HSE Compliance

Health and safety obligations apply to every business that employs people or operates premises. HSE compliance means having the right policies, risk assessments and reporting procedures in place, and knowing how to respond when the Health and Safety Executive asks questions or takes enforcement action. Our solicitors advise businesses on the full range of workplace health and safety obligations.

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Risk assessments and compliance support for UK businesses

What HSE compliance requires from your business

The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the regulations made under it place duties on employers to protect the health, safety and welfare of their employees and others affected by their activities. In practice that means suitable risk assessments, written health and safety policies for businesses with five or more employees, appropriate training and supervision, and clear procedures for reporting accidents and incidents. Our solicitors work with businesses across Manchester and the UK to make sure those obligations are met and to provide support when HSE contact arises.

How our solicitors help with HSE compliance

Advice across the core health and safety obligations that apply to businesses, from risk assessment frameworks through to HSE enforcement support.

HSE Compliance

Advice on meeting your ongoing health and safety obligations, including written policies, risk assessment requirements, accident reporting under RIDDOR, and the systems businesses need to demonstrate a functioning health and safety management framework. Our solicitors advise on what the HSE expects and how to structure your compliance arrangements accordingly.

Risk Assessments

Risk assessments are a legal requirement for all employers and must be suitable and sufficient for the activities and hazards involved. Our solicitors advise on the legal framework for risk assessments, what the HSE expects to see in terms of scope and documentation, and how to review and update existing assessments to ensure they remain current and legally compliant.

Enforcement Support

When the HSE issues an improvement notice, prohibition notice or opens an investigation following an incident, the response needs to be handled carefully. Our solicitors advise on how to engage with HSE inspectors, what your obligations are when an investigation is opened, how to respond to enforcement notices and what the process looks like from first contact through to resolution.

Not sure where to start?

Speak to our solicitors about your situation and we will point you in the right direction.

What this means for your business

  • Health and safety obligations understood and actively managed
  • Risk assessments that meet HSE requirements and reflect your actual activities
  • Written policies and procedures in place before an HSE visit
  • HSE enforcement notices and investigations handled correctly from the outset
  • Clear advice on RIDDOR reporting obligations following a workplace incident

When to seek HSE compliance advice

  • Your business has received a visit from an HSE inspector or been issued with a notice
  • A workplace accident has occurred, and you need to understand your reporting obligations
  • You want to review your risk assessments and health and safety policies before they are tested
  • Your business is growing or changing, and your existing health and safety arrangements need updating
  • You are unsure whether your current health and safety framework meets your legal obligations

Meet the Founder

Marium brings 22 years of experience advising businesses on regulatory compliance, enforcement matters and governance frameworks across the UK and internationally. A solicitor regulated by the SRA (ID: 277854), MCIArb, and DIFC Courts mediator, she founded MAR Legal to give businesses direct access to senior legal advice without the overhead of a traditional firm.

Marium Razzaq - Solicitors in Manchester
Marium Razzaq
Solicitor & Director Mar Legal
MCIArb

Why businesses choose MAR Legal for HSE compliance support

Solicitor Led Advice

Health and safety compliance delivered by solicitors who understand regulatory obligations and processes.

Clear Timescales

Delivery dates agreed at the outset and met without the need to chase.

Fixed Fee Pricing

Clear pricing on compliance reviews, risk assessment advice and enforcement support before work begins.

Commercial Focus

Health and safety advice shaped around how your business operates, not just what the legislation requires.

Trusted by businesses across the UK for clear, practical advice on HSE compliance and workplace health and safety obligations.

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How our HSE compliance process works

01

Initial assessment

We discuss your business’s health and safety position, identify the relevant obligations and confirm exactly how we can help.

02

Advice and documentation

We provide written advice, review your existing policies and risk assessments, and identify any gaps that need addressing.

03

Implementation support

We work with your team to put the right processes in place and ensure the people responsible understand what is required of them.

04

Ongoing support

For businesses requiring continued input, we provide regular compliance reviews and support as your activities and obligations change.

What Our Clients Say

HSE Compliance FAQs

The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 requires employers to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of their employees and others affected by their work activities. In practice that means carrying out suitable risk assessments, providing appropriate information, instruction and training, maintaining safe equipment and premises, and having a written health and safety policy if you employ five or more people. Employers are also required to consult with employees on health and safety matters and to report certain accidents and incidents to the HSE under RIDDOR.

The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR) require employers to report certain categories of workplace incident to the HSE. These include deaths, specified injuries such as fractures and amputations, injuries that result in an employee being unable to work for more than seven consecutive days, and certain occupational diseases and dangerous occurrences. The report must be made as soon as practicable and no later than ten days after the incident. Failure to report when required is a criminal offence.

An HSE investigation typically follows a serious workplace incident or a complaint about health and safety conditions. HSE inspectors have powers to enter premises, inspect documents, take samples and interview employees. The investigation may result in no further action, informal advice, the issue of an improvement or prohibition notice, or prosecution. The way a business responds when an inspector arrives and throughout the investigation, including the quality of its records and the steps it has taken to address any issues, has a significant bearing on the outcome.

An improvement notice is issued by an HSE inspector when they believe a legal provision is being contravened and requires the business to remedy the breach within a specified period, which must be at least 21 days. The notice sets out what needs to be done and by when. Businesses can appeal an improvement notice to an employment tribunal within 21 days of receiving it, which suspends the notice pending the outcome of the appeal. Failing to comply with an improvement notice without appealing it is a criminal offence that can result in prosecution.

An improvement notice requires a business to remedy a breach of health and safety law within a set timeframe. A prohibition notice is more serious, it requires a business to stop an activity immediately or within a specified period because the inspector believes it involves or will involve a risk of serious personal injury. A prohibition notice can take immediate effect, and the activity cannot resume until the notice is complied with. Both types of notice can be appealed to an employment tribunal, but only an improvement notice is automatically suspended pending appeal.

Yes. Health and safety law applies to all employers regardless of size, though some specific requirements scale with the number of employees. The requirement to have a written health and safety policy applies to businesses with five or more employees. Risk assessments are required for all employers, and the findings must be recorded in writing if five or more employees are employed. Small businesses are not exempt from HSE enforcement action and are prosecuted where serious breaches are identified, particularly following a workplace incident.

Our solicitors advise businesses at any stage of an HSE investigation, including where contact has already been made, and a response is needed quickly. Early advice on how to engage with the HSE, what documents to provide and how to manage internal communications during an investigation can make a material difference to how the matter develops. If an improvement or prohibition notice has already been issued, we advise on whether to comply or appeal and on the most appropriate course of action given your specific circumstances.

MAR Legal provides advisory and documentation support on HSE compliance and workplace health and safety matters. Where a matter involves regulated representation before an employment tribunal or criminal proceedings, we work alongside appropriately regulated professionals.