5. How to comply with the law if it applies to you
The previous steps in this guide will help you decide whether health and safety law applies to you if you are self-employed. This page explains what the law says and how you must comply with it.
The Health and Safety at Work Act
The Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 (HSWA) is the primary piece of legislation covering occupational health and safety in Great Britain.
It sets out the general duties:
- employers have towards employees and members of the public
- employees have to themselves and to each other
- certain self-employed people have towards themselves and others
The purposes of HSWA include protecting people who are not at work from risks to their health and safety when these arise out of, or in connection with, the activities of people at work.
Doing what is reasonably practicable
The Act places general duties on employers, and some self-employed people, to do what is ‘reasonably practicable’ to ensure their health and safety and that of others who may be affected by what they do.
This means balancing the level of risk that your work activity creates against the measures needed to control that risk it in terms of money, time or trouble.
You can check our guidance on the high-risk work activities[5] where health and safety law will apply to you even if you are self-employed.
Find out more
You can find full details of the law in the following links on:
- Health and Safety at Work etc Act (on legislation.gov.uk)[6]
- General Duties of Self-Employed Persons) (Prescribed Undertakings) Regulations (on legislation.gov.uk)[7]