Health and safety at work

Effective health and safety practices help you avoid staff illness, accidents and the costs that go along with them. They can also improve your business' reputation with customers, regulators and employees.

Find out about the essentials of health and safety on Business Gateway.

Managing occupational health and welfare issues in your workplace means taking steps to prevent injury and promote the wellbeing of yourself and your staff.

Find out about tackling issues such as stress or harassment on Business Gateway.

All businesses must make sure all equipment meets health and safety requirements. This reduces the risk of accidents or damage to health. Under health and safety law, employers have a duty to minimise risks to employees. 

Find out how to assess and reduce the risks of using workplace equipment on Business Gateway.

All businesses must assess the risks and implications of:

• manual handling
• transport in the workplace
• slips and trips
• transporting goods and materials
• managing harmful substances

Find out how to assess and control risks from handling and transporting substances on Business Gateway.

There's no law for minimum or maximum working temperatures, eg when it's too cold or too hot to work. 

However, guidance suggests a minimum of 16ºC or 13ºC if employees are doing physical work. 

There's no guidance for a maximum temperature limit. 

Employees should talk to their employer if the workplace temperature is not comfortable. 

Smoking is not allowed in any enclosed workplace, public building or on public transport in the UK.

Businesses must:

• display 'no smoking' signs in all workplaces and vehicles
• make sure people do not smoke in enclosed work premises or shared vehicles

Businesses can be fined a fixed penalty of £200 if they do not stop people smoking in the workplace or up to £2,500 if the fine is not paid.

Workers can be fined up to £50 for smoking at work.

Smoking is not allowed in any work vehicle that more than one person uses, including:

• taxis
• buses
• vans
• goods vehicles used by more than one driver
• company cars used by more than one employee

Residential care homes and hospices can offer individual smoking rooms but only for residents.

The rooms must be well ventilated and smoke must not get into other rooms.