Health and Safety Duties & Brexit – HSE Guidance Published

23rd September 2019

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has this month published guidance to provide information and explain preparations businesses need to make ahead of Brexit.   

The guidance states that an organisation’s duties will not change in respect of protecting the health and safety of individuals, that businesses must continue to manage risk in a proportionate way, and that the HSE will support businesses and continue to explain any preparations that need to be made. 

The guidance, entitled: Health and safety made simple: the basics for your business is intended to help businesses to comply with the law and includes several specific links for further information:

  • A link to the EU Withdrawal Act 2018
  • No-deal guidance
  • Chemicals industry guidance and information relating to regulating explosives, equipment and machinery

The HSE states that they “have made minor amendments to regulations to remove EU references but legal requirements will remain the same as they are now. Health and safety standards will be maintained.”

The S2 Partnership’s Technical Director, Andy Smith, said:

“Although there is a lot of uncertainty surrounding Brexit, the guidance from the HSE is clear that businesses must continue to manage health and safety in a proportionate way.  Our expectation is that although references to EU law will change, in the short term no major changes will be implemented to health and safety requirements.  We will continue to monitor the situation closely and advise and guide clients in the event of any changes or forthcoming impacts.”

How the S2 Partnership can help

The S2 Partnership has been providing specialist health, safety, fire and environmental risk management services to the real estate sector since 1999, with services ranging from assessing, auditing and consultancy through to training and risk management software. S2 has consultancy teams trained across multiple areas of expertise, who support clients throughout the UK and those with international portfolios – ensuring consistent, holistic safety risk management.

For further information on how the S2 Partnership can help achieve this, contact us.