualification requirements, and fixed penalty notice amounts before starting highway works. For experienced contractors who need a pre-start compliance refresher.
View journey →Emergency response for excavation collapse, structural instability, or unexpected failure during construction works. Covers immediate safety actions, RIDDOR reporting, HSE notification, making safe, structural assessment, and investigation to prevent recurrence.
View journey →Ongoing compliance, operations, and growth guidance for established UK tech and software businesses
View journey →A learning path for small and medium construction businesses working on higher-risk building projects under the Building Safety Act 2022. Covers what the Act means for contractors, your duties on HRB projects, golden thread responsibilities, change control, and handover obligations.
View journey →Launch a manufacturing business with the right permits and compliance
View journey →A comprehensive compliance checklist for UK farmers covering livestock, environmental, animal welfare, health and safety, financial, and scheme obligations. Includes frequency of compliance tasks, enforcement bodies, and consequences of non-compliance.
View journey →Comprehensive planning guidance for small and medium housebuilders. Learn how to navigate the planning system efficiently, take advantage of small site easements, and manage S106 and environmental requirements proportionately.
View journey →Quick pre-start checklist for structural works: demolition notices, asbestos surveys, temporary works design, excavation safety, and LOLER examinations. Use before beginning any structural, demolition, or deep excavation work.
View journey →Set up and register a construction, building, or trades business
View journey →Launch a creative business - freelance designer, photographer, writer, videographer, production company, or studio
View journey →Determine if you need an environmental permit, navigate the application process, and understand permit conditions for pollution control
View journey →Emergency response for striking gas, electric, water, or telecoms services during digging. Covers immediate danger actions in the first minutes, reporting obligations to HSE and utility companies, RIDDOR requirements, and steps to prevent recurrence.
View journey →End-to-end learning path for starting a social care business. Covers which regulator applies, CQC registration, registered manager requirements, workforce qualifications (Care Certificate, SSSC, Social Care Wales), staffing levels, insurance, Care Act duties, and devolved nations.
View journey →What to do when a medicines incident occurs: medication error, controlled drug discrepancy, or CD theft/loss. Covers securing the patient and evidence, internal reporting, statutory notifications to CQC, MHRA Yellow Card, police notification for CD theft, investigation, Accountable Officer responsibilities, and corrective actions.
View journey →Launch a childcare business with Ofsted registration, safeguarding, and EYFS compliance
View journey →Navigate your CDM 2015 duties - from identifying your role to HSE notification and construction phase planning
View journey →A step-by-step guide for cattle farmers who have just received positive TB test results. Covers immediate actions in the first 48 hours, working with APHA during the breakdown, protecting your compensation, managing your business under restrictions, and the path back to TB-free status.
View journey →Ongoing compliance and operational guidance for established retail businesses
View journey →Compliance requirements for starting a property letting business in the UK
View journey →Complete guide to identifying, tagging, moving, and keeping records for cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, and deer
View journey →End-to-end journey from signing a lease to opening night. Covers planning use class checks, premises licence application timeline, building regulations and fire safety, commercial kitchen fit-out, food business registration, music licensing, pavement licensing, and staff recruitment with right to work checks.
View journey →Quick compliance check for experienced retailers. Covers consumer rights, price marking, age-restricted sales, and annual compliance obligations.
View journey →What to do if your healthcare or social care service faces CQC enforcement action. Covers understanding the type and severity of action, immediate response steps, getting legal representation, developing an improvement plan, and the appeal process through the First-tier Tribunal.
View journey →Launch a retail business with the right consumer protection compliance
View journey →Navigate your legal obligations for business waste - duty of care, waste carriers, transfer notes, and preparing for new recycling rules
View journey →Set up a food or drink production and manufacturing business
View journey →What to do if your hospitality business faces a licensing review, environmental health investigation, fire safety enforcement notice, or HMRC compliance check. Covers identifying the investigation type, understanding your rights, gathering evidence, getting representation, and preventing recurrence.
View journey →Explore farm diversification opportunities - farm shops, holiday accommodation, renewable energy, equestrian facilities, event spaces, and rural business units
View journey →Quick compliance check for experienced hospitality operators. Covers licensing, food safety, fire risk, tipping policy, right to work, gas safety, music licensing, and insurance.
View journey →A complete guide to getting planning permission for your first development project, from understanding when you need permission to navigating conditions and obligations.
View journey →Troubleshooting guide for Wales visitor accommodation registration and levy collection. Helps accommodation providers understand registration requirements, council levy adoption, and how to collect and remit the levy.
View journey →Quick checklist for mandatory Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) approval in Wales. Check if you need approval, how to apply to your local SAB, and understand penalties for non-compliance.
View journey →Quick checklist of key Wales-specific differences from England. Check business rates, planning, Welsh language, environmental permits, workplace recycling, and Land Transaction Tax.
View journey →What to do if the Competition and Markets Authority or Trading Standards is investigating your business. Covers immediate steps, cooperation obligations, deadlines, undertakings, and possible outcomes including fines under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024.
View journey →Quick checklist for annual insurance review: verify cover matches your business, compare renewal quotes, meet disclosure obligations, and set your next review date.
View journey →How business rates work, what relief you can claim, and how to challenge your rateable value. Covers calculation, relief schemes, appeals, and revaluation across all UK nations.
View journey →What to do when you receive an improvement notice citing MHSWR 1999 breaches. Understand the notice, identify the breach, fix the problem, and know your appeal rights.
View journey →A step-by-step learning journey for new business owners: understand which insurance is legally required, what additional cover you need, how to compare and buy policies, and how to manage renewals.
View journey →What changes as your business grows: written policy at 5 employees, safety representatives at 50, and formal management systems at 250+. Understand the thresholds that trigger new health and safety obligations.
View journey →Quick registration checklist for Principal Accountable Persons registering a higher-risk building with the Building Safety Regulator. Covers eligibility, required information, fees, and post-registration obligations.
View journey →What to do when an employee notifies you of pregnancy. Time-sensitive compliance actions under MHSWR 1999 Regulations 16-18 covering risk assessment, action hierarchy, and ongoing monitoring.
View journey →Rapid compliance check covering all key MHSWR 1999 duties. Verify your risk assessment, competent person, emergency procedures, information, training, and vulnerable worker protections in 10 minutes.
View journey →What to do if you receive a planning enforcement notice. Understand the type of notice you have received, review your options, and find out how to appeal or comply.
View journey →Quick compliance check for duty holders to verify their golden thread meets Building Safety Act requirements. Covers format, content, access controls, and phase-specific obligations for design, construction, and occupation.
View journey →Step-by-step guide for businesses making an insurance claim: immediate actions after a loss, notifying your insurer, gathering evidence, and what to do if your claim is disputed.
View journey →Help with Welsh language requirements for businesses contracting with the public sector in Wales. Covers when Standards apply, what you need to do, how to build capability, and what happens if you fail to comply.
View journey →What to expect from an HSE inspection. Covers types of visit, inspector powers, what they check, improvement and prohibition notices, Fee for Intervention, how to challenge, and what to do during the visit.
View journey →Quick compliance check for IoT manufacturers, importers, and distributors. Confirm product scope, verify three mandatory security requirements, identify your supply chain role, and confirm your statement of compliance obligations.
View journey →Immediate steps after a workplace accident. Covers first aid, scene preservation, RIDDOR reporting, investigation, record keeping, and insurance notification.
View journey →Step-by-step compliance guide for self-catering holiday accommodation. Covers licensing, safety, tax, food hygiene, and employment obligations.
View journey →Step-by-step guide to starting a social care business — from choosing your regulator through workforce requirements to financial planning.
View journey →Quick guide to checking name availability, understanding naming rules, and protecting your brand
View journey →A step-by-step planning journey from idea validation through business plan writing to launch preparation
View journey →What to do when a lender, investor, or grant body rejects your business plan
View journey →Research, test, and validate your business idea before committing significant time or money
View journey →Decide between product, service, and subscription models based on your skills, capital, and goals
View journey →A comprehensive learning journey for first-time business owners: understand what approvals you need, complete mandatory registrations, check for activity-specific licences, navigate local authority requirements, and plan your timeline to trading day.
View journey →If you have been caught trading without required approvals — or have realised you are missing registrations or licences — this guide helps you understand the severity, get compliant quickly, and prevent recurrence.
View journey →Quick check for experienced business owners verifying they have all required registrations, licences, and approvals before starting to trade.
View journey →How to handle a DVSA roadside inspection, what examiners check, your rights during the stop, prohibition powers, and what to do afterwards to address any issues raised.
View journey →Quick compliance check across all goods vehicle operator obligations
View journey →What to do if your transport business faces DVSA enforcement action or a Traffic Commissioner public inquiry. Covers understanding your OCRS score, preparing for a public inquiry, fixing vehicle maintenance and drivers' hours gaps, and demonstrating compliance improvement.
View journey →What changes when you grow your goods vehicle fleet, from O-licence variations to OCRS scrutiny
View journey →Upgrade your domestic haulage operation for international road freight
View journey →What to do when the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland contacts you. Covers enforcement notices, RIDDOR NI reporting, compliance gaps, and your right to appeal.
View journey →Quick checklist for Northern Ireland care providers to check whether their service needs RQIA registration, fit person requirements, care standards, and what inspections involve.
View journey →A guided learning path for businesses in Northern Ireland that operate in regulated sectors. Covers the three key NI-specific regulators — HSENI, RQIA, and UREGNI — and the cross-cutting obligations that apply alongside them.
View journey →A guided pathway through RQIA regulation for healthcare and social care providers in Northern Ireland. Covers how regulation works, registering your service, meeting minimum care standards, preparing for inspections, and responding to enforcement action.
View journey →Quick checklist for employers in Northern Ireland to verify HSENI compliance. Covers risk assessments, employers' liability insurance, RIDDOR NI reporting, competent person duties, and HSENI inspections.
View journey →End-to-end learning path for starting a regulated care service in Scotland. Covers the Care Inspectorate, service types, registration, Health and Social Care Standards, SSSC workforce registration, PVG checks, and inspection preparation.
View journey →A learning path for care service providers operating or planning to operate across more than one UK nation. Covers the separate inspectorate regimes, registration requirements, quality frameworks, workforce portability, disclosure scheme differences, and practical steps for achieving cross-border compliance.
View journey →Quick checklist for Wales care providers to verify CIW registration, Responsible Individual appointment, Social Care Wales workforce registration, Statement of Purpose, and Welsh language provision.
View journey →Quick compliance check for Scotland care providers covering Care Inspectorate registration, SSSC workforce registration, Health and Social Care Standards, and PVG scheme requirements.
View journey →Rapid compliance audit for Ofsted-registered childcare providers
View journey →Step-by-step guidance for childcare providers responding to a safeguarding concern about a child or staff member
View journey →Quick reference for government childcare funding entitlements and claiming process
View journey →What to do if your childcare setting receives Requires Improvement or Inadequate from Ofsted
View journey →Learning path for maintaining regulatory compliance at an authorised law firm: annual renewal cycle, COLP and COFA reporting, client account management, AML supervision, complaints handling, continuing competence, diversity reporting, and preparing for SRA inspections.
View journey →End-to-end learning path for setting up a law firm: choosing entity type, SRA authorisation, appointing COLP and COFA, professional indemnity insurance, client account setup, AML registration, complaints procedure, and price transparency.
View journey →Rapid compliance audit for law firms: SRA authorisation, practising certificates, PII, client accounts, AML, complaints procedure, price transparency, and COLP/COFA returns.
View journey →Problem path for law firms facing SRA investigation: immediate steps, cooperation obligations, instructing specialist regulatory defence, responding to proposed conditions or fines, SDT referral, intervention risk, and appeal rights.
View journey →Learning path for law firms implementing anti-money laundering compliance: firm-wide risk assessment, client due diligence, source of funds verification, legal professional privilege boundaries, suspicious activity reporting, and preparing for SRA supervisory visits.
View journey →Learning path for developers whose projects may affect protected species in Scotland. Covers the legal framework, ecology surveys, NatureScot species licensing, offences and penalties, and how species protection integrates with the Scottish planning system.
View journey →What to do if your Scottish charity faces an OSCR inquiry or enforcement action. Covers understanding the type of investigation, cooperation obligations, getting professional advice, corrective action, and OSCR's enforcement powers including removal of trustees and directed winding up.
View journey →End-to-end learning path for setting up a charity in Scotland: understanding OSCR regulation, the charity test, registration, trustee duties, annual reporting and accounts, and ongoing compliance obligations.
View journey →A learning path for Scottish farmers and land managers with SSSI-designated land - understand your conservation obligations, manage deer and muirburn lawfully, and maintain compliance with NatureScot requirements
View journey →Quick compliance check for Scottish charities registered with OSCR. Covers annual reporting, trustee duties, and the full OSCR compliance checklist.
View journey →What to do if you receive a heritage enforcement notice in Scotland. Covers listed building enforcement notices, scheduled monument enforcement, response deadlines, appeal rights, and retrospective consent applications.
View journey →Rapid compliance check for works affecting scheduled monuments, listed buildings, and conservation areas in Scotland. Covers Historic Environment Scotland consents, local authority requirements, and enforcement penalties.
View journey →Learning path for construction businesses working near protected heritage assets in Scotland. Covers scheduled monuments, listed buildings, conservation areas, archaeological assessments, and how heritage and nature designations interact under Scottish planning law.
View journey →Operational planning path for managing team SIA licence renewals. Check expiry dates, schedule training, and submit renewals within the 16-week window to prevent gaps in cover.
View journey →Quick compliance check for businesses employing SIA-licensed staff. Covers licence validity, licence types, refresher training, first aid, right to work, and working time.
View journey →What to do if your security business faces SIA enforcement action including licence revocation, compliance inspection failure, or prosecution for deploying unlicensed staff. Covers identifying the enforcement type, understanding your rights, appealing to the First-tier Tribunal, and preventing recurrence.
View journey →What pubs, clubs, retail, and events businesses need to know when employing or contracting SIA-licensed security staff — covering licence verification, working time, CCTV, and onboarding
View journey →End-to-end learning path for starting a private security company. Covers SIA regulation, personal and business licensing, approved contractor status, insurance, recruiting licensed staff, training programme setup, and compliance systems for winning contracts.
View journey →Quick compliance check for Wales-specific food business obligations. Covers mandatory hygiene ratings, food waste separation, registration, and environmental permits.
View journey →What to do if your food business in Wales receives an improvement notice, prohibition order, or prosecution. Covers your rights, response deadlines, appeal options, and steps to prevent future enforcement action.
View journey →What to do when FCA supervision has raised a concern that your firm no longer satisfies the threshold conditions. Covers diagnosing the supervisory action, responding to a section 165 information requirement, addressing the failing limb (resources, business model, suitability, effective supervision), and the worst-case path to an Own-Initiative Variation or cancellation of permission under section 55J FSMA.
View journey →Complete compliance pathway for businesses whose activities may affect water body status — from understanding the WFD framework through identifying which licences, permits, or consents you need, to applying, monitoring, and reporting. Covers England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.
View journey →A six-phase learning path for first-time applicants. Walks you from establishing whether you need authorisation, through choosing your route, building governance foundations, self-assessing the FCA's five threshold conditions, submitting through Connect, and handling case-officer scrutiny during the determination period.
View journey →New to keeping sheep or goats? This journey walks you through the five things every keeper in England must do: register your land, get your flock or herd mark, tag your animals, set up a holding register, and learn the movement rules.
View journey →8-minute compliance verification for experienced GB importers — spot-check declarations, valuation, and historic exposure
View journey →Problem-path for employers facing an SPL dispute — sort the right forum (HMRC, Employment Tribunal, or ERA 1996 §99 detriment), test the curtailment notice, and review booking-notice handling under the SPLR 2014.
View journey →Problem-path for importers who've discovered a declaration error or received an HMRC enquiry — scope exposure, mechanics of disclosure, and the commonest underlying error class
View journey →