The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 requires businesses to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of their employees, self-employed person, towards non-employees that use their premises, such as customers.

Businesses should ensure that workplaces are accessible to people with disabilities, including doors, passageways, stairs, lavatories, washing facilities, and workstations in accordance with the Disability Discrimination Act 1995.

The term Workplace is not restricted to factories, shops, offices, schools, hospitals, nursing / care homes, hotels or places of entertainment, but includes common parts of shared buildings, private roads and paths on industrial estates and business parks, and temporary worksites except workplaces involving construction sites.

Every employer should have a good understanding of the safety precautions and specifications contained in the Workplace Health Safety and Welfare Regulations 1992.

Health, Safety and Welfare regulations applies to most workplaces offering goods and or services to individuals in the UK, except for:

• Construction firms working on construction sites
• Firms working in or on a ship
• Firms working below ground such as a coal mine

These organisations should follow other regulations, such as:

• The Quarries Regulations 1999
• The Health and Safety Miscellaneous Amendments Regulations 2002
• The Work at Height Regulations 2005
• The Construction Design and Management Regulations 2007