Consulting employees on health and safety: A brief guide to the law

Employers have a duty to consult with their employees, or their representatives, on health and safety matters. This leaflet is for employers and discusses what they need to do to ensure they are complying with the law.

The law sets out how employees must be consulted in different situations and the different choices employers have to make. There are two different regulations that require employers to consult their workforce about health and safety:

• The Safety Representatives and Safety Committees Regulations 1977 (as amended).
• The Health and Safety (Consultation with Employees) Regulations 1996(as amended).

This leaflet has been updated, but the guidance remains the same.