Back in 2011, an independent review of UK health and safety legislation recommended that some self-employed workers should be exempt from health and safety laws. The government agreed to implement this change, and it's not hard to see why - after all, why should a self-employed writer who works from home be bound by the same regulations as a factory owner with a hundred employees to look after?
The new law comes into effect next month, meaning that, as of 1 October 2015, some self-employed people will be exempt from health and safety law.
Now, our self-employed readers are probably clapping their hands with glee at this point, but we must stress that this relaxation does not apply to all self-employed individuals. You're still bound by all the usual health and safety laws if:
- You employ others
- Your work poses any kind of risk to the health and safety of other people
Let's look at those two caveats in a little more detail.
If you employ others
The forthcoming change only affects people who are self-employed with no other employees of their own. Some business owners may describe themselves as 'self-employed', but in the eyes of the law, these individuals will still have a duty to ensure the health and safety of any workers they themselves employ (e.g. by delivering the appropriate training and displaying the correct safety signs around the workplace).
If your work poses a risk to others
This one is a little more subjective, but generally, you should be aware of whether or not your work puts anybody else's health and safety at risk. For example, most writers, graphic designers, and accountants will be able to count themselves exempt from October onwards, whereas gas engineers and asbestos removal experts will obviously still have to observe health and safety regulations, even if they don't employ any other workers.
If you're self-employed and you're not sure whether or not you'll be affected by this change, the Health and Safety Executive's website has a great article that should help you to work it out - click here to read it. And remember, if you are still bound by health and safety legislation, Label Source supply all the signs, labels, and tags you need to fulfil your legal responsibilities!
