A practical compliance and culture check for SME leaders
1. Leadership, Ownership & Governance
- A named Competent Person is responsible for Health & Safety
- Roles and responsibilities are clearly defined
- Directors/owners understand H&S is a legal duty
- Health & Safety is reviewed at least annually or after any changes
2. Risk Assessments (Beyond the Obvious)
- General workplace risk assessment is up to date
- Individual-specific risks assessed (for example: new starters, pregnancy, disability)
- Remote and hybrid working risks assessed
- Stress and workload risks considered and assessed where necessary
- Assessments reviewed after any significant change
3. Working Time, Fatigue & Well‑Being
- Working Time Regulations understood as a Health & Safety duty
- Working hours and rest breaks monitored in practice
- Opt-outs (if used) are voluntary, recorded and reviewed
- Workload and fatigue risks actively managed
- Absence trends reviewed for Health & Safety risk
4. Psychological Safety & Reporting Culture
- Clear reporting routes for risks and concerns (organisational chart and keeping it up to date)
- Near-miss reporting encouraged
- No blame culture for raising safety issues
- Managers trained to handle concerns appropriately
- Confidentiality and trust maintained
5. Sexual Harassment – Proactive Legal Duty (since Oct 2024)
- Sexual harassment treated as a workplace Health & Safety risk
- Harassment-specific risk assessment completed
- Risk factors identified (for example :power imbalance, lone working, client contact)
- Preventative controls and training in place
- Actions documented and reviewed
6. Training, Information & Competence
- Health & Safety training provided at induction
- Refresher training carried out regularly
- Role-specific training completed where required
- Training completion recorded and evidenced
- Policies and guidance easily accessible
7. Incidents, Accidents & Near‑Misses
- Clear incident and near-miss reporting process
- Incidents investigated and lessons recorded
- RIDDOR duties understood where applicable
- Trends reviewed to prevent recurrence
- Employees informed of outcomes
8. Records, Audit Trails & Evidence
- Risk assessments signed, dated and version-controlled
- Training records complete and accessible
- Incident logs accurate and up to date
- Policies reviewed and communicated
- Evidence stored securely and centrally
Final sense-check:
If inspected or challenged, could you prove what you do — not just say it?