A major change in health and safety rules will soon take effect for the self-employed.
From 1 October 2015, health and safety law will no longer apply to self-employed people whose work activities pose no potential risk to the health and safety of other workers or members of the public.
The Health and Safety Executive estimates that the move will affect 1.7 million self-employed people, including freelance bookkeepers, journalists, graphic designers and online traders.
However, self-employed people working in certain sectors regarded as high risk will still need to comply with health and safety legislation. These include agriculture, asbestos, construction, gas, railways and work involving genetically modified organisms.
In a Lords debate on the issue on 22 July, Pensions Minister Baroness Altmann said: “The regulations have been drafted to ensure that self-employed people still have a duty under the law when they carry out high risk activities that create risks for themselves or others. We are exempting only those self-employed people who do not pose a risk to the public and who are not going to sue themselves.”
Palmers’ health and safety specialists can provide comprehensive advice to employers – and self-employed workers – on their health and safety obligations and assist in drafting contracts between organisations and freelance workers that cover health and safety issues.
For more information on how Palmers can assist you with health and safety issues, or if you are facing prosecution, please visit the Palmers website or contact our health and safety specialists Lara Murray and Jeremy Sirrell.