Health and Safety Policy: How to Write One for Your Small Business

TL;DR — Key Takeaways

A health and safety policy is a written document with three parts: a policy statement, responsibilities, and arrangements. It sets out how your business manages health and safety day to day.

In the UK, you are legally required to have a written policy if you employ five or more people. In Ireland, every employer must have a written safety statement — no matter how small the business.

Even if you are a sole trader with no employees, having a policy in place protects you on-site, satisfies client requirements, and shows professionalism.

Your policy must be specific to your business — a generic template you found online will not cut it with an inspector.

Review your policy at least once a year, or whenever something significant changes (new premises, new equipment, new staff, or after an incident).

If you run a small business or work as a sole trader in the UK or Ireland, there is a good chance someone has told you that you need a health and safety policy. Maybe a client asked for one before letting you on-site. Maybe you saw it mentioned on a tender application. Or maybe you just know it is something you should have — but you have been putting it off because it sounds like a lot of paperwork.

The truth is, writing a health and safety policy does not have to be complicated. You do not need a consultant. You do not need a degree in occupational health. You just need to understand what the document is, what goes in it, and how to make it relevant to your actual business.

This guide walks you through the entire process, step by step.

What Is a Health and Safety Policy?

A health and safety policy is a written document that sets out how your business manages health and safety. Think of it as your plan — the thing that explains what you do to keep yourself, your workers, and anyone affected by your work safe from harm.

It is not a risk assessment (that is a separate document, though your policy will reference it). It is not an insurance certificate. It is your organisation’s commitment to health and safety, put down in writing, with enough detail that anyone reading it can understand how things work in your business.

The three parts

Every health and safety policy has three sections:

General policy statement — A short, clear statement of your commitment to health and safety. This is signed and dated by the person in charge (usually the business owner or director).
Organisation of responsibilities — Who is responsible for what. This section names specific people and spells out their duties.
Arrangements — The practical stuff. How you actually manage health and safety on a daily basis. This covers your procedures for things like risk assessments, fire safety, first aid, accident reporting, training, and more.

Why it matters beyond ticking a box

Yes, having a policy helps you comply with the law. But it does more than that.

A well-written policy gives you a framework for managing risk. It helps you think through what could go wrong and what you are doing about it. If something does go wrong — an accident, an injury, an HSE visit — your policy is the first thing an inspector will ask for. It is your evidence that you take health and safety seriously and that you have systems in place.

For sole traders and small businesses, a policy also builds trust with clients. More and more principal contractors and commercial clients require subcontractors to provide a copy of their health and safety policy before they are allowed on-site. No policy, no work.

Do You Legally Need One?

The short answer: it depends on where you operate and how many people you employ.

United Kingdom

Under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, Section 2(3), every employer with five or more employees must have a written health and safety policy.

If you have fewer than five employees, there is no legal requirement to write it down — but the duties themselves still apply. You still have to manage health and safety. You still have to do risk assessments. The only difference is that the law does not force you to put the policy on paper.

That said, most small business owners find that having a written policy makes life easier, not harder. It gives you something to show clients, something to reference during inductions, and something to fall back on if there is ever a dispute.

Republic of Ireland

The rules are stricter in Ireland. Under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005, Section 20, every employer must prepare a written safety statement — regardless of how many people they employ.

There is no exemption for small businesses. If you employ even one person, you need a safety statement. The safety statement must be based on a risk assessment, must identify hazards, and must set out the protective and preventive measures you have taken.

We will cover the differences between a UK health and safety policy and an Irish safety statement in more detail later in this guide.

What about sole traders with no employees?

If you are a sole trader with no employees, neither UK nor Irish law strictly requires you to have a written policy. However, there are several strong reasons to have one anyway:

Client requirements: Many clients, especially in construction, cleaning, and facilities management, will not hire you without seeing a health and safety policy.
Tender applications: If you bid for contracts, you will almost always need to provide one.
Professionalism: It shows you take your work seriously.
Self-protection: If something goes wrong on a job, having a documented policy and risk assessment strengthens your position.

Penalties for non-compliance

In the UK, failing to have a written policy when you are required to can result in enforcement action from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) or your local authority. This can range from improvement notices to prosecution. Fines are unlimited in the Crown Court.

In Ireland, the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) can issue on-the-spot fines, improvement notices, and prohibition notices. Failure to have a safety statement can result in fines of up to EUR 3,000 on summary conviction, or significantly more on indictment.

The bottom line: the cost of getting it right is tiny compared to the cost of getting it wrong.

The Three Parts of a Health and Safety Policy

Let us break down each section in detail so you know exactly what to write.

Part 1: General Policy Statement

This is the front page of your policy. It is a short statement — usually no more than one page — that sets out your business’s overall commitment to health and safety.

Your policy statement should:

State your commitment to providing a safe and healthy working environment
Confirm that you will comply with all relevant health and safety legislation
Explain that you will provide adequate training, resources, and information to employees (if applicable)
Commit to consulting with employees on health and safety matters
Confirm that the policy will be reviewed regularly (at least annually)
Be signed and dated by the most senior person in the business (owner, director, or managing partner)

Keep it simple. This is not the place for technical detail. It is a declaration of intent — a promise that your business takes health and safety seriously and is committed to doing the right thing.

Here is a rough example of what the opening lines might look like:

“[Business Name] is committed to ensuring, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety, and welfare of all employees, contractors, and visitors affected by our work. We recognise our responsibilities under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and all associated regulations, and we will take all reasonable steps to meet those responsibilities.”

Part 2: Organisation of Responsibilities

This section sets out who is responsible for what. In a small business, there may only be one or two people — and that is fine. The important thing is that responsibilities are clearly defined.

Typical roles include:

Owner / Director

Overall responsibility for health and safety in the business
Ensuring the policy is implemented, communicated, and reviewed
Providing adequate resources (time, money, equipment) for health and safety
Leading by example

Managers / Supervisors (if applicable)

Ensuring staff follow safe working procedures
Carrying out or contributing to risk assessments
Reporting hazards and incidents
Ensuring new staff receive proper induction

Employees

Taking reasonable care of their own health and safety, and that of others
Cooperating with the employer on health and safety matters
Using equipment and PPE as instructed
Reporting hazards, near misses, and incidents

Competent Person

Providing health and safety advice to the business
This can be the business owner (if they have sufficient knowledge), an employee with training, or an external adviser

If you are a sole trader, this section is simpler — but you should still include it. State that you, as the business owner, are responsible for all aspects of health and safety, and list what that includes.

Part 3: Arrangements

This is the longest and most detailed section. It describes the practical procedures you have in place to manage health and safety. Think of it as the “how” section.

Your arrangements should cover (as relevant to your business):

Risk assessments — How and when you carry them out, and where they are recorded. For a detailed walkthrough, see our risk assessment guide.
COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health) — How you identify, store, and manage hazardous substances, and where safety data sheets are kept.
Fire safety — Your fire risk assessment, evacuation procedures, extinguisher maintenance, and fire drill schedule.
First aid — What first aid provision you have (kit, trained first aider), and where the kit is located.
Accident and incident reporting — How accidents, near misses, and dangerous occurrences are recorded and reported (including RIDDOR in the UK).
Training — What training is provided, how often, and how it is recorded.
Equipment maintenance — How you ensure tools, machinery, and equipment are safe to use and properly maintained.
Personal protective equipment (PPE) — What PPE is provided, when it must be worn, and how it is maintained and replaced.
Manual handling — How you assess and control manual handling risks.
Working at height — Procedures for any work at height (if relevant).
Lone working — How you manage the safety of anyone working alone.
Emergency procedures — What to do in the event of a fire, serious injury, chemical spill, or other emergency.
Consultation with employees — How you involve employees in health and safety decisions.

You do not need to write a novel for each topic. A paragraph or two for each is usually enough, with references to supporting documents (risk assessments, COSHH registers, training records) where appropriate.

For a full rundown of what should be in your compliance pack, have a look at our compliance checklist.

Step-by-Step: How to Write Yours

Now that you know what goes into a health and safety policy, here is how to actually write one.

Step 1: Assess your business

Before you write anything, take a step back and think about your business:

What does your business do?
Where do you work? (Fixed premises, client sites, outdoors, at height, etc.)
What tasks do you or your employees carry out?
What hazards exist in your work? (Chemicals, machinery, vehicles, manual handling, electricity, working at height, lone working, etc.)
Who could be harmed? (Employees, contractors, members of the public, clients, visitors.)

Write down your answers. This exercise will shape the entire policy and ensure it is tailored to your actual work — not a generic document pulled from the internet.

Step 2: Write the policy statement

Start with your general policy statement. Keep it to one page. Use plain English. State your commitment, reference the relevant legislation, and sign and date it.

If you are in the UK, reference the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. If you are in Ireland, reference the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005. If you operate in both jurisdictions, reference both.

Step 3: Define responsibilities

List every person (or role) in your business and spell out what they are responsible for when it comes to health and safety.

Be specific. Do not just write “the director is responsible for health and safety.” Instead, write what that actually means:

Ensuring risk assessments are carried out and reviewed
Providing necessary training
Ensuring equipment is maintained
Investigating accidents and incidents
Reviewing the policy annually

If you are a one-person business, this section still matters. List your own responsibilities clearly. It demonstrates that you have thought about what managing health and safety actually involves.

Step 4: Document your arrangements

Work through each topic from Part 3 above and write a short section explaining how your business handles it. Be honest — write about what you actually do, not what you think sounds impressive.

If a topic is not relevant to your work (for example, COSHH might not apply if you do not use any hazardous substances), you can either leave it out or include a brief note explaining why it does not apply. Inspectors appreciate seeing that you have considered a topic and ruled it out, rather than simply ignoring it.

Reference your supporting documents wherever possible. For example: “Risk assessments are carried out before commencing work at a new site and are reviewed annually or when there is a significant change. Completed risk assessments are stored in [location].”

Our compliance kits include a fully customisable health and safety policy template — just fill in your business details and you are covered. The template follows the three-part structure outlined in this guide and is designed specifically for small trades and sole traders in the UK and Ireland.

Step 5: Communicate to staff

A policy that sits in a drawer is worthless. If you have employees, you must make sure they know about the policy and understand it.

Share the policy with all staff (including new starters as part of their induction)
Keep a copy in a place where staff can access it (notice board, shared drive, site folder)
Discuss it during toolbox talks or team meetings
Ask staff to sign a record confirming they have read and understood the policy

In Ireland, employers are specifically required to bring the safety statement to the attention of employees at least annually, and whenever it is amended.

Step 6: Review annually or after significant changes

Your policy is a living document. It needs to be reviewed and updated:

At least once a year (set a calendar reminder)
After any accident or incident
When you take on new work or change your working methods
When new legislation comes into force
When you move premises or start working at new types of sites
When you hire new staff or someone’s role changes

Update the date on the policy statement each time you review it, even if no changes are needed. This shows that you have actively considered whether the policy is still fit for purpose.

What to Include for Your Specific Trade

Your policy needs to reflect the specific hazards and risks associated with your line of work. Here is what to focus on for some of the most common trades.

Cleaning businesses

Cleaning work might seem low-risk, but it comes with a specific set of hazards that your policy should address:

COSHH — Cleaning chemicals are one of the biggest risks. Your policy should explain how you assess, store, and use hazardous substances, and confirm that safety data sheets are available for every product.
Lone working — Cleaners often work alone, especially in the evenings or early mornings. Your policy should set out how lone workers check in, what to do in an emergency, and how you assess the risks of working alone.
Manual handling — Moving furniture, carrying heavy equipment, emptying bins, and handling waste all involve manual handling. Your policy should reference your manual handling assessments and any training provided.
Slips, trips, and falls — Wet floors, trailing cables, and cluttered walkways are common hazards. Your policy should explain how you manage these risks (wet floor signs, safe cable routing, housekeeping procedures).

Construction and trades

Construction and the building trades are among the highest-risk sectors. Your policy needs to be thorough:

Working at height — Falls from height are one of the leading causes of workplace death. Your policy must cover how you plan, supervise, and carry out work at height, including the use of ladders, scaffolding, and other access equipment.
CDM (Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015) — If you carry out construction work in the UK, your policy should reference CDM and explain your duties, whether you are a client, principal contractor, contractor, or designer.
PPE — Hard hats, hi-vis, safety boots, gloves, eye protection, ear protection. Your policy should list what PPE is required, when it must be worn, and how it is maintained.
Site safety — Welfare facilities, site security, traffic management, and coordination with other contractors should all be covered.
Asbestos awareness — If you work on buildings constructed before 2000, your policy should cover asbestos awareness, how you check for asbestos before starting work, and what to do if you suspect it is present.

Beauty and grooming

Salons, barbers, and mobile beauty therapists face specific health and safety considerations:

Infection control — Cross-contamination is a serious risk. Your policy should cover sterilisation of tools, hygiene procedures, handling of sharps (razors, needles for piercings), and what to do if a client presents with an infectious condition.
Chemical handling — Hair dyes, bleach, nail products, and other chemicals can cause allergic reactions, skin irritation, and respiratory issues. Your policy should address COSHH, patch testing, ventilation, and PPE (gloves, aprons).
Client safety — Allergy consultations, contraindication checks, and informed consent are all part of keeping clients safe. Your policy should explain how you manage these.
Ergonomics — Standing for long periods, repetitive movements, and awkward postures can lead to musculoskeletal problems. Your policy should cover how you manage these risks.

Landscaping and grounds maintenance

Working outdoors with heavy machinery brings its own set of challenges:

Machinery and equipment — Lawn mowers, hedge trimmers, chainsaws, strimmers, and other powered equipment must be properly maintained and only used by trained operators. Your policy should cover maintenance schedules, pre-use checks, and operator training.
Manual handling — Lifting heavy paving slabs, bags of soil, and other materials is part of the job. Your policy should explain how you assess and reduce manual handling risks.
Weather and environmental conditions — Working in extreme heat, cold, rain, or high winds can all create hazards. Your policy should explain how you assess weather conditions and what your thresholds are for stopping work.
Noise — Prolonged use of powered equipment can cause hearing damage. Your policy should cover noise assessments, hearing protection, and exposure limits.
Biological hazards — Leptospirosis (from rat urine in standing water), insect stings, and contact with hazardous plants are all risks. Your policy should explain how you manage these.

Health and Safety Policy vs Safety Statement (Ireland)

If you operate in Ireland — or in both the UK and Ireland — it is important to understand the differences between a UK health and safety policy and an Irish safety statement.

What Ireland requires

Under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005, Section 20, every employer in Ireland must prepare a written safety statement. This is broadly similar to a UK health and safety policy but has some specific requirements:

The safety statement must be based on a risk assessment — you cannot write one without first identifying the hazards in your workplace and assessing the risks.
It must specify how the safety, health, and welfare of employees will be secured and managed.
It must include the hazards identified and the risks assessed during the risk assessment.
It must set out the protective and preventive measures taken and the resources provided for safety, health, and welfare.
It must detail emergency plans and procedures.
It must name the people responsible for safety, health, and welfare duties, including the duties of employees.

Key differences

	UK Health and Safety Policy	Irish Safety Statement
Who needs one	Employers with 5+ employees	All employers, regardless of size
Must include risk assessment	Referenced, but can be a separate document	Must be based on and include the risk assessment
Legislation	HSWA 1974 s.2(3)	SHWW Act 2005 s.20
Review frequency	At least annually (best practice)	Whenever there is a significant change, and regularly reviewed
Employee consultation	Required under Safety Representatives and Safety Committees Regulations 1977	Required under SHWW Act 2005 s.26

Both require employee consultation

Whether you are in the UK or Ireland, you must consult with your employees on health and safety matters. This does not mean you need a formal committee (though you can). It means you must involve employees in decisions about health and safety, listen to their concerns, and keep them informed.

In practice, for a small business, this can be as simple as discussing health and safety at regular team meetings, asking for feedback on risk assessments, and making sure staff know how to raise concerns.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Writing a health and safety policy is not difficult, but there are some common pitfalls that trip people up. Here is what to watch out for.

Using a generic template without customising it

This is the single most common mistake. Downloading a free template from the internet and slapping your business name on it might feel like a quick win, but it will not hold up to scrutiny.

An inspector will immediately spot a generic policy. If your policy mentions hazards that do not apply to your work — or fails to mention ones that do — it is worse than having no policy at all. It shows that you have not actually thought about health and safety in your business.

Your policy must reflect your business, your hazards, and your working practices.

Forgetting to review and update

A policy written in 2019 that has never been reviewed is a red flag. Your business changes — new clients, new sites, new equipment, new staff. Your policy needs to keep pace.

Set a reminder to review your policy annually. Update the date on the statement even if nothing has changed, so it is clear you have actively reviewed it.

Not communicating to staff

If your employees do not know the policy exists, it might as well not exist. You must actively share your policy with staff, discuss it, and make sure they understand their responsibilities.

Keep a record of who has read the policy and when. A simple sign-off sheet is enough.

Making it too long and complex

Your policy is not a legal textbook. It should be written in plain English that anyone in your business can understand. If your employees cannot read it and know what to do, it is too complicated.

For most small businesses, a health and safety policy should be somewhere between 10 and 25 pages, depending on the nature and complexity of the work. If it is running to 50 or 60 pages, you are probably including too much detail that belongs in separate procedures or risk assessments.

Not assigning clear responsibilities

Vague statements like “everyone is responsible for health and safety” are not helpful. While it is true that everyone has a role to play, your policy needs to be specific about who is responsible for what.

If someone’s name is not attached to a duty, that duty will not get done. Be clear. Be specific. Name names (or at least name roles).

Want to see what a properly structured health and safety policy looks like? Download our free sample to see the format and quality of our compliance documents, and compare it against what you currently have in place.

Compliance Alignment

This guide is aligned with the following legislation:

United Kingdom:

Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, Section 2(3)
Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 (MHSWR 1999)

Republic of Ireland:

Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005, Section 20

Employers should also be aware of sector-specific regulations that may apply to their business, including the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002, and the Work at Height Regulations 2005.

Key Takeaways and Next Steps

Writing a health and safety policy is one of the most important things you can do for your business. It protects your workers, satisfies your legal obligations, and gives clients confidence that you take safety seriously.

Here is a summary of what you need to do:

Understand the requirement. If you have five or more employees in the UK, or any employees in Ireland, you need a written policy. Even if you do not legally need one, it is strongly recommended.
Follow the three-part structure. Policy statement, responsibilities, arrangements. This is the recognised format and the one inspectors expect to see.
Make it specific to your business. Generic templates will not protect you. Your policy must reflect your actual work, hazards, and controls.
Communicate it. Share it with staff, discuss it, and keep records of who has read it.
Review it regularly. At least once a year, and after any significant change or incident.
Keep it proportionate. Your policy should be detailed enough to be useful, but concise enough to be readable. Plain English, clear responsibilities, practical arrangements.

If you want to get your health and safety documentation sorted properly — without spending hours writing from scratch or hundreds of pounds on a consultant — our compliance kits are built for exactly this purpose. Designed for small trades and sole traders in the UK and Ireland, each kit includes a customisable health and safety policy, risk assessments, COSHH registers, method statements, and everything else you need to be fully compliant.

Your health and safety policy is not just paperwork. It is the foundation of how you protect yourself, your workers, and your business. Take the time to get it right.