Your Health & Safety Handbook should be the go-to safety document for your team.

It should act as a synopsis of your Health & Safety Policy, outlining all the necessary information your employees need to carry out their role safely, reducing risk to themselves and others.

Ultimately, making sure that employees understand your health and safety rules and procedures will provide a firm basis for health and safety management, thereby ensuring you are compliant and reducing financial and reputational risk.

So where do you start when it comes to creating a Health & Safety Handbook for employees? And why does your business need one? Here’s everything you need to know.

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Why do I need a Health & Safety Handbook?

In order for you to meet your legal duties under health and safety legislation, employees must meet theirs.

Often, employers assume that they are solely responsible for ensuring their workplace is safe and compliant. However, Section 7 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 places a legal duty on employers to:

• Co-operate with management in all matters concerning the health, safety and welfare.
• Take reasonable care their own health, safety and welfare, as well as that of any other person who may be affected by their acts or omissions whilst at work.

Your Health & Safety Handbook will help to make these duties clear and ensure that everyone within your organisation understands the role they play in creating a healthy and safe working environment. It will explain to employees what is expected of them, and help them to fulfil their Section 7 duties by providing information on safe working practices and what to do should an incident occur .

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Is it a legal requirement to have a Health & Safety Handbook?

As an employer, you have a duty to protect the health, safety and welfare of your employees and anyone else who might be affected by your activities. In doing so, you’re legally required to:

• Have a Health & Safety Policy that sets out your organisation’s health and safety objectives, responsibilities and arrangements;
• Ensure all employees are aware of and understand this policy; and
• Provide whatever information, instruction and training is needed to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety of your employees.

While there is no specific legal requirement to have a Health & Safety Handbook, doing so will enable you to fulfil the legal duties set out above. It is an effective way of communicating your Health & Safety Policy to staff and provides fundamental health and safety information, including the important rules and procedures for employees to follow.

In this way, it will help you to demonstrate your commitment to health and safety and show that you have actively engaged employees in health and safety management.

What should a Health & Safety Handbook contain?

Your Health & Safety Handbook should help employees to understand how health and safety is managed in your workplace. It should therefore set out, in detail, employees’ duties and the general safety rules they must follow. You may also wish to include specific information about particular working practices and how specific tasks tasks should be carried out.

Depending on your business activities, your Health & Safety Handbook may include information on:

• General personal safety;
• Your accident or incident reporting procedures;
• Your first aid arrangements;
• Your fire and emergency procedures;
• Manual handling aids and techniques;
• The use of display screen equipment;
• Electrical safety;
• Storing and handling hazardous substances;
• Advice on work-related stress;
• Using personal protective equipment (PPE);
• Working at height;
• Your alcohol, drugs and smoking policy;
• Safe driving and use of mobile phones;
• Arrangements for vulnerable workers, such as young people or expectant mothers;
• The safe use of machinery and equipment; and
• Occupational health provisions.

Keep language clear and simple language to aid understanding.

Upon receipt of your Health & Safety Handbook, employees must make themselves familiar with its contents, and you should explain who they can contact if they are unclear about any aspects of the document so that the issue can be clarified.

It’s a good idea to get employees to sign a statement to show that they have read and understood your Health & Safety Handbook and accept the rules contained therein.