Free Health and Safety Policy

A health and safety policy is a document that sets out how your business manages health and safety, who is responsible for H&S, and the practical steps your business takes to keep people safe.

Download our free health and safety policy template, drafted by me, Stephen, a practising UK solicitor. I’ve carefully created this policy template to align with HSE H&S policy best practice.

For founders and SME owners, health and safety paperwork can easily feel like something that should be simple but often ends up being far more complicated than it needs to be. My free download pack is designed to help you put the basics in place without overcomplicating things.

Our template pack includes an editable Word template with the policy statement wording, detailed guidance notes to walk you through completing the policy template, and a separate risk assessment template and guide.

We provide this template free of charge as part of our commitment to supporting SME and startup legal compliance. If you are looking for a health and safety policy for your UK-based business, this free template is designed to give you a practical, simple to implement starting point.

You can edit the template in Microsoft Word and save it as a PDF once completed.

Included in the free download

Once downloaded, inside the template pack, you will receive:

• a Health and Safety Policy template in editable Word format;
• a Guide to completing the Health and Safety Policy template;
• a simple Risk Assessment  template; and
• a Guide to Completing the Risk Assessment template.

So, you get far more than a blank form and a good-luck wish to complete it. I’ve carefully prepared the template so that it provides a comprehensive and robust policy without requiring extensive editing.

The accompanying guide walks you through the policy template. It explains how each section operates, why its included and provides step by step guidance on exactly what you need to edit to complete the template.

What Our H&S Template Covers

The template follows a relatively standard small business structure and is designed to cover the core points that the HSE advises are included in a policy, which include:

• the business’s health and safety statement of intent;
• who is responsible for health and safety;
• risk assessments
• training and supervision;
• reporting accidents, incidents and near misses;
• first aid arrangements
• fire safety and emergency procedures;
• display screen equipment and working from home
• a mechanism for the ongoing review of the policy.

I have drafted the policy template so that it requires minimal editing. I have adopted straightforward best practice positions that will apply to a vast majority of businesses. That way, it avoids you having to edit and select from multiple options, and keeps everything as simple as it should be.

UK Health and Safety Policy Requirements

Simply put: every business should have a health and safety policy. If your business has five or more employees, then it is a legal requirement to have a written health and safety policy.

For startups, or SMEs with fewer than five employees, it is still sensible to have one. A H&S policy can assist your business in demonstrating that it has taken all reasonable steps if, in a worst case scenario, a significant injury is sustained by a staff member during the course of their employment.

A health and safety policy is not just for factories or construction sites! Lower risk businesses should put in place at least a basic health and safety policy that covers the key legal items. This is particularly relevant if your business has staff working from home or you have an office or shop where members of the public, or staff from other companies, attend.

This template is designed for UK SMEs and startups that want a practical, easy to implement document that doesn’t reflect a long corporate manual!

What is a Health and Safety Policy Statement?

A health and safety policy statement is simply the part of the policy where the business sets out its overall commitment to health and safety.

The HSE’s recommended structure for an H&S policy is that it should have at least three parts, which cover:

1. A statement of intent explaining the business’s commitment to health and safety.
2. An explanation of who is responsible for the H&S commitment of the business.
3. The details of the arrangements that the business has in place to support health and safety.

The policy statement is usually signed by the employer, or within a company, the most senior person in the business. The statement and the overall policy should be reviewed regularly. Ideally, at least annually, the policy should be edited to state the date the review was completed. This makes sure that your business has a clear paper trail evidencing that reviews have been carried out.

If you are searching for a health and safety policy statement, then keep in mind that it is just one part of the overall policy, and it is included in our free template.

Who This Template is Best Suited To

I have drafted this template so that it makes an ideal health and safety policy for smaller businesses. Anything from a startup to a mid-sized company with 20 staff. So, for example:

• startups and founder-led businesses;
• consultants, agencies and professional services firms;
• office based businesses.
• online businesses with home working staff;
• hybrid working teams
• small employers in low risk environments who want a sensible, hassle free policy.

The policy is designed for low risk business use. If your business involves higher risk work, or the use of hazardous substances, construction, manufacturing or healthcare, then you should consider appointing a specialist H&S consultancy. You are likely to need a more extensive policy drafted following the completion of detailed risk assessments.

Frequently Asked Questions

I set out below the questions that we see commonly asked by businesses considering whether they need to put a health and safety policy in place.

Is a health and safety policy a legal requirement in the UK?

Section 2 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 makes it a legal requirement for businesses that have five or more employees to prepare and revise a written health and safety policy statement.

Do I need a written health and safety policy if I have fewer than 5 employees?

It is not a legal requirement to have a health and safety policy if your business employees less than five employees. However, it is good practice for all businesses to have a health and safety policy, whatever their size.

What is a health and safety policy statement?

A health and safety statement is the first part of a health and safety policy that sets out the business’s general commitment to health and safety.

What should a health and safety policy contain?

At a minimum, it should cover the business’s statement of intent, health and safety responsibilities, and the arrangements in place to manage health and safety in practice.

Is this health and safety policy template suitable for startups and small businesses?

Oh, yes. This template is designed with startups and SMEs in mind, particularly lower-risk businesses such as office-based, hybrid-working and professional services businesses.

Is the template available in Word format?

Yes. The main template is provided in editable Word format so you can tailor it to your business more easily. It can be saved as a pdf once completed.

Do I also need a risk assessment?

Usually, yes. The HSE’s small-business guidance treats risk assessment as a core part of managing health and safety effectively. It makes sure that if any accident or injury arises, you can show that the business has taken reasonable measures.

Download Your Free Health and Safety Policy Template

So, if you want a practical, editable health and safety policy template for a UK small business, my template pack provides just what you need.

As I have said above, you will receive the Word template, the completion guide, the simple risk assessment template and the separate risk assessment guide in one free download. If you then find yourself with any questions as you work through completing the policy template, my co-founder, David, manages our help line and will guide you through any drafting questions that you may have.