As an employer, you have legal obligations to inform your employees about health and safety laws and regulations. One key requirement of this is displaying the approved Health and Safety Law Poster in a visible location in your workplace.
What Is The Health & Safety Law Poster?
The Health and Safety Law Poster is a notice that employers are legally required to display in a prominent place on any premises where their employees work.
It informs employees about:
- Key health and safety laws that apply to them
- The responsibilities of employers to protect the health, safety and welfare of their employees
- The duties employees have to take reasonable care of themselves and others and cooperate with their employer on health and safety matters
The poster summarises, in a simple list format, the basic health and safety regulations that both employers and employees must comply with under UK law.
It is produced and approved by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), the national independent body responsible for health and safety regulation in Great Britain.
Who Needs to Display the Poster?
All employers, regardless of company size or industry, must display the poster if they have employees who work on their premises.
Even if you have one part-time employee, you are still legally required to display the poster. Self-employed contractors doing work for you does not constitute having ’employees’, so you would not need to display the poster.
If you fail to prominently display the poster, you risk facing penalties and enforcement action from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). This requirement stems from the Health and Safety Information for Employees Regulations 1989.
Why Is Displaying It Important?
Prominently displaying the health and safety law poster serves an important purpose – it informs your employees about their rights and your responsibilities for their health, safety and welfare at work.
Your employees need to easily see what UK health and safety laws apply to them so they can cooperate with you in meeting their legal obligations.
It also encourages engagement between you and your staff on health and safety matters. Fulfilling this basic requirement shows your employees you take their workplace health and safety seriously.
What Version of the Poster Should Be Displayed?
The HSE has updated the poster over the years, so you need to display the current version which you can find here
Since October 2009, you should have the “Health and Safety Law – What You Need to Know” poster.
This replaced previous versions like the purple 1999 poster.
Where Should It Be Placed?
The poster must be positioned prominently so that employees can easily read it. This includes positioning it near entrances, clocking-in areas, staff rooms, canteens, noticeboards, and other high-visibility locations.
If your business operates across multiple sites or has separate buildings, you need to display a poster in each workplace where your employees work.
For extensive premises, you may need several posters placed in break areas on each floor or wing.
What Does the Poster Include?
The poster outlines, in a simple list format, the main health and safety responsibilities of employers, employees and the self-employed. Key laws are also summarised, covering topics like:
- Providing a safe workplace and protecting people’s health and safety
- Carrying out risk assessments
- Having emergency procedures and first aid arrangements
- Reporting injuries and incidents
- Employees cooperating with their employer on safety matters
- Employees reporting hazards to their employer
Contact details for Health and Safety Representatives and your chosen competent safety advisor should also be included on the poster.
What Other Health and Safety Duties Do Employers Have?
Displaying the poster alone is not sufficient to comply with UK health and safety laws.
As an employer, you have extensive legal responsibilities under regulations like the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 to protect your employees and others affected by your business activities.
Some key duties include:
- Conducting risk assessments and identifying control measures
- Creating a health and safety policy (if 5 or more employees)
- Appointing competent health and safety advisors
- Implementing emergency procedures
- Providing health and safety training and information
- Recording and reporting accidents
- Purchasing employers’ liability insurance
Neathouse Partners can fully advise you on all your health and safety duties and help you comply with regulations.
What Role Do Employees Have?
While employers bear the main responsibility, employees also have an important role in maintaining health and safety.
The poster outlines duties like cooperating with employers, attending training, reporting hazards and following safety procedures.
Employees have a duty to take reasonable care of their own and their colleagues’ health and safety. You should communicate with staff regularly about additional safety measures and address any concerns they raise.
Can Neathouse Partners Help?
Displaying the poster is one small part of complying with complex health and safety laws. Neathouse Partners offers complete expert support tailored to your business.
Our Health and Safety specialists can:
- Provide full health and safety consultancy and simplify your legal duties
- Supply you with the latest regulatory-compliant health and safety law poster
- Develop health and safety policies and risk assessments
- Deliver training for your managers and employees
- Help you meet COVID-19 secure guidelines
With our support, you can feel confident you meet all health and safety requirements.
Contact the team via our quotation form or simply call us on 01244 893776.
