Health & Safety compliance in the UK isn’t just red tape - it’s essential to running a legal, professional, and respected business. Under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, all employers - and some self-employed workers—must ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety, and welfare of employees and others affected by their work.
For small businesses in the trades - builders, plumbers, electricians, decorators - this means taking simple, practical steps to protect workers and clients while staying on the right side of the law. Failing to comply can lead to serious consequences: unlimited fines, criminal charges, and loss of client trust.
For low-risk businesses with fewer than five employees, the law is proportionate. But that doesn’t mean it’s optional.
According to the HSE’s official guidance, compliance boils down to five key actions:
If you have five or more employees, your policy must be written down. It should clearly outline:
See the HSE’s guide to writing a policy for help.
All businesses must assess the risks in their work - especially hazards like working at height, sharp tools, or loud machinery. If you have five or more employees, you must document your risk assessments.
A good risk assessment should:
Start with HSE’s risk assessment basics.
Many trades work with harmful substances: paint, dust, solvents, cement, adhesives. The COSHH Regulations 2002 require you to:
Even substances like wood dust or brick dust count under COSHH.
You must give staff:
For most small businesses, toolbox talks are a great way to deliver bite-sized training regularly.
If someone is seriously injured, or there’s a dangerous near miss, it must be reported under RIDDOR. You must also:
You might think, “We’re only a small outfit - surely this doesn’t apply to us?” But that mindset leads to real danger.
In short: doing nothing is more expensive than doing something.
At Graftly, we know that small trade businesses don’t have time to wade through red tape. Our platform simplifies H&S compliance with tools built for real working people:
✅ Generate a compliant H&S policy in minutes
✅ Build and save risk and COSHH assessments
✅ Store SDS sheets, accident records and safety docs
✅ Schedule toolbox talks and log staff training
✅ Get automatic reminders when reviews or updates are due
Our aim is simple: keep your business safe, legal, and ready to grow - without the paperwork headache.
We’ll be digging into each of these compliance topics in future blog posts and downloadable templates, including:
Make sure to [sign up for updates] so you don’t miss them.
Health & Safety compliance isn’t about bureaucracy. It’s about protecting your people, your business, and your livelihood.
Graftly exists to make that protection easier, more affordable, and actually useful to trades like yours.
Need help getting started? Our free templates and early-access tools are launching soon. Watch this space.
