What the law says
- if your work activity is specifically mentioned in the regulations above
- or if your work activity poses a risk to the health and safety of others, then the law applies to you
What is meant by 'self-employed'?
For health and safety law purposes, 'self-employed' means that you do not work under a contract of employment and work only for yourself.
If you're self-employed and employ others the law will apply to you. You may be self-employed for tax purposes, but this may not be so for health and safety. This is a complex area and HMRC have produced employment status guidance.
What is a 'risk to the health and safety of others'?
This is the likelihood of someone else being harmed or injured (eg members of the public, clients, contractors etc) as a consequence of your work activity.
Most self-employed people will know if their work poses a risk to the health and safety of others. You must consider the work you are doing and judge for yourself if it creates a risk or not.
For example if you operate a fairground ride for the public to use then your work could affect the health and safety of other people and you must take appropriate steps to protect them as the law will apply to you.
Find out more about 'risk'
Our guidance on risk management explains more about the risks your work activity may create and how best to manage these.