In short
HSE says every business must have a policy for managing health and safety. Under section 2(3) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, if you employ five or more people you must write it down and bring it to the notice of all your employees. A good policy has three parts: a statement of intent, who is responsible for what, and your practical arrangements. A short policy that matches how you really work is worth more than a long template.
Example
the fifth employee
Nadia runs a small electrical contracting firm. When she took on her fifth employee, a new client's pre-qualification form asked for her health and safety policy. She found a 40-page template online, but it covered forklift trucks and a staff canteen her firm has never had. She used HSE's short template instead. She signed a one-page statement of intent, named who plans jobs, who checks tools and vans, and who deals with accidents, and described how the firm really works. She talked it through with the team and put a review date in the diary.
An illustrative example, not a real case.
What the law says
- Section 2(3) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974: you must prepare a written statement of your health and safety policy, with the organisation and arrangements for carrying it out, and revise it as often as may be appropriate.
- You must bring the statement, and any revision of it, to the notice of all your employees.
- The Employers' Health and Safety Policy Statements (Exception) Regulations 1975 exempt employers with fewer than five employees from the written statement.
- Regulation 5 of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 requires every employer to have arrangements for planning, organising, controlling, monitoring and reviewing health and safety, and to record them if there are five or more employees.
What goes in it
1. Statement of intent
- What it covers
- Your commitment and aims. HSE says the employer or most senior person should sign it and review it regularly.
2. Responsibilities
- What it covers
- The names, positions and roles of the people with specific health and safety responsibilities.
3. Arrangements
- What it covers
- The practical steps that deliver your aims, such as risk assessment, training, supervision, first aid, accident reporting and how you choose subcontractors.
Note: HSE publishes a free template and a worked example to start from.
Keep it real, not a template
HSE says paperwork alone does not prove you are complying with the law. A policy only helps if it describes what really happens. Common problems:
- Copying a template that describes work, equipment or premises you do not have.
- Naming people who have left, or roles nobody actually does.
- Promising arrangements, such as monthly inspections, that never happen.
- Writing it for a tender and never sharing it with the team.
Keep it up to date
- Review it when something significant changes, such as new work, new premises or more staff.
- Review it after an accident, a near miss or a visit from an inspector.
- Tell your employees about every change.
Common questions
What should a health and safety policy include?
Three parts, HSE says. A statement of intent sets out your commitment and aims. The responsibilities part lists the names, positions and roles of the people with specific responsibility for health and safety. The arrangements part explains the practical steps you take, such as risk assessment, training and using safety signs or equipment. HSE publishes a free template and a worked example.
Do I need a health and safety policy if I have fewer than five employees?
You do not have to write it down, but HSE says it is useful to do so. Clients and principal contractors may also ask to see a written policy whatever your size.
Does a sole trader need a health and safety policy?
The duty to prepare a written policy applies to employers, so if you employ nobody the law does not require one. A client may still ask for it, and you may have other duties, for example if you work in construction.
Who should sign a health and safety policy?
The employer or the most senior person in the business, such as the owner or managing director. HSE says they should sign the statement of intent and review it regularly. Only sign a policy that matches how your business really works, and make sure the people it names know what they are responsible for.
Do employees have to sign the health and safety policy?
No, the law does not require a signature. It requires you to bring the policy, and any changes to it, to the notice of all your employees (section 2(3) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974). Go through it at induction and keep it where everyone can find it. A signed record can help you show it has been shared.
How often should I review my health and safety policy?
Section 2(3) of the Act says you must revise it as often as may be appropriate, and there is no fixed interval. Review it when something significant changes. A yearly check is also a sensible habit.
Can I use a template?
Yes. HSE publishes a template and a worked example. Use them as a starting point and change them so they describe your own work, people and arrangements.
Is a health and safety policy the same as a risk assessment?
No. Your policy sets out how you manage health and safety across the business: your commitment, who does what and your arrangements. A risk assessment looks at the hazards in particular work and the controls needed (regulation 3 of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999). You need both, and your arrangements should explain how you carry out risk assessments.
How NXT-HSE can help
NXT-HSE can help you write or review a health and safety policy that describes how your business really works, and prepare the supporting documents clients and accreditation schemes ask for. The policy and the duties remain your own.
Sources
- HSE: prepare a health and safety policy
- HSE: how to write your policy, with a template and example
- Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, section 2
- Employers' Health and Safety Policy Statements (Exception) Regulations 1975
- Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, regulation 5
- HSE: when the law applies to the self-employed
Sources checked 28 September 2026 against current Health and Safety Executive guidance and legislation. This guide is general information, not legal advice; your legal duties stay with your business.