Your responsibilities for health, safety and the environment

Introduction

You have a legal responsibility for the health and safety of your employees and anyone else who may be affected by your business and its activities, such as customers. Health and safety is about preventing people from being harmed at work or becoming ill, by taking the right precautions and providing a satisfactory working environment.

You also have legal responsibilities for the impact your business has on the environment. For example, it's up to you to ensure that you dispose of waste properly.

Implementing good health, safety and environmental practices will help you comply with the law and provide an acceptable workplace. This guide outlines the main steps you need to take. It also explains where you can find more detailed information and help on health, safety and environmental issues.

Subjects covered in this guide

• Introduction
• Comply with key health and safety rules
• Comply with key environmental rules
• Who ensures that health and safety and environmental law is being complied with?
• Do I need to license or register my business?
• Make sure your business is properly insured
• Substances covered by health, safety and environmental law
• Activities covered by health and safety laws
• Maintain high standards of occupational health
• Health, safety and the environment in specific sectors
• Checklist: protecting health, safety and the environment
• Here's how my business approaches health and safety issues