Membership Organisations

Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 — general duties

Enforced by HSE

Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974

General duty to protect employees and others affected by the organisation's activities — offices, meeting rooms, members' premises and events.

Employers' Liability Insurance

Enforced by HSE

Employers' Liability (Compulsory Insurance) Act 1969

Required for any membership organisation employing at least one person (most professional bodies, trade unions and larger churches employ staff; a wholly volunteer-run group with no employees is outside the requirement).

UK GDPR + Data Protection Act 2018

Enforced by ICO

Data Protection Act 2018; UK GDPR (retained EU law)

Membership bodies hold extensive personal data — member registers, subscriptions, voting records, and frequently special-category data (trade-union membership, religious belief and political opinion are all special-category data under UK GDPR Art 9, demanding a lawful condition and an Art 9 condition). Some not-for-profit bodies qualify for the ICO fee exemption, but the data-protection duties still apply. A church or members' club processing only member data may be exempt from the fee.

Equality Act 2010 — protected characteristics

Enforced by EHRC

Equality Act 2010

No discrimination in employment or in the provision of services to members and the public. Associations with 25+ members are specifically covered by Part 7 of the Act. Limited exceptions apply to single-characteristic associations, religious organisations and political parties (Schedules 16 and 23).

Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005

Enforced by LOCAL_FIRE_AUTHORITY

Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005

Applies to any non-domestic premises the organisation occupies or controls — offices, places of worship, union halls, meeting venues. The 'responsible person' must carry out and maintain a fire risk assessment. Devolved: Fire (Scotland) Act 2005; Fire and Rescue Services (NI) Order 2006.