Expert Defense & Representation
Health and Safety Audits UK
Expert support for your business all day, every day, from a specialist UK team of employment law experts.
Ensure legal compliance with expert business health and safety audits
If you’re not sure how to conduct a health and safety audit yourself, our network of qualified Health & Safety Consultants can take on this important task for you. With our on-site auditing services, you can rest assured that risk is being appropriately managed at every level across your organisation.
Over time, even the best safety management systems may become less effective at reducing risk, and a periodic examination can help to identify any immediate or emerging issues before they result in harm.
Under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, employers have a legal duty to protect the health, safety and welfare of their employees and others who might be affected by their activities. In doing so, all health and safety matters and arrangements must be monitored, maintained and reviewed.
What is a health and safety audit?
What is a health and safety audit?
What is a health and safety audit?
Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), defines a health and safety audit as:
“The collection of independent information on the efficiency, effectiveness and reliability of the total health and safety management system and drawing up plans for corrective action”.
The health and safety audit procedure may sound complex, but put simply, it is a process that examines your compliance with health and safety regulations. It also looks at how effective you are at practising what you preach.
In this way, safety audits are comparable to financial audits – they evaluate compliance and performance.
The simple and secure way to manage health & safety compliance
Provided as part of our core service, our free Health & Safety software for businesses gives you the tools you need to proactively manage your work environment on a day-to-day basis – with our experienced Health & Safety Consultants on hand to provide an additional layer of support should you need it.
Looking for a complete Health & Safety solution, with the peace of mind of both online and offline support?
In the worst case scenario, missteps can lead to an Employment Tribunal claim. Unfortunately for employers, now that Tribunal fees have been scrapped, there’s nothing to stop litigious employees pursuing legal action. With the average award for unfair dismissal sitting at almost £14,000 and discrimination claims costing closer to £30,000, the cost of going it alone can be significant. Of course, as well as the impact on your bottom line, there’s also reputational damage to consider.
But it’s not all about legal risk. Employee relations issues can impede productivity, affect morale, and contribute to a high turnover. They put a strain on management, destabilise your workforce, and ultimately affect your ability to deliver on key objectives. If you’re not an Employment Law expert, the time and stress involved in dealing with your people problems can become a considerable burden — one that will only increase as your organisation grows.
Good legal advice, on the other hand, helps employers avoid these pitfalls. It enables them to handle risks effectively, streamline their operations, and make informed decisions. This not only ensures compliance with the law but also contributes to a healthier work environment and a stronger, more resilient business.
The essentials behind health and safety audits
Admin and correspondence
Offer a constant source of practical Employment Law advice on a full spectrum of employee relations issues, from the seemingly simple to the most complex;
Strategy and negotiation
Guide you every step of the way through difficult situations – including gross misconduct, discrimination complaints and redundancy – advising on the correct process to follow and the legal pitfalls to avoid;
Seamless representation
Draft your essential documentation, including your Contracts of Employment and Employee Handbook, to ensure they are legally-compliant and provide the best possible protection for your organisation.
The importance of a health and safety audit
Any changes in personnel or practices might change the risks that people are exposed to. For example, physical changes to the work environment, such as new machinery or equipment, may introduce an entirely new hazard, while a change in a core process, even a temporary one, could have critical health and safety implications that need to be properly evaluated, controlled and communicated to workers. Health and safety regulations change over time and complacency can be costly. For this reason, regular systematic review is essential.
SafetyNest your health & safety audit software
WorkNest blends legal expertise with commercial awareness, giving you confidence in managing employment law challenges;
Our team includes more than six times the number of qualified solicitors compared to larger competitors, each with over five years’ experience;
Your dedicated adviser ensures you always have expert guidance and reliable support when you need it.
Health and safety audit checklist
You’re taking a reactive, rather than proactive, approach to employee relations matters, allowing problems to occur then paying to fix them;
You’re without day-to-day support and therefore have to find the answers to your queries yourself or resort to guesswork; and
You pay by the hour, meaning you can expect a significant bill whenever professional help is needed, especially if the issue is complex.
Request a health and safety audit to ensure business compliance
Request a health and safety audit to ensure business compliance
Request a health and safety audit to ensure business compliance
At WorkNest, we're one of the UK's leading health and safety specialists. We've helped thousands of businesses with audits, offering core services such as:
General and fire risk assessments
Register of your statutory compliance certification
Automatic alerts when your certificates need renweing
Access a comprehensive library of vital health and safety materials
Audits across any industry and sector
At WorkNest, we're one of the UK's leading health and safety specialists. We've helped thousands of businesses with audits, offering core services such as:
General and fire risk assessments
Register of your statutory compliance certification
Automatic alerts when your certificates need renweing
Access a comprehensive library of vital health and safety materials
Audits across any industry and sector
Added extras
Explore our other People services
Our Employment Law expertise is backed up by a full suite of tools and protections to help future-proof your organisation.
Cloud-based HR Software
Takes the hassle out of essential HR functions and drive efficiency across your organisation.
Legal Expenses Insurance
Independent and FCA-regulated, to cover your costs in the event of an Employment Tribunal claim.
Interactive e-Learning Courses
Free for the first 12 months, to upskill staff in key employment law and HR topics.
FAQs
In the worst case scenario, if your business breaches UK employment laws it may result in:
Considerable fines
Legal penalties
Reputational damage
Imprisonment
The specific laws that protect employee rights include The Employment Rights Act 1996 and The Equality Act 2010. It’s vital your business follows these Acts and remains compliant, otherwise you may face legal consequences.
Yes, it’s very common. Many small and medium-sized businesses will outsource legal support to save time and money. Even larger organisations will turn to expert external support to assist with complicated legal issues such as TUPE.
The WorkNest brand is trusted by over 40,000 UK employers through our fast-paced mix of pragmatic, speedy advice that uses innovative technology. With a 400 strong team of experts, we’re on hand to guide you through even the most challenging legal problem.
In the worst case scenario, if your business breaches UK employment laws it may result in:
Considerable fines
Legal penalties
Reputational damage
Imprisonment
Yes, it’s very common. Many small and medium-sized businesses will outsource legal support to save time and money. Even larger organisations will turn to expert external support to assist with complicated legal issues such as TUPE.
The specific laws that protect employee rights include The Employment Rights Act 1996 and The Equality Act 2010. It’s vital your business follows these Acts and remains compliant, otherwise you may face legal consequences.
The WorkNest brand is trusted by over 40,000 UK employers through our fast-paced mix of pragmatic, speedy advice that uses innovative technology. With a 400 strong team of experts, we’re on hand to guide you through even the most challenging legal problem.
