Health and safety at work
Manage workplace safety effectively. Access Health & Safety guidance, complete risk assessments, and meet liability insurance requirements.
In transport, most serious workplace injuries come from people falling from vehicles or being struck or crushed by them. The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 puts a duty on employers to manage that risk, and your liability insurers expect to see it done. This page lists what the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) recommends and what insurers require.
In the UK alone there are over 5000 workplace accidents a year. In transport, the main causes are people falling from vehicles and being struck or crushed by them.
Employers have a legal duty of care to ensure that the health and safety of their employees is not put at risk as a result of work-related activities. This applies to both their employees and members of the public.
HSE has produced a useful guide called ‘Workplace Transport Safety: A Brief Guide’. It includes on-site safety and:
- Traffic routes
- Visibility / lighting
- Speed
- Signs / signals / markings
- Parking / reversing / signalling
- Coupling / uncoupling
- Loading / unloading
- Sheeting
- Tipping
- Operating a safe vehicle / vehicle maintenance
- Driver competence and training
Download the Health and Safety Executive’s guide to workplace transport safety (PDF).
Public and employers’ liability insurance: insurer requirements
Insurance companies require the policyholder and any other directors or partners to:
- Be aware of the Health and Safety at Work Act requirements
- Complete workplace risk assessments where required
- Communicate such risk assessments to employees in writing and obtain written acknowledgement
The Employers Liability Tracing Office (ELTO)
The insurance industry has introduced the ELTO service, a central database for searching Employers Liability insurance policies. The Employers Reference Number (ERN) is also called the Employer PAYE Reference.
When you arrange a new Employers Liability policy, your insurer may ask for this reference. It allows insurers to comply with ELTO obligations. Where you have employees and they are on your wage roll then you will need an ERN or Employer PAYE reference number from H M Revenue and Customs.