🦺 Do You Need a Health & Safety Review?

Spoiler: If you haven’t had one in a while… probably yes.

Health and Safety often gets pushed to the bottom of the list — especially in smaller businesses where it’s not always clear whose job it is. But if your policies, risk assessments, or training haven’t been looked at in the last year, you could be at risk (legally, financially, and ethically).

So… when should you review your Health & Safety setup? Let’s break it down.

⚠️ Signs You’re Due a Review

• You’ve had incidents, or injuries, and are seeing worrying trends

• You’ve taken on new staff, locations, or equipment

• Your current documentation is more than 12 months old

• You can’t remember the last time training was refreshed

• You’re relying on Google or templates for guidance

🧠 Why It Matters

Even low-risk workplaces (like offices or consultancies) need a proper H&S setup. It’s not just about physical risk — mental health, work-related stress, and fire safety all fall under the Health & Safety umbrella.

And the law is clear: if you employ even one person, you have legal responsibilities to assess risks and keep your team safe.

✅ What a Review Should Cover

A good Health & Safety review doesn’t just tick boxes — it should:

• Assess your workplace, processes, and documentation

• Identify gaps in compliance or training

• Provide clear, jargon-free actions

• Help you build a culture of safety, not fear

🚨 Myth-Busting: "I Don’t Need to Worry About H&S Until I Have 5 Employees"

This is one of the most common Health & Safety misconceptions — and it can leave small businesses vulnerable.

Here’s the reality:

• You must assess risks even if you only employ one person.

• The threshold of five employees relates to when you must document your risk assessment — not whether you need to do one.

• Directors count too — if you’re hands-on in the business, you’re part of that headcount.

• Fire safety regulations, premises safety, and duty of care still apply regardless of size.

Not having policies or documents doesn't mean you're exempt — it just means you might not realise you're non-compliant.

How OPS Can Help

At Oxford People Solutions, we offer friendly, no-nonsense reviews for small businesses. Whether you're in a lab, an office, or something in between, we’ll help you:

• Spot risks before the HSE does

• Get policies and training sorted

• Feel confident you’re doing the right thing

👉 Work with us from only £195 per month