Division 58
Publishing
Requirements for all publishing
These requirements apply to all business activities in this division.
Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 — general duties
Enforced by HSE
Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974
General duty to ensure the health, safety and welfare of employees and others affected by the business — editorial offices, warehousing and distribution.
Employers' Liability Insurance
Enforced by HSE
Employers' Liability (Compulsory Insurance) Act 1969
Compulsory for any business employing at least one person.
UK GDPR + Data Protection Act 2018
Enforced by ICO
Data Protection Act 2018; UK GDPR (retained EU law)
Publishers process personal data on subscribers, contributors, staff and marketing lists. ICO registration (payment of the data protection fee) is required unless specifically exempt.
Equality Act 2010 — protected characteristics
Enforced by EHRC
Equality Act 2010
Discrimination, harassment and victimisation prohibited across the protected characteristics, in employment and in services to the public.
Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
Enforced by LOCAL_FIRE_AUTHORITY
Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
The 'responsible person' must carry out a fire risk assessment and maintain fire precautions in non-domestic premises (offices, print/warehouse sites). Devolved variants: Fire (Scotland) Act 2005; Fire and Rescue Services (NI) Order 2006.
Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 compliance
Enforced by IPO
Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988
Core regime for all publishing: securing or licensing rights in works published, respecting moral rights and third-party copyright, and clearing permissions for reproduced material. Software, literary, artistic and database works are all protected. No registration in the UK — protection is automatic — but the Intellectual Property Office administers the framework and related rights.
Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR) — electronic marketing
Enforced by ICO
Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003; UK GDPR (retained EU law)
Governs electronic marketing (email, SMS, telephone) and use of cookies — relevant to subscriptions, promotions and any direct-marketing list. Consent rules are stricter than the UK GDPR alone. Enforced by the ICO; acute for directory and mailing-list publishers (see 58.12).