Published: April 2025
Reading time: 6 minutes
Suitable for: Small Business Owners, Sole Traders and New Employers
Topics: Health & Safety Policy | Legal Compliance | Small Business | Health & Safety Management
At a glance
Do I need a written policy? Generally not if you have fewer than five employees.
Should I have one anyway? Yes—it’s considered good practice.
What should it include? A statement of intent, responsibilities and arrangements.
When should I review it? At least annually, or whenever significant changes occur.
Why this matters
If you employ fewer than five people, you may have heard that you don’t need a written health and safety policy.
While it’s true that UK law does not generally require businesses with fewer than five employees to have a written policy, you still have the same legal duty to protect the health, safety and welfare of your employees and anyone affected by your work.
Creating a simple written policy is an excellent way to demonstrate your commitment to health and safety, clarify responsibilities and establish good working practices as your business grows.
Do I legally need a written policy?
If your business employs fewer than five employees, you are generally not legally required to have your health and safety policy in writing.
However, once you employ five or more people, you must record your Health & Safety Policy in writing.
Regardless of the size of your business, having a written policy is considered good practice because it helps everyone understand how health and safety is managed.
What should a health & safety policy include?
A simple health and safety policy usually consists of three parts.
1. Statement of Intent
This is a short statement explaining your commitment to protecting the health, safety and wellbeing of employees and others affected by your work.
It should explain that your business is committed to managing risks and complying with health and safety legislation.
2. Responsibilities
Clearly identify who is responsible for health and safety within your business.
In a small business this may simply be:
- The business owner.
- A manager or supervisor.
- Employees carrying out their own responsibilities.
Clearly assigning responsibilities helps ensure nothing is overlooked.
3. Arrangements
This section explains how your business manages health and safety on a day-to-day basis.
For example:
- Completing risk assessments.
- Providing training.
- Reporting hazards.
- Maintaining equipment.
- Managing accidents and incidents.
- Reviewing health and safety arrangements.
These arrangements should reflect the activities your business carries out.
How is a policy different from a risk assessment?
Many small businesses confuse policies with risk assessments, but they serve different purposes.
A health and safety policy explains your organisation’s commitment to health and safety and how it will be managed.
A risk assessment identifies specific workplace hazards, assesses the level of risk and records the control measures needed to reduce or eliminate those risks.
Both are important, and they work together to help keep people safe.
Related resources
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Need more help?
Writing a health and safety policy doesn’t need to be complicated. A clear, practical policy helps explain how your business manages health and safety and provides a strong foundation for future growth.
The Health & Safety Portal includes a range of editable policy templates that have been designed specifically for small businesses. Whether you’re creating your first Health & Safety Policy or developing policies for specific topics such as risk assessment, PPE or eye health, our templates provide a practical starting point that you can adapt to reflect your own workplace and activities.