The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health is the Chartered body for health and safety professionals. The IOSH was founded in 1945 and is a registered charity. You can find out more at their website: www.iosh.co.uk.
In the UK, Health and Safety law applies to all businesses. Whether you are a large employer or a self-employed individual, you are legally responsible for the health and safety of your business. The law is there to ensure you have a safe working environment and to reduce the risk of you, your clients and your staff, if any, becoming sick or injured.
Once you become an employer you will have to appoint someone who knows about health and safety and who has a health and safety qualification, knowledge and experience. This can be an outside agency, someone from your staff if they are qualified or you get them trained , or yourself. Having five employees makes health and safety policies mandatory.
Until that time, as a sole trader or self-employed individual you still have a ‘duty of care’ to anyone who is affected by what you do for a living, whether a client or a member of the public. You still have to consider access, property maintenance, electrical safety, trip hazards, air quality, fire safety and first aid as examples, and apply your common sense to negate the chance of foreseeable accidents.
Although it is a condition of the EFTMRA Code of Ethics and Conduct, there is no legal requirement in the UK to have public liability insurance. Public liability insurance is designed to cover the cost of claims made by members of the public for personal injury and loss of or damage to property, resulting from incidents that occur in connection with your business activities. Buying insurance does not excuse you from exercising proper care and your claim can be dismissed if you do not comply with the fine details of your insurance contract. If you are seeing clients at your office or on site rather than online, please contact your insurance provider with any questions about your own particular case.
In the UK, Health and Safety law applies to all businesses. Whether you are a large employer or a self-employed individual, you are legally responsible for the health and safety of your business. The law is there to ensure you have a safe working environment and to reduce the risk of you, your clients and your staff, if any, becoming sick or injured.
Once you become an employer you will have to appoint someone who knows about health and safety and who has a health and safety qualification, knowledge and experience. This can be an outside agency, someone from your staff if they are qualified or you get them trained , or yourself. Having five employees makes health and safety policies mandatory.
Until that time, as a sole trader or self-employed individual you still have a ‘duty of care’ to anyone who is affected by what you do for a living, whether a client or a member of the public. You still have to consider access, property maintenance, electrical safety, trip hazards, air quality, fire safety and first aid as examples, and apply your common sense to negate the chance of foreseeable accidents.
Although it is a condition of the EFTMRA Code of Ethics and Conduct, there is no legal requirement in the UK to have public liability insurance. Public liability insurance is designed to cover the cost of claims made by members of the public for personal injury and loss of or damage to property, resulting from incidents that occur in connection with your business activities. Buying insurance does not excuse you from exercising proper care and your claim can be dismissed if you do not comply with the fine details of your insurance contract. If you are seeing clients at your office or on site rather than online, please contact your insurance provider with any questions about your own particular case.