What should a Health & Safety policy include?

A compliant health and safety policy must include: - A statement of intent (signed by senior management) - The organisation for managing health and safety (roles and responsibilities) - The arrangements for implementing the policy (procedures and systems) This three-part structure follows HSE guidance and Section 2(3) HSWA 1974 requirements.

Who is responsible for the Health & Safety policy?

The employer is legally responsible. In practice, the health and safety policy should be approved and signed by a senior person, such as a director or managing director, to demonstrate leadership commitment and board-level ownership.

How often should a Health & Safety policy be reviewed?

A health and safety policy should be reviewed regularly and updated when: - There are significant changes to work activities - The organisation grows or restructures - New risks are introduced - Legislation or guidance changes Many organisations review their health and safety policy annually as good practice.

Do contractors and visitors need to be covered by the policy?

Yes. A health and safety policy should consider not only employees, but also contractors, visitors, and others who may be affected by the organisation's activities.

Will a Health & Safety policy help during audits and inspections?

Yes. A clear, up-to-date health and safety policy demonstrates that formal arrangements are in place and is often requested during HSE inspections, audits, tenders, and insurance reviews.

Do small businesses really need a Health & Safety policy?

If you employ five or more people, a written health and safety policy is mandatory under Section 2(3) HSWA 1974. Even with fewer employees, having a policy is widely considered good practice and supports compliance.

What is a health and safety policy statement of intent?

The statement of intent is the first of the three required elements of a health and safety policy. It is a signed declaration from senior management (usually the MD or CEO) confirming the organisation's commitment to health and safety compliance under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. The statement must be signed to demonstrate board-level ownership.

How much does a health and safety policy cost?

The cost of a professional health and safety policy varies depending on the size and complexity of your organisation. Contact Arinite for a tailored quote. For many businesses, the cost is offset by the commercial benefits: smoother tender submissions, stronger audit performance, and reduced legal risk.

Do I need a health and safety policy for CHAS?

Yes. CHAS (Contractors Health and Safety Assessment Scheme) requires applicants to provide a compliant, up-to-date health and safety policy as part of the accreditation process. The same applies to SafeContractor and other SSIP schemes.

What happens if I don't have a health and safety policy?

Failure to have a written health and safety policy (when you employ 5+ people) is a breach of Section 2(3) HSWA 1974. The HSE can issue improvement notices, prosecution, and fines. It also undermines tender applications, audits, and insurance renewals.

What is the difference between a health and safety policy and a risk assessment?

A health and safety policy is the overarching document that sets out your commitment, organisation, and arrangements for managing health and safety. Risk assessments are practical tools for identifying and controlling specific hazards. The policy explains that you WILL conduct risk assessments; the risk assessment is the actual assessment itself.

Does my health and safety policy need to be signed?

Yes. The statement of intent must be signed by a senior person (e.g., Managing Director, CEO, or business owner) to demonstrate board-level commitment. An unsigned policy lacks the authority signal that inspectors and auditors expect to see.

HSE inspections up 47% - HSE carried out over 13,200 workplace inspections in 2024/25.

Since 2011

Health & Safety Policy Writing
Bespoke Policies & Templates | Section 2(3)

Professional health and safety policy writing service compliant with Section 2(3) HSWA 1974

IOSH Chartered consultants write bespoke health and safety policies. Statement of intent, organisation & arrangements. Free template available.

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Countries

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Retention

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Free Health & Safety Gap Analysis

30-minute Compliance Call Valued at £750+

What Happens on Your Free Gap Analysis Call:

1.30-minute consultation
2.We review your current H&S arrangements
3.We identify 1-10 critical compliance gaps you're missing

No Card Details Required

Free Arinite factsheet (tailored to your gaps)

Honest recommendation (audit needed or not)

Identify 1+ gaps, or you receive a £50 gift card. Only 20 consultations are available every month.

Health & Safety Policy

Legally Compliant Policies Written for Your Business

A written Health & Safety Policy is a legal requirement for UK organisations with five or more employees.

But a compliant policy is more than a document; it is the foundation of your Health & Safety management system and a key piece of evidence during inspections, audits, and investigations.

Arinite develops bespoke Health & Safety policies that meet legal requirements, reflect how your organisation actually operates, and stand up to scrutiny.

Discuss Your Health & Safety Policy Requirements

Is a Health & Safety Policy a Legal Requirement?

Yes.

This legal requirement under Section 2(3) HSWA 1974 applies to all UK employers with five or more employees. The policy must be a written health and safety policy document that reflects your employer health and safety responsibilities.

The requirement for formal health and safety arrangements is also supported by the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 (MHSWR), which require employers to plan, organise, control, monitor and review their health and safety management system.

This policy must set out:

Your general statement of intent (signed by senior management)

The organisation for managing Health & Safety (roles and responsibilities)

The health and safety arrangements in place to control risk (procedures)

Failure to have a suitable and sufficient health and safety policy is a common HSE enforcement issue.

What Your Health & Safety Policy Demonstrates

A properly written Health & Safety Policy shows that:

Health & Safety responsibilities are taken seriously at board level

There is a formal system for communicating safety procedures

Clear arrangements exist for managing workplace risks

Contractors, visitors, and third parties are properly considered

The organisation operates to recognised professional standards

For many businesses, this also delivers commercial benefits, including smoother audits, stronger tender submissions, and increased client confidence.

Your Health & Safety Policy Document

Arinite ensures your Health & Safety Policy follows the HSE-recommended structure, with all three elements fully integrated and tailored to your organisation.

Your policy will not be a generic template.

It will be written to reflect:

Your activities and risks

Your management structure

Your workforce and working arrangements

The Arinite Health & Safety Policy & Procedures Manual

Our Policy Manual:

Your Health & Safety Policy forms part of a wider Health & Safety Policy and Procedures Manual, which is a fundamental element of effective safety management.

Meets all legal requirements

Acts as a working, practical document, not shelfware

Provides clear guidance for employees and managers

Supports training, audits, and inspections

Demonstrates good practice to clients, contractors, and partners

This manual provides assurance that Health & Safety is being actively managed, not simply documented.

The Three Core Elements of a Health & Safety Policy

Every compliant Health & Safety Policy must include the following three elements.

Statement of Intent

The Statement of Intent sets out the organisation's overall commitment to Health & Safety and compliance with legislation.

It should:

Confirm compliance with relevant Health & Safety law

Demonstrate leadership commitment

Be signed by a senior person (e.g. Managing Director or CEO)

This section is critical in demonstrating board-level ownership.

Health & Safety Organisation

This section defines who is responsible for what.

It clearly identifies:

Health & Safety responsibilities at all levels

Roles of directors, managers, supervisors, and employees

Any specialist or appointed Health & Safety roles

Clear organisation ensures good intentions are translated into effective action.

Health & Safety Arrangements

The arrangements section explains how Health & Safety is managed in practice.

This includes:

Risk assessment processes

Emergency procedures

Consultation and communication arrangements

Training and supervision

Monitoring, inspections, and review

Where detailed procedures exist elsewhere, the policy clearly signposts where they can be found.

Why Choose Arinite to Write Your Health & Safety Policy?

Policies written by IOSH Chartered Health & Safety professionals

Fully compliant with UK legislation and HSE guidance

Bespoke to your organisation, never generic templates

Suitable for offices, multi-site operations, and higher-risk workplaces

Designed to support audits, inspections, and tenders

We don't just write policies. We build defensible Health & Safety foundations.

Who This Service Is For

Our Health & Safety Policy service is ideal for:

Organisations with 5+ employees

Businesses updating outdated policies

Companies preparing for audits or inspections

Growing organisations formalising their systems

Directors seeking assurance and legal confidence

Start With a Free Policy Review

If you're unsure whether your current policy is suitable and sufficient, the fastest way to find out is a professional review.

Book a Free Health & Safety Gap Analysis Call

Compliance review valued at £750+

OUR PROVEN SYSTEM

The Arinite Transformation™

From Reactive Firefighting to Proactive Health & Safety Compliance

STAGE 1

REACTIVE(Where 60% of Businesses Operate)

No formal HSE systems in place. Everything is reactive, waiting for something to go wrong. Documentation is missing or outdated.

Why It's Dangerous:

✗£50K-£150K average fine when (not if) HSE inspects
✗Can't bid on contracts requiring HSE certification
✗One accident away from director prosecution

This isn't just "non-compliant." It's criminally negligent. Directors face personal prosecution.

STAGE 2

COMPLIANCE(Where Most Businesses Stop)

Basic HSE documentation is in place. Minimum legal requirements met. You can pass a basic audit.

Why It's Better (But Not Enough):

✓Legal protection (no fines if inspected)
✓Can bid on contracts requiring certification
✓Pass basic client audits
✗Still reactive (problems arise, then you respond)
✗Compliance maintained by one person (bottleneck)
✗Systems don't run themselves

Compliance is where most consultants get you, then leave. You're legal, but you're not optimised.

STAGE 3

PROACTIVE(Where Arinite Clients Operate)

Systems run proactively, preventing problems before they occur. Compliance is distributed, not dependent on one person.

Why It's Transformational:

✓Win more contracts (HSE certification opens doors)
✓Save 20+ hours/week (systems run themselves)
✓Peace of mind (sleep soundly, without the fear of prosecution)
✓Focus on your core business while we handle compliance

That's why 95%+ of clients renew year after year.

The Arinite Difference:

”

Robert Winsloe

Managing Director, Arinite

“We work with you to deliver peace of mind. We tailor our service provision to your business to provide proactive, pragmatic health and safety advice and that helps reduce costs by ensuring compliance with relevant health and safety legislation.”

Other Consultants

Get you to Stage 2 (Compliant) and disappear.

Arinite

Gets you to Stage 3 (Proactive) and keeps you there.

That's why we call it transformation, not just compliance.

CONSULTANTS + SOFTWARE

Where Health and Safety Consultants
Meet Compliance Software.
Globally.

Health & Safety Consultants+EHS Software+Arinite AI

Consultants+EHS Software+Arinite AI

Traditional consultancies audit, report, and leave. You get a document and the job of implementing it.

Software companies give you dashboards and workflows, but no expertise. The platform stores whatever you put in it - Bad data in, Bad data out.

Arinite exists because global businesses need consultants who know compliance in every jurisdiction, and technology that proves it in real time.

We are not a consultancy that added software. We are not a software company that recommends consultants.

We are the place where those two things finally became one.

HOW IT WORKS

From Hidden Health and Safety Gaps to Clarity

Step 1

Free Health and Safety Gap Analysis Call

Identify what's missing before an inspector does.

A focused 30-minute health and safety assessment to expose weaknesses in your current arrangements.

What you get:

Clear identification of compliance gaps that inspectors commonly enforce

Straight answers on where you stand legally and local laws

A tailored pack of free Arinite Factsheets covering your specific gaps

→

You leave knowing exactly where you're exposed and what to do about it.

Step 2

Health and Safety Audit and Inspection

Turn risk into documented compliance, fast.

A health and safety consultant will conduct a comprehensive H&S audit and inspection of your workplace.

What's included:

On-site or virtual compliance audit of all health and safety activities and areas

Health and Safety risk assessments with a prioritised action plan with clear timelines

A comprehensive health and safety audit report (typically 40+ pages)

→

You move from exposed to defensible with evidence to prove it.

Step 3

Outsource Your Health & Safety — The Arinite Partnership

We become your health and safety experts. Your competent person.

You focus on your core day-to-day business, Arinite's Health and Safety consultants handle the rest.

What we take ownership of:

Legal appointment as your health and safety competent person

Creation of all required health and safety policies, procedures, and records

Implementation of health and safety management systems and compliance software

→

Compliance handled. Risk controlled. Directors protected.

GLOBAL LOCATIONS

Global Health and Safety Consultants.
International Compliance, Local Delivery.

50+ Countries. Global Safety. Local Trust.

50+ Countries

Looking for health and safety consultants near you? With Chartered consultants based across the UK and locally qualified professionals in 50+ countries, Arinite provides health and safety support wherever your offices are. Whether you need an on-site audit in London, a fire risk assessment in Manchester, or international health and safety assessments across multiple jurisdictions, we have consultants near you.

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