What Must an Employer Provide Under Health and Safety Law?

All UK-based employers must legally protect the health, safety and welfare of their employees. However, what they are expected to provide depends on the risks in each workplace and the types of work staff carry out.

Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, employers must, as far as is reasonably practicable, protect their workforce from risks to their health and safety. That can mean providing appropriate information and training, supervising work, and putting instructions in place, alongside safe work systems and welfare arrangements.

There might also be additional regulations that apply, with requirements around the provision of PPE, first aid, work equipment, manual handling and working at height, and we’ll look at some of the main considerations here.

Employer Health and Safety Responsibilities: Key Takeaways

• Employers are expected to assess workplace risks and put appropriate measures in place to protect their staff, although the exact steps needed can vary.
• Sufficient action might involve organising training, ensuring PPE is used, putting in place relevant first aid arrangements, or implementing safe working systems and equipment usage.
• Health and safety provisions should be based on the genuine risks workers face, without a single measure or training course that suits every colleague and every organisation.
• Business owners and leadership teams should review their health and safety arrangements regularly, and whenever working practices, employees, risks, or equipment change.

Do Employers Have to Provide Health and Safety Training?

Yes, if training is necessary to safeguard staff from workplace risks, the employer must provide it. Training needs will depend on the employee's roles and the relevant hazards. 

For example, a worker who manages heavy boxes will often need manual handling training, while someone operating specialist machinery might need equipment-specific training. 

Our health and safety courses cover a broad range of areas, such as fire safety, COSHH, first aid, and risk assessment, and we’d direct businesses to our guide to mandatory health and safety training in the UK as a starting point. 

Does an Employer Have to Provide PPE?

It depends, but if a risk assessment identifies that PPE is needed, then employers must provide suitable PPE and ensure it’s properly maintained. The Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 cover these requirements, which might include providing:

• Safety helmets
• Protective footwear
• High-visibility clothing
• Eye protection
• Gloves
• Hearing protection
• Respiratory protective equipment
• Fall protection equipment

PPE isn't always the first control measure, because employers should look at how risks can be removed or controlled without relying on PPE. If PPE is needed, businesses need to organise relevant training to ensure staff know how to use it correctly.

What Workplace Welfare Facilities Must Employers Provide?

As with health and safety training, the necessary welfare facilities may vary between workplaces, but could include bathrooms, drinking water, washing facilities, changing spaces, eating and break areas, and rest areas.

The exact requirements depend on each business, but construction sites, for example, may have additional welfare requirements when staff work outdoors and are exposed to changing weather conditions.

More guidance on workplace health and safety requirements and facilities is available through the HSE’s guidance.

What First Aid Provision Must an Employer Provide?

First aid equipment, facilities and trained personnel naturally differ between workplaces, and employers should conduct a first-aid needs assessment that considers:

• The type of work being carried out
• Workplace hazards and risks
• The size and location of the workforce
• Working patterns and shift arrangements
• The number of employees
• Distances from emergency medical services

If trained first aiders are required, the employer is expected to organise appropriate First Aid at Work training and Emergency First Aid at Work courses.

What Training Might Employees Need for Specific Risks?

There isn’t a standardised list of health and safety courses every employer needs to provide, because that will depend on the risks present in the workplace, but some potential examples are as follows:

Steve Booker, Managing Director at Kentec Training, explains, ‘Health and safety responsibilities aren't about providing employees with a set list of certificates and equipment. 

Employers need to understand the risks their teams face and put measures in place to control them. That might mean training, PPE, better equipment, improved procedures or a combination of different controls.’

When Should Employers Review Their Health and Safety Arrangements?

Health and safety arrangements should be reviewed regularly and whenever there is a significant change in circumstances, and employers might need to revisit these when:

• New equipment or machinery is introduced
• Employees take on different responsibilities
• New processes or substances are introduced
• Workplace risks change
• An accident or near miss occurs
• Legislation or guidance changes
• Existing training or qualifications approach expiry
• A risk assessment is no longer considered valid

Regular reviews can help employers identify gaps before they become problems and ensure employees continue to receive the information, training, and equipment they need.

Choosing the Right Health and Safety Provision for Your Business

There is no universal checklist that covers everything every employer must provide. Instead, businesses need to identify their workplace risks and put suitable controls in place. The most important consideration is whether the measures provided are suitable for the risks employees actually deal with.

Kentec Training offers a range of health and safety training courses for businesses across many industries.

If you're unsure what health and safety provisions or training your employees may need, we’d invite you to contact Kentec Training to discuss your requirements.

Related Guides and Resources:

• Health and Safety Executive: Health and Safety Law
• Health and Safety at Work Act 1974
• Health and Safety Executive: First Aid at Work

Frequently Asked Questions

What Does an Employer Legally Have to Provide for Employees?

Employers must take steps to protect employees' health, safety and welfare, as far as is reasonably practicable. This can include suitable training, information, and supervision; safe equipment and systems of work; welfare facilities; first-aid arrangements; and PPE where required.

Does the Employer Have to Pay for Health and Safety Training?

Yes, if health and safety training is necessary for an employee to carry out their work safely, the employer should provide it.