Occupational health and safety: general duties (UK)
A list of checks and obligations with their cadence, ready to add to your agenda.
For any employer in Great Britain, from a small office to an industrial site. Covers the written health and safety policy, risk assessment and its review, first aid with the three-yearly First Aid at Work requalification, RIDDOR reports and records, display screen equipment assessments, worker consultation and noise and vibration exposure assessment. Does NOT cover fire safety, building services, lifting equipment or hazardous substances, which have their own kits.
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What it already has at hand
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- 8 planned checks, the most frequent every 36 months since the last job
Planned checks
Informative summary verified on 11/09/2026. It does not replace legal advice: the regulation cited prevails. If you spot an error, report it.
Some checks are only mandatory in certain countries: pick yours and the list follows.
In Italy this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
In France this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
In Germany this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
In Switzerland this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
In Austria this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
- 01
Consult workers on health and safety
The employer must consult workers, directly or through representatives, on the introduction of measures affecting safety, the appointment of competent persons, information and training, and the safety consequences of new technology. Evidence is the safety committee minutes or the record of direct consultation. Applies to all employers: where trade union representatives are appointed under the 1977 regulations, consultation takes place through them and a committee must be set up on the request of two representatives.
continuous check, confirm every 6 monthsLegal obligationHealth and Safety (Consultation with Employees) Regulations 1996 (SI 1996/1513) reg. 3; Safety Representatives and Safety Committees Regulations 1977 (SI 1977/500)United Kingdom onlySourceverified on 11/09/2026 - 02
Assess noise and vibration exposure
Where employee exposure may exceed the action values, the employer must measure and assess noise and hand-arm or whole-body vibration, take reduction measures, provide hearing protection and start health surveillance. The assessment must be reviewed regularly and in any event if there is reason to suspect it is no longer valid or the work changes; evidence is the noise or vibration survey report. Applies to activities with noise exposure at or above the lower exposure action value of 80 dB(A) or hand-arm vibration at or above 2.5 m/s2 A(8): workshops, construction, woodworking, metalworking, events and music venues.
continuous check, confirm every 24 monthsLegal obligationControl of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 (SI 2005/1643) reg. 5; Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005 (SI 2005/1093) reg. 5United Kingdom onlySourceverified on 11/09/2026 - 03
Review the first aid needs assessment
The employer must assess what first aid facilities, equipment and personnel are needed given the risks, the number of workers, shift patterns and site layout, and review the assessment when these change. It includes periodic checks of first aid kit contents and expiry dates; evidence is the written needs assessment with the kit check record. Applies to all employers whatever the number of employees: kit contents are not set by law and the usual technical reference is BS 8599-1.
continuous check, confirm every 12 monthsLegal obligationHealth and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 (SI 1981/917) reg. 3; HSE guidance L74 and INDG214United Kingdom onlySourceverified on 11/09/2026 - 04
Report RIDDOR incidents within the legal time limits
The responsible person must report deaths and specified injuries to the enforcing authority without delay and in any event within 10 days, accidents preventing normal work for more than seven consecutive days within 15 days of the accident, plus occupational diseases and dangerous occurrences. Injuries causing more than three days' incapacity must be recorded even if not reportable, and records must be kept for at least three years; evidence is the copy of the submitted F2508 form. Applies to employers, the self-employed and people in control of work premises: injuries to non-workers are reportable where the person is taken to hospital for treatment.
continuous checkLegal obligationReporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (SI 2013/1471) reg. 4, reg. 6, reg. 12United Kingdom onlySourceverified on 11/09/2026 - 05
Review the risk assessment
The employer must make a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks to employees and to others affected by the undertaking, and review it where there is reason to suspect it is no longer valid or there has been a significant change. With five or more employees the significant findings and the groups especially at risk must be recorded; evidence is the dated assessment with its action plan. Applies to all employers, with specific assessments due for young workers and for new or expectant mothers (reg. 16).
continuous check, confirm every 12 monthsLegal obligationManagement of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 (SI 1999/3242) reg. 3United Kingdom onlySourceverified on 11/09/2026 - 06
Keep the written health and safety policy up to date
An employer with five or more employees must prepare and keep up to date a written statement of general policy on health and safety, with the organisation and arrangements for carrying it out, and bring it to the attention of employees. It must be revised when activities, structure or responsibilities change; evidence is the policy signed and dated by senior management, alongside the displayed Health and Safety Law poster or the equivalent leaflet given to each worker. Applies to employers with five or more employees; below that threshold the written policy is not required but the general duties in s.2 still apply.
continuous check, confirm every 12 monthsLegal obligationHealth and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 s.2(3); Employers' Health and Safety Policy Statements (Exception) Regulations 1975 (SI 1975/1584)United Kingdom onlySourceverified on 11/09/2026 - 07
Carry out and review display screen equipment assessments
For each habitual display screen equipment user the employer must analyse the workstation, reduce the risks identified, review the assessment when the workstation, equipment or user changes, provide breaks or changes of activity, and on request provide an eye test and, where needed, special corrective appliances. Evidence is the per-workstation DSE assessment with the record of eye tests offered. Applies to workers who use display screen equipment for significant continuous periods as a normal part of the job, including regular homeworkers, and not to occasional users.
continuous check, confirm every 24 monthsLegal obligationHealth and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992 (SI 1992/2792) reg. 2, reg. 4 and reg. 5United Kingdom onlySourceverified on 11/09/2026 - 08
Requalify the First Aid at Work certificate every 3 years
First Aid at Work (FAW) and Emergency First Aid at Work (EFAW) certificates are valid for three years: before expiry the first aider must take the requalification course, otherwise competence lapses and the full course must be repeated. HSE also recommends, without obligation, an annual half-day refresher; evidence is the in-date certificate. Applies to businesses that, following their first aid needs assessment, must have one or more qualified first aiders: in low-risk activities an appointed person without a certificate may be enough.
every 36 months since the last jobLegal obligationHealth and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 (SI 1981/917) reg. 3; HSE guidance L74United Kingdom onlySourceverified on 11/09/2026
In Spain this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
In Portugal this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
In United States this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
In Other country this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
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