Any employer, whether with one member of staff or a thousand, must put up on display the UK governments health and safety law poster with the additional option of providing each employee with an equivalent pocket card. Furthermore this poster must be displayed in a public area, such as the kitchen or staff room, where staff can easily see it.

The poster is an outline of the UK Government's Health and Safety laws, highlighting the requirements of both employers and employees and the regulations they need to adhere to. Health and Safety is an important part of the workplace to control any risks to the workforce by highlighting potential issues and ensuring precautions are in place to help avoid them. Employers are responsible for providing a safe working environment, whilst employees are responsible for acting responsibly within this environment. The poster is designed to display and ensure the entire workforce is aware of their obligations to result in the risk of any occupational injury being reduced.

The poster is often updated and so employers should check periodically to ensure they are displaying the appropriate poster. Posters are available for purchase via www.hse.gov.uk

What is displayed on the Health and Safety Law Poster?

The poster is made up of three main sections and is written with the employee in mind as its reader.

The first section is 'What employers must do for you', which lists the employers obligations to employees and the workplace, for example; explain how risks can be reduced, provide any equipment and protective clothing, provide first aid facilities etc.

The second section is 'What you must do', which highlights the employees responsibilities such as; follow the training provided, comply with safety regulations and advise the employer if there are any concerns or issues that could result a potential risk.

The third section advises what to do 'If there's a problem', within which, employees are advised to approach employers if an issue or incident occurs and referred to the Health and Safety website if they need more information or feel a problem has not been dealt with appropriately.

In case of any incidents or queries, the poster will also display who is responsible for Health and Safety within the workplace and who is First Aid trained. Additionally, the poster will display health and safety contact details and a short section on Fire Safety and Employment rights.