NIC assessor & Health & Safety doc

[Norv]

Would a NIC assessor expect to see a written Health & Safety policy if you were running an Electrical business as Sole Trader ?

 

[comms]

Yes

 

[Lectrician]

download one, laminate it, stick it on the back of your office door - works year in year out - Never changed it!

 

[Norv]

Just looking about to see where I can download one from & I get the feeling you only need to have anything displayed if you employ anyone. If its just lonely old me then I dont need anything. What ya think ?

 

[Cremeegg]

As far as I know all the scheme providers require a H&S policy from everyone.

However, unless you are an employer with more than four employees under the H&S at Work Act you are not required to have one. Self employed are exempt as well. So, the scheme providers are strictly operating in excess of what the law requires. If you have a H&S policy that doesn't change from year to year any decent HSE inspector would tear you to shreds. You have a legal duty to update it. If it's any good and worth the paper it's written on it should be a live document that means something to your company.

Meanwhile get something simple its just one of the scheme providers boxes to tick - thankfully most assessors are more interested in what real risks there are to life and limb - not having a piece of paper that you're not required to have by law isn't one of them.