Health and safety laws are there for a reason. They are there to protect you, your employees and any member of the public who may come into contact with you. The law isn't there to 'trip you up' or make life difficult for you, but to protect your business and employees.
As an employer, you are responsible for managing health and safety within your office. You may choose to hire a member of staff to fulfil the duties, but first and foremost it is your responsibility. Health and safety is an important area of your business and you need to make sure you are managing it effectively. If you don't have the time to manage it yourself, then you need to employ someone else to do so.
You need to ensure you write a health and safety policy for your business. This shows your commitment to health and safety and also makes your employees aware of safety procedures. The policy should clearly state who is responsible for what, when and how. The law states that any businesses with more than 5 employees must have a health and safety policy. This doesn't need to be overly complicated or time consuming – it just needs to be available for employees to read.
Another piece of written material you must have is a risk assessment. You should think about everything in your business premises and consider what may count as a risk, what can harm people and whether your business is doing enough to prevent harm. This is called a 'risk assessment'. Depending on the industry you work in, it may not be possible to remove all risks, but it's important that your employees understand how they can protect themselves from the risks and are aware of the risks.
When it comes to health and safety, you should also consult your employees. As they are working on the 'ground', they may have better ideas on how things should work. They will also have an idea of potential health and safety issues related to their job.
Finally, you need to ensure all your employees have basic health and safety training. This includes contractors, work experience and apprentices. Basic health and safety training should include information about hazards they may face, how to deal with risks and how to follow emergency procedures.