Not necessarily. The key to the extent of your obligations is what is reasonable to protect your staffAnybody who works for a business, whether as an employee, casual worker, apprentice, agency worker or freelancer. and visitors in your particular circumstances. There is no one size fits all approach and the law does not require you to eliminate all risks. You are only required to do what is reasonably practicableProportionate action in the circumstances - weighing up the benefit against the time, trouble and expense involved.: to take proportionate action, weighing up each health and safety risk against the time, trouble and expense of any potential precautions. How effective those precautions might be is also relevant – the less difference an expensive change will make, the less likely it is that you need to make it.

For guidance on the sort of action you should take throughout the year for good health and safety, see Annual action plan (health and safety).

You still have to think about your health and safety obligations to staffAnybody who works for a business, whether as an employee, casual worker, apprentice, agency worker or freelancer. or any visitors if you run your business from your home. They are the same regardless of the sort of premises from which you run your business. What is reasonable will be different for business premises that are part of a home than those which are in a building designed for commercial use.

Failure to comply with your health and safety obligations is a criminal offence. The offence can be committed by both your companyA private company limited by shares incorporated and registered in England and Wales. and any directorThe directors of a company are the individuals who make up the company's board of directors. Directors may be natural persons or companies, but each company must have at least one director who is a natural person. The board is the main decision-making body of the company. , manager or officerIn a company: A legally defined term used to refer to the director, company secretary or managers of a company. Officers of a company have certain duties and responsibilities towards the company and can be held liable for company law breaches. of it who was responsible.

Failure to comply could ultimately result in an unlimited fine and/or a prison sentence of up to two years for serious failures.

See Consequences of health and safety failures for full details.

If your business premises are in shared premises then your landlord has a duty to comply with health and safety regulations in the areas of the building they control.

For example, if your tenancy agreement says that the landlord is responsible for maintenance of common areas of the building, including the staircases, then it would be their responsibility to install railings on communal staircases where appropriate. However, you must still take reasonable steps to make sure your landlord complies with these responsibilities, for example, by drawing his attention to any health and safety issues in the communal areas.

First, your landlord is not usually responsible for matters outside his control, such as a spillage in a communal area. It is up to you and any other tenants in the building to cooperate about day-to-day matters like this.

Second, you can still be held legally responsible for any injury caused to your staffAnybody who works for a business, whether as an employee, casual worker, apprentice, agency worker or freelancer. by equipment in the communal areas, such as lifts, even if you are not responsible for maintaining it . You should therefore take an active interest in the maintenance of common areas by discussing this with your landlord to minimise any risks.

Finally, you can still be held legally responsible for the safety of your staffAnybody who works for a business, whether as an employee, casual worker, apprentice, agency worker or freelancer. in the communal areas to a certain extent in two main situations.

You are responsible for the health and safety of your staffAnybody who works for a business, whether as an employee, casual worker, apprentice, agency worker or freelancer. and visitors to your premises, even if your premises are shared with other businesses. Remember that failure to comply with health and safety law is an offence. For further information on the consequences of not complying with health and safety law, see Consequences of health and safety failures.

As well as taking care of health and safety in your own part of the building, where you are sharing premises you must also cooperate with the others in your building. You must take reasonable steps to coordinate your efforts so that you can all comply with your respective health and safety obligations (including fire safety). You should also pass on the fire safety information to anyone taking over your responsibility for fire safety.

For example: if you take a lot of deliveries at shared business premises, there may be bikes and cars coming and going throughout the day. You must address this risk by providing a safe pedestrian route for all staffAnybody who works for a business, whether as an employee, casual worker, apprentice, agency worker or freelancer. working in the building, and warn the other employersA people or businesses hiring one or more staff members. so that they can take appropriate health and safety precautions too. Coordinate your measures with theirs. If your business premises are shared with self-employed people, you have the same duty to cooperate and coordinate with them as you do with other employersA people or businesses hiring one or more staff members..

If any part of the building is residential and/or 'high rise', additional duties may apply and you should seek advice specific to your situation.

So far as reasonably practicableProportionate action in the circumstances - weighing up the benefit against the time, trouble and expense involved. (ie weighing up the benefit against the time, trouble and expense involved), you must have adequate toilets and wash basins for your staffAnybody who works for a business, whether as an employee, casual worker, apprentice, agency worker or freelancer., including making necessary adjustments for any staffAnybody who works for a business, whether as an employee, casual worker, apprentice, agency worker or freelancer. with disabilities. For further information on adjustments for staffAnybody who works for a business, whether as an employee, casual worker, apprentice, agency worker or freelancer. with disabilities see Q&A 41 and following).

If separate toilets are provided for different groups of staffAnybody who works for a business, whether as an employee, casual worker, apprentice, agency worker or freelancer. (eg male and female toilet facilities, or separate facilities for office workersStaff members who have an obligation to do their work personally for someone who is not their client or customer. and manual workersStaff members who have an obligation to do their work personally for someone who is not their client or customer. ), you must make a separate calculation for each group to ensure that there are enough toilets for each of them. For example, if you have 20 staffAnybody who works for a business, whether as an employee, casual worker, apprentice, agency worker or freelancer., split evenly into ten men and ten women, all staffAnybody who works for a business, whether as an employee, casual worker, apprentice, agency worker or freelancer. would need to have access to two toilets. You could provide two female cubicles and washbasins and two male cubicles and washbasins. Alternatively, you could provide two unisex toilets (in separate rooms with doors which can be locked from the inside). Or one female, one male and one unisex toilet, so that all staffAnybody who works for a business, whether as an employee, casual worker, apprentice, agency worker or freelancer. members have access to two toilets.

Your toilets must be:

1. easy for your staffAnybody who works for a business, whether as an employee, casual worker, apprentice, agency worker or freelancer. to get to, within the building, if possible;

2. properly ventilated, well-lit, and clean; and

3. supplied with toilet paper.

Yes. Your washbasins should be positioned near the toilets and have a supply of clean, warm water (or hot and cold water), soap and towels or hand-dryers.

Yes. All toilets that can be used by women must be supplied with sanitary bins.

In most cases, you are not legally required to provide toilets for use by customers or visitors. Only certain businesses that sell food and drink for consumption on premises are required to provide toilets and washing facilities for customers, and even then the precise obligations vary depending on your local authority. There is no universal minimum number of seats in a restaurant, cafe or bar that triggers the obligation to provide a customer toilet. If you are in any doubt about whether your business has to provide customer toilets and washing facilities, you can contact your local authority An administrative body in local government, responsible for the provision of public services in each district, borough or council.for further guidance.

It is up to you whether you choose to provide separate bathrooms for men and women. It is fine to have a unisex toilet as long as it is in a separate room and the door can be locked from the inside. You cannot have a unisex toilet composed of cubicles in a larger room.

If you provide separate toilet facilities for men and women, you may need to provide more facilities overall (see the table and explanation at Q&A 9).

You do not need to provide showers unless you need to for health reasons, or if the nature of the work your staffAnybody who works for a business, whether as an employee, casual worker, apprentice, agency worker or freelancer. undertake requires them. For example, if they are carrying out particularly strenuous work or dirty work, or your staffAnybody who works for a business, whether as an employee, casual worker, apprentice, agency worker or freelancer. are working with contaminants or chemicals that could be harmful if not washed off promptly.

Yes, you must provide somewhere for your staffAnybody who works for a business, whether as an employee, casual worker, apprentice, agency worker or freelancer. to take breaks if it is reasonably practicableProportionate action in the circumstances - weighing up the benefit against the time, trouble and expense involved. to do so (ie weighing up the benefit against the time, trouble and expense involved).

It should have enough suitable tables and chairs for your staffAnybody who works for a business, whether as an employee, casual worker, apprentice, agency worker or freelancer. to use, including any disabledA physical or mental impairment which has a substantial or long-term effect on a person’s ability to carry out normal day to day activities. staffAnybody who works for a business, whether as an employee, casual worker, apprentice, agency worker or freelancer. members (see Q&A 47). If your staffAnybody who works for a business, whether as an employee, casual worker, apprentice, agency worker or freelancer. regularly eat meals at work, your rest area must include facilities to enable them to do so, such as cutlery and plates.

You should provide means for your staffAnybody who works for a business, whether as an employee, casual worker, apprentice, agency worker or freelancer. to have a hot drink (eg a kettle and mugs or a vending machine). If your business premises are located somewhere where your staffAnybody who works for a business, whether as an employee, casual worker, apprentice, agency worker or freelancer. cannot get hot food or would have to go far to get it, then you should provide a means for them to heat their food (a microwave is fine).

Yes. Where reasonably practicableProportionate action in the circumstances - weighing up the benefit against the time, trouble and expense involved. (ie weighing up the benefit against the time, trouble and expense involved), you should also provide facilities for pregnant women and nursing mothers to rest.

Not necessarily. In offices, seating in work areas will usually be sufficient for your staffAnybody who works for a business, whether as an employee, casual worker, apprentice, agency worker or freelancer. to rest and eat meals, provided that they are clean and there is a suitable surface to place the food, and that staffAnybody who works for a business, whether as an employee, casual worker, apprentice, agency worker or freelancer. are not frequently interrupted during their breaks.

If your workplace is one where staffAnybody who works for a business, whether as an employee, casual worker, apprentice, agency worker or freelancer. members' food could be contaminated if they are close to work areas, and they regularly eat meals at work, the position is different. So far as reasonably practicableProportionate action in the circumstances - weighing up the benefit against the time, trouble and expense involved. (ie weighing up the benefit against the time, trouble and expense involved), you must avoid contamination, eg by siting your rest area in a separate room or different area of the workplace.

Not necessarily. So far as reasonably practicableProportionate action in the circumstances - weighing up the benefit against the time, trouble and expense involved. (ie weighing up the benefit against the time, trouble and expense involved), you must provide changing facilities for any staffAnybody who works for a business, whether as an employee, casual worker, apprentice, agency worker or freelancer. members who have to wear special clothing for work, unless there is no need, eg if you staffAnybody who works for a business, whether as an employee, casual worker, apprentice, agency worker or freelancer. have to wear a uniform, but it simply consists of a jacket or apron that they wear over their own clothes.

If your staffAnybody who works for a business, whether as an employee, casual worker, apprentice, agency worker or freelancer. are required to change clothes at work, you must either provide separate changing facilities for men and women, or facilities that men and women can use separately (eg a changing room with a lockable door).

See Q&A 18 for when you have to provide staffAnybody who works for a business, whether as an employee, casual worker, apprentice, agency worker or freelancer. changing facilities.

So far as reasonably practicableProportionate action in the circumstances - weighing up the benefit against the time, trouble and expense involved. (ie weighing up the benefit against the time, trouble and expense involved), your changing facilities must be big enough that your staffAnybody who works for a business, whether as an employee, casual worker, apprentice, agency worker or freelancer. are not required to wait too long to use them and must have seating. They should be next to (or include) your showering facilities if you are required to have them. See Q&A 14 to find out if you need to provide showers for your staffAnybody who works for a business, whether as an employee, casual worker, apprentice, agency worker or freelancer..

Secure clothes storage should also be provided, eg lockable lockers. If work clothing might get wet or dirty during working hours, you should provide enough space for staffAnybody who works for a business, whether as an employee, casual worker, apprentice, agency worker or freelancer. to keep it separate from their own clothes to avoid contamination.

Your staffAnybody who works for a business, whether as an employee, casual worker, apprentice, agency worker or freelancer. should be able to access changing facilities from work and eating areas. See Q&A 15 and following for your obligations to provide rest and eating areas.

Note you are not legally required to provide changing facilities for staffAnybody who works for a business, whether as an employee, casual worker, apprentice, agency worker or freelancer. who simply choose to change into other clothing at work, eg because they run or cycle in, but you may wish to consider it from a general staffAnybody who works for a business, whether as an employee, casual worker, apprentice, agency worker or freelancer. satisfaction point of view.

Yes. So far as reasonably practicableProportionate action in the circumstances - weighing up the benefit against the time, trouble and expense involved. (ie weighing up the benefit against the time, trouble and expense involved), you must provide storage for your staffAnybody who works for a business, whether as an employee, casual worker, apprentice, agency worker or freelancer. members' personal clothing (eg coats, cycling or running kit if that is how some staffAnybody who works for a business, whether as an employee, casual worker, apprentice, agency worker or freelancer. get to work) and for any clothing that your staffAnybody who works for a business, whether as an employee, casual worker, apprentice, agency worker or freelancer. wear at work but do not take home, eg uniforms or protective equipment.

The storage area should be somewhere clean and dry so the clothing can dry out during the day.

What this means will vary depending on the nature of your workplace. For offices, or other relatively clean workplaces, a place to hang coats and other clothes will usually be enough.

If your staffAnybody who works for a business, whether as an employee, casual worker, apprentice, agency worker or freelancer. are required to wear special clothing for work, you have specific clothing storage and changing facility requirements. See Q&A 18 for full details.

You must arrange the layout of your business premises so that the walking routes are clear and your staffAnybody who works for a business, whether as an employee, casual worker, apprentice, agency worker or freelancer. can move around safely. To the extent that it is reasonably practicableProportionate action in the circumstances - weighing up the benefit against the time, trouble and expense involved., you must also ensure the same for your customers or visitors. When arranging furniture or fixturesThings which have been added to a building or land. Fixtures are permanent or semi-permanent and require money or effort to remove, if they can be removed at all. Examples of fixtures include permanent walls and partitions, in-wall electrical wiring and windows., remember that it is important to keep traffic routes clear of tripping hazards.

Not necessarily. So far as reasonably practicableProportionate action in the circumstances - weighing up the benefit against the time, trouble and expense involved., the floors in your business premises must be in good condition and not slippery. The HSEHealth and Safety Executive. Britain's national regulator for workplace health and safety. suggests you should consider using slip-resistant floor materials, but you are not strictly legally obliged to install any.

Note that your floors must not be too uneven, for example: it is fine to install a weather strip/draught excluder over a threshold, but you cannot have uneven paving slabs where one sticks up higher than the others.

Not necessarily, however, so far as reasonably practicableProportionate action in the circumstances - weighing up the benefit against the time, trouble and expense involved. you must install handrails on staircases if they will not obstruct the route. The HSEHealth and Safety Executive. Britain's national regulator for workplace health and safety. advises that if the staircase is open on one or both sides it should be adequately fenced. At the very least, this means having an upper rail which is at least 90cm high, and a lower rail.

Not necessarily. Windows or transparent panels in doors should be made of safety material if it is necessary in order to safeguard your staffAnybody who works for a business, whether as an employee, casual worker, apprentice, agency worker or freelancer..

It will not always be necessary, but you are likely to be legally required to have safety glass in windows that are at waist level or lower, or glazed panels in doors are at shoulder level or lower – in both cases there is a risk of people falling through the glass, or accidentally putting a hand through it. Do not forget that your windows must be safe to operate and when opened should not project into an area where people are likely to walk into them.

It depends on the type of doors you have as to what, if any, safety features they are legally required to have. You are only required to do what is reasonably practicableProportionate action in the circumstances - weighing up the benefit against the time, trouble and expense involved. (ie weighing up the benefit against the time, trouble and expense involved).

Generally doors must be properly constructed, and any glazed panels must normally be made of safety glass, unless higher than shoulder height. Glazing (or some other sort of transparent panel) is mandatory on doors which swing in both directions, so that you can see whether anyone is coming the other way before opening the door.

If you have any powered doors, they must either be capable of opening manually, or automatically open when power fails, and must have safety features to stop people getting trapped (ie a detector to stop the door/gate when obstructed and limit the force so as not to cause injury).

Finally, sliding doors must have devices to prevent them coming off their tracks.

You are legally required to display at least one no-smoking sign on your premises. Failure to do so can result in a fine of up to £1000. There are no specific rules concerning the design, wording or size of the sign; as long as it is legible and states that smoking is not allowed on the premises, this is sufficient. See Health and safety signs for a recognisable example.

You must have signs that show where the emergency exits are, and if the exit requires lighting for people to use it (eg if part of it involves an internal stairwell), you must ensure that it has sufficient emergency lighting.

Your emergency exit signs must be permanent and sufficiently prominent that everyone can clearly see where the exits are. You can see the legally recognised pictograms for emergency exit or escape route signs in Health and safety signs.

There are white and green legally recognised pictograms for emergency exit or escape route signs. You can see them in Health and safety signs. If your business premises are in a shared building, coordinate with the other occupiers so that exit signs are consistent throughout where possible.

If natural light (or borrowed light eg from street lights) is poor in the area, your signs can be glow-in-the-dark or illuminated by a power source. Bear in mind any power source to an illuminated sign will need to have an emergency supply in the event of a power cut.

The HSEHealth and Safety Executive. Britain's national regulator for workplace health and safety. recommends that you put your emergency exit sign above the exit itself, with suitable directional arrows if the exit cannot immediately be seen throughout your premises. Do not put your exit sign on the actual door as it will not be visible when the door is open.

You should install signs that suitably indicate where firefighting equipment is. These signs should be permanent and sufficiently prominent that everyone on the premises is aware of the location of firefighting equipment. If firefighting equipment is hidden from view for some reason, the HSEHealth and Safety Executive. Britain's national regulator for workplace health and safety. recommends that you use suitable directional arrows to guide people to is. You can see the legally recognised pictograms for firefighting equipment in Health and safety signs.

There are white and red legally recognised pictograms for firefighting equipment. You can see them in Health and safety signs.

Any low beams, low ceilings or other structural hazards should be marked with suitably prominent signage, particularly for customers or other visitors who will be unfamiliar with the layout of your premises. It is your responsibility, not your landlord's, to ensure structural hazards are suitably signposted. Yellow and black or red and white striped hazard tape is usually acceptable.

So far as reasonably practicableProportionate action in the circumstances - weighing up the benefit against the time, trouble and expense involved., you must ensure that the temperature in your business premises is reasonable for the comfort of your staffAnybody who works for a business, whether as an employee, casual worker, apprentice, agency worker or freelancer.. An office should usually be at least 16°C and areas such as changing rooms, showers and toilets should not be cold. If your staffAnybody who works for a business, whether as an employee, casual worker, apprentice, agency worker or freelancer. do physical work, the HSEHealth and Safety Executive. Britain's national regulator for workplace health and safety. recommends that the minimum temperature can usually be a little lower, at least 13°C.

These temperatures are rough guides – the actual comfortable minimum temperatures for your staffAnybody who works for a business, whether as an employee, casual worker, apprentice, agency worker or freelancer. will be influenced by many factors, including any clothing they must wear, humidity and air movement (eg draughts), as well as the type of work being done. The HSEHealth and Safety Executive. Britain's national regulator for workplace health and safety. does not give guideline maximum temperatures, as some workplaces are hot by the nature of what they do (eg bakeries), although these too must be comfortable for your staffAnybody who works for a business, whether as an employee, casual worker, apprentice, agency worker or freelancer..

To the extent you can, you should use heating, ventilation and/or air conditioning to maintain a constant reasonable temperature on your premises. Your premises should be adequately thermally insulated where necessary, and windows should be fitted with blinds or curtains where possible to minimise the effect sunlight can have on comfort and temperature.

If you have staffAnybody who works for a business, whether as an employee, casual worker, apprentice, agency worker or freelancer., you must provide enough thermometers about your premises that they can check the temperature of their workplace. You do not need to place one in every room, and should ensure they are located in places that give a true temperature reading eg not over a radiator, right next to a window or in direct sunlight.

So far as reasonably practicableProportionate action in the circumstances - weighing up the benefit against the time, trouble and expense involved., you must ensure that your business premises are properly ventilated with a sufficient supply of fresh, clean air. This may be drawn from outside, eg via windows, or from a ventilation system. Make sure that air inlets are not installed near excessive traffic or an area where vehicles manoeuvre, as this might bring polluted air into your premises, and remember you may need signage outside to stop people smoking or vaping near your air inlets or windows. You might need to ask your landlord for permission before affixing anything to the outside of your premises.

Ensure there are no uncomfortable draughts affecting your staffAnybody who works for a business, whether as an employee, casual worker, apprentice, agency worker or freelancer.. Think about the layout of your premises to ensure that workstations are not located directly below air conditioner outlets, or too close to doors leading directly outside.

You should obviously ensure that any methods you use for heating or cooling your business premises do not give off dangerous or offensive levels of fumes (for example, a paraffin or LPG heater may produce fumes).

Additional ventilation requirements are important in managing the spread of airborne disease. See further guidance at Health and safety at work in relation to coronavirus.

You must provide enough lighting for your staffAnybody who works for a business, whether as an employee, casual worker, apprentice, agency worker or freelancer. to work and use the facilities at your workplace, using natural light where possible. The level of lighting and type required will vary enormously depending on the nature of your business and the space being lit. For example, an office area will require brighter light than a corridor.

Be aware that there is a balance between arranging your workplace to take advantage of natural light, and subjecting your staffAnybody who works for a business, whether as an employee, casual worker, apprentice, agency worker or freelancer. to excessive heat or glare at different times of the year.

You have to make reasonable adjustments to your business premises to accommodate disabledA physical or mental impairment which has a substantial or long-term effect on a person’s ability to carry out normal day to day activities. customers or other visitors. The idea is to remove the disadvantages that disabledA physical or mental impairment which has a substantial or long-term effect on a person’s ability to carry out normal day to day activities. people face so far as possible. For example, you might need to ensure your signage is clear enough for partially sighted customers, provide a few chairs in the event customers are required to wait for some reason or get a portable hearing loop at your tills. You are not legally required to anticipate the needs of any disabledA physical or mental impairment which has a substantial or long-term effect on a person’s ability to carry out normal day to day activities. person who might visit your business premises, but should be responsive if a particular visitor points out an improvement you could make to assist them.

What is reasonable will depend on lots of factors including the size and finances of your business, the cost of the adjustment, the amount of difference it will make to any disabledA physical or mental impairment which has a substantial or long-term effect on a person’s ability to carry out normal day to day activities. people and how practical it is in reality to implement. If an adjustment is easy to make, it is likely to be reasonable. What you will need to do will very much depend on your specific circumstances and the physical layout of your premises. For example, it is unlikely to be reasonable to require a small tearoom with severe space restrictions to fit a disabledA physical or mental impairment which has a substantial or long-term effect on a person’s ability to carry out normal day to day activities. toilet, but it may well be reasonable for them to fit a portable ramp to the front step of the premises.

No. You cannot ask disabledA physical or mental impairment which has a substantial or long-term effect on a person’s ability to carry out normal day to day activities. people to pay the costs of any adjustments that are required to accommodate them.

Note that cost and the financial position of your business will be factors in determining whether it is reasonable for you to make any adjustment for disabledA physical or mental impairment which has a substantial or long-term effect on a person’s ability to carry out normal day to day activities. staffAnybody who works for a business, whether as an employee, casual worker, apprentice, agency worker or freelancer..

You must ensure that disabledA physical or mental impairment which has a substantial or long-term effect on a person’s ability to carry out normal day to day activities. staffAnybody who works for a business, whether as an employee, casual worker, apprentice, agency worker or freelancer. are able to access your business premises and use the facilities .

Where necessary, you should organise certain parts of the workplace to take disabledA physical or mental impairment which has a substantial or long-term effect on a person’s ability to carry out normal day to day activities. staffAnybody who works for a business, whether as an employee, casual worker, apprentice, agency worker or freelancer. into account, in particular: doors; passageways; stairs; showers; washbasins; toilets; and workstations used by disabledA physical or mental impairment which has a substantial or long-term effect on a person’s ability to carry out normal day to day activities. staffAnybody who works for a business, whether as an employee, casual worker, apprentice, agency worker or freelancer.. Remember that apparently similar disabilities can result in staffAnybody who works for a business, whether as an employee, casual worker, apprentice, agency worker or freelancer. having very different needs. For example, some people who have difficulties walking will find negotiating stairs with a sturdy handrail easier than a ramp. Speak to the staffAnybody who works for a business, whether as an employee, casual worker, apprentice, agency worker or freelancer. member concerned. They are best placed to explain to you what will help them, although note that they are not obliged to explain their disabilityA physical or mental impairment which has a substantial or long-term effect on a person’s ability to carry out normal day to day activities. to you.

So far as reasonably practicableProportionate action in the circumstances - weighing up the benefit against the time, trouble and expense involved. (ie weighing up the benefit against the time, trouble and expense involved), you must provide suitable toilets for any disabledA physical or mental impairment which has a substantial or long-term effect on a person’s ability to carry out normal day to day activities. staffAnybody who works for a business, whether as an employee, casual worker, apprentice, agency worker or freelancer. .

You could have specially designed cubicles (eg larger, with an outward opening door and grab-rails) in separate-sex bathrooms, or a separate, unisex bathroom with suitable facilities. Remember that for some disabilities, you may need to accommodate the staffAnybody who works for a business, whether as an employee, casual worker, apprentice, agency worker or freelancer. member's needs with your internal layout, eg making sure that the workstation of a particular person is closest to the toilet facilities. As always, speak to the staffAnybody who works for a business, whether as an employee, casual worker, apprentice, agency worker or freelancer. member concerned, being sensitive about what can be an embarrassing issue for some. They are best placed to explain to you what will help them, although note that they are not obliged to explain their disabilityA physical or mental impairment which has a substantial or long-term effect on a person’s ability to carry out normal day to day activities. to you.

Workstations should be suitable for the needs of the individual, so far as reasonably practicableProportionate action in the circumstances - weighing up the benefit against the time, trouble and expense involved.. For example, a workstation for a staffAnybody who works for a business, whether as an employee, casual worker, apprentice, agency worker or freelancer. member who uses a wheelchair must be at a sufficient height to allow the wheelchair to fit underneath, whilst allowing them to comfortably reach the keyboard. Someone with back problems may require a special chair, or, if one of your staffAnybody who works for a business, whether as an employee, casual worker, apprentice, agency worker or freelancer. members is blind or partially sighted, you may need to provide a specially adapted computer with braille display, magnification software or speech output. Speak to the staffAnybody who works for a business, whether as an employee, casual worker, apprentice, agency worker or freelancer. member concerned. They are best placed to explain to you what will help them, although note that they are not obliged to explain their disabilityA physical or mental impairment which has a substantial or long-term effect on a person’s ability to carry out normal day to day activities. to you.

Rest rooms and rest areas should be equipped with seating that is adequate for the number of disabledA physical or mental impairment which has a substantial or long-term effect on a person’s ability to carry out normal day to day activities. people at work and is suitable for their use, so far as you reasonably can. For example, you should not only have high stools and tables in your rest area. If a staffAnybody who works for a business, whether as an employee, casual worker, apprentice, agency worker or freelancer. member uses a wheelchair, tables should be high enough to comfortably fit the wheelchair under them. It might also be helpful to think about the layout of your rest areas; you might have adequate facilities for a disabledA physical or mental impairment which has a substantial or long-term effect on a person’s ability to carry out normal day to day activities. member of staffAnybody who works for a business, whether as an employee, casual worker, apprentice, agency worker or freelancer. to use, but if that means they have to sit or eat alone whilst others are seated higher up or further away, this could be isolating for the staffAnybody who works for a business, whether as an employee, casual worker, apprentice, agency worker or freelancer. member.

When considering access from outside your business premises, you must make provision for the needs of disabledA physical or mental impairment which has a substantial or long-term effect on a person’s ability to carry out normal day to day activities. people (where this is practicable and reasonable). For example, you could provide designated parking spaces for people with disabilities, which may be located closer to the entrance of the building for ease of access and wider than other parking spaces.

If you do not properly account for the needs of disabledA physical or mental impairment which has a substantial or long-term effect on a person’s ability to carry out normal day to day activities. people when arranging your business premises, the consequences can vary depending on what you have done (or failed to do).

If you fail to make reasonable adjustments to accommodate disabledA physical or mental impairment which has a substantial or long-term effect on a person’s ability to carry out normal day to day activities. people, you may find a discriminationTreating someone differently directly or indirectly because of their age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership status, being pregnant and/or being on maternity leave, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation. claim is brought against you. Note that a disabledA physical or mental impairment which has a substantial or long-term effect on a person’s ability to carry out normal day to day activities. person must be substantially disadvantaged by your failure for you to be in breachA violation of a legal or moral obligation. of equality law.

In addition, staffAnybody who works for a business, whether as an employee, casual worker, apprentice, agency worker or freelancer. who feel that you have not complied with your duties to accommodate their needs may lodge a grievanceA concern, problem or complaint which a member of staff raises with his employer., or even resign and claim constructive dismissalWhere an employee has resigned because his employment contract has been seriously breached, he can regard himself as having been dismissed. as well as discriminationTreating someone differently directly or indirectly because of their age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership status, being pregnant and/or being on maternity leave, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation..

If you have breachedViolation of a legal or moral obligation. health and safety laws, there can be different or additional consequences for your business. For example, if you have failed to do everything reasonably practicableProportionate action in the circumstances - weighing up the benefit against the time, trouble and expense involved. to protect the health, safety and welfare of a disabledA physical or mental impairment which has a substantial or long-term effect on a person’s ability to carry out normal day to day activities. staffAnybody who works for a business, whether as an employee, casual worker, apprentice, agency worker or freelancer. member, you commit a criminal offence. The offence can be committed by both your companyA private company limited by shares incorporated and registered in England and Wales. and any directorThe directors of a company are the individuals who make up the company's board of directors. Directors may be natural persons or companies, but each company must have at least one director who is a natural person. The board is the main decision-making body of the company. , manager or officerIn a company: A legally defined term used to refer to the director, company secretary or managers of a company. Officers of a company have certain duties and responsibilities towards the company and can be held liable for company law breaches. of it who was responsible. Failure to comply could ultimately mean an unlimited fine and/or a prison sentence of up to two years in very serious cases.

Yes. The law requires you to cooperate with anyone else who is responsible for fire safety in your building. That means coordinating with any other businesses or occupiers in the building and with the building owner and/or their managing agentA person who acts on behalf of another (eg an employee or a solicitor). . The purpose of this is to ensure that fire precautions are effective throughout the whole building.

If any part of the building is residential and/or 'high rise', additional duties may apply and you should seek advice specific to your situation.

For how to put together an emergency evacuation plan see Emergency procedure and for guidance on appropriate fire safety procedures, see Fire safety procedure.

Yes, in most cases you will need a fire detection and warning system (eg a fire alarm) in your business premises to warn people of fire. The law only requires you to get one if it is necessary, so if it would be immediately obvious to everyone if a fire started, or a shout would reach everyone on the premises, an alarm would likely be unnecessary (eg in a small, open-plan, single-storey shop). If your premises are more complex (eg multiple storeys, several rooms) you will need an alarm system. What exactly is required will depend on the layout of your premises, see Q&A 53.

If your premises are large or complex enough for you to need a fire warning system (see Q&A 52), the sophistication of the alarm system you need will usually depend on the size and use of your premises:

1. Manual, break-glass fire alarm

   This type of system relies on someone noticing a fire early on and activating the alarm, so it is only suitable if there are people using all parts of the building at once. If you have times when only some parts of the building are being used (eg some staffAnybody who works for a business, whether as an employee, casual worker, apprentice, agency worker or freelancer. work different hours to the rest so are in the premises alone), this type of alarm may not be suitable.

2. Automatic fire detection and warning system

   This is the better option if there are areas in your business premises that do not always have people in them (storerooms, corridors etc) as it will alert everyone to an unnoticed fire. If the alarm runs off your electrical system you must ensure it has a back-up power supply.

3. Sophisticated warning and evacuation system

   If your premises are very large or complex (eg an office block or retail centre), the owner of the building or managing agents should have seen to a sophisticated warning and evacuation system covering the whole building. If your business premises are part of such a building, check to find out what the arrangements are.

You must provide adequate escape routes in case of fire. What is necessary will depend on the layout and use of your building as well as the number and type of people using the premises (eg whether any are likely to be young children or have mobility difficulties).

Consider where staffAnybody who works for a business, whether as an employee, casual worker, apprentice, agency worker or freelancer. and customers are likely to be within the premises during the day-to-day running of your business, and also whether the exit routes would still work if your companyA private company limited by shares incorporated and registered in England and Wales. grew and there were more staffAnybody who works for a business, whether as an employee, casual worker, apprentice, agency worker or freelancer. or customers on the premises.

Generally, make sure that:

1. there are enough exits for the maximum number of people that might be on your premises, which lead as quickly and directly as possible to a safe place;

2. emergency doors open easily in the direction of escape, are not sliding or revolving doors and ideally are fitted with a see-through panel (eg a small safety glass window);

3. emergency exits and routes are kept clear at all times);

4. emergency exits are clearly signed (see Q&A 29); and

5. lifts that are not specifically designed as firefighting or evacuation lifts are not used as an escape route as they might lose power during a fire.

No. Emergency doors must never be locked so that they cannot be opened from inside the building. Fire exits and routes should be kept clear at all times so that people can quickly and easily get out of your premises in the event of a fire.

Yes, if people will not be able to see well enough to escape if the power is cut.

You must have enough lighting for people to use your emergency exits safely if your normal lighting does not work, eg in the event of a fire. If your premises are small, natural and dependable outdoor lighting (such as street lamps) may well be sufficient. If you have areas with no natural light or larger premises, you may need fixed automatic escape lighting so that people can see well enough to escape from any point in the building. Usually, this means that your emergency lighting needs to cover your exit doors, stairways, escape routes, emergency escape signs, firefighting equipment, lifts, corridor intersections and the outside of each final exit.

You must have firefighting equipment appropriate to your premises, bearing in mind the size and use, maximum number of people who might be there and any fire risks on site. In most business premises, eg shops, offices etc, this will usually mean a number of fire extinguishers. For how many, see Q&A 58.

If there is a risk of contained liquid fires such as cooking oil fires or clothing fires, you should also provide fire blankets, which should be located near the fire hazard in question (for example, in the kitchen), but not so close that they will be inaccessible if a fire breaks out.

Remember to train some staffAnybody who works for a business, whether as an employee, casual worker, apprentice, agency worker or freelancer. in the use of all your firefighting equipment. See Fire safety and emergency evacuations: responsibility and training.

For maintenance of your firefighting equipment, see Using firefighting equipment.

In most business premises (eg shops or offices), you need to provide one water-based fire extinguisher for every 200 square metres of floor space, with a minimum of two extinguishers per floor, and a carbon dioxide extinguisher for electrical fires. In larger, more complex premises, or if the nature of your business means that there is a higher risk of fire (eg manufacturing or catering) more extinguishers will be required.

If you are in doubt as to the number and type of fire extinguishers your premises requires, you should contact the fire safety office at your local fire and safety rescue service.

Your fire extinguishers should be located on or near your fire escape routes on each floor. If they are sited near a fire risk, they should not be located so close to it that a fire breaking out would stop you from getting to them. For example, do not keep your carbon dioxide extinguisher in your electrical cupboard.

Your fire extinguishers must be properly signed. See Q&A 32 for full details.

You must comply with fire safety regulations (for further information on the relevant regulations, see Q&A 50). Failure to do so is an offence, and can ultimately lead to criminal consequences, including an unlimited fine or imprisonment for up to two years in very serious cases.

See Consequences of breaking fire safety laws for full details of the penalties and enforcement action that can be taken by your local fire authority if required.

Not if your business is low risk (eg an office or shop), or only has a small number of staffAnybody who works for a business, whether as an employee, casual worker, apprentice, agency worker or freelancer. or customers present at one time.

For premises with lots of people or where higher risk activities will take place, you should consider having a designated first aid room on your premises, particularly if your location is not close to local hospitals. If possible, the room should be designated specifically for giving first aid, but if the room is also used for any other activities these must be capable of being stopped immediately in the event of an emergency.

If you do deem it appropriate to have a first aid room, it must be accessible to stretchers and properly signed. See Health and safety signs for an appropriate first aid sign.

See First-aiders for information about first-aiders.