Health & safety policy generator

What a health & safety policy is, and how this generator works

A health & safety policy sets out how your business manages health and safety. Under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (section 2(3)), any employer with five or more employees must have a written policy — and it is good practice for everyone. The HSE expects it in three parts, and this generator builds all three:

1. Statement of Intent — your commitment to health and safety, signed and dated by the most senior person in the business.
2. Organisation — who is responsible for what: overall responsibility at the top, day-to-day responsibility with a competent person, and the duties of all employees.
3. Arrangements — the practical systems you have in place: risk assessments, safe systems of work, training, first aid, accident and RIDDOR reporting, fire, COSHH, manual handling, PPE and the rest. You tick the topics that apply to your business.

Make it real, then sign it

A policy only does its job if the arrangements it describes are actually in place. Use this to produce a clear, correctly structured policy, then check each arrangement is true for your business, add anything specific to your work, have the most senior person sign and date it, bring it to your employees' attention, and review it at least annually and whenever something significant changes.

This generator drafts a policy from standard arrangements. It is not a substitute for those arrangements being in place, and the employer is responsible for making the policy specific, accurate and signed.