Employer health and safety duties – what must employers do?

2026-03-10

Employer health and safety duties mean that the employer bears overall responsibility for ensuring a safe and healthy working environment. The duties are set out in HASAWA 1974 and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, and apply to all workplaces [1][2].

What do health and safety duties mean in practice?

The duties require proactive and systematic work. The key obligations are:

Prevent risks – employers must identify risks before they lead to incidents. In lone working situations, risks can be harder to detect and require particular attention [1].

Carry out risk assessments – lone worker risk assessments must be carried out regularly, when the work changes and when new tasks are introduced.

Implement control measures – identifying risks is not enough. Employers must take concrete action: changed procedures, training or technical solutions such as a personal alarm.

Inform and train staff – all employees must understand the risks and safe procedures, particularly those who work alone. Read about safety at the workplace for HR managers.

Ensure emergency procedures – clear procedures for accidents, threats and violence and medical emergencies are a legal requirement.

Systematic health and safety management

Systematic health and safety management is an ongoing process with four steps: identify hazards, assess risks, implement controls, and monitor and review. Employers must document the work and ensure it functions in practice [2].

Consequences of failure

Failures in employer health and safety duties can lead to HSE enforcement notices, prosecution and unlimited fines. Read more about the legal consequences.

A personal alarm with man-down alert increases workplace safety

Sensorem’s personal alarm has an automatic man-down alert that calls alarm recipients via the watch’s built-in speakerphone with two-way communication. The alarm works outdoors and has built-in GPS positioning.