A Practical Guide to Reviewing Your Health & Safety Policy
- Robinson Grace HR
- Feb 24, 2025
- 4 min read
Updated: Nov 20, 2025
When was the last time you reviewed your workplace health and safety policy? If you had to pause and think, then it’s probably time for a refresh!
We get it - health and safety can feel like a box-ticking exercise. But the truth is, a well-thought-out policy isn’t just about compliance; it’s about keeping your team safe, reducing risks, and creating a workplace where people actually feel looked after. So, let’s break it down into simple, practical steps to make sure your policy is up to date and working for everyone.
Why Bother Reviewing Your Health & Safety Policy?
Workplaces evolve, new people join, processes change, and risks can shift. If your health and safety policy is gathering dust, it’s not doing its job. Regular reviews help:
Keep up with the latest legal requirements (UK laws are updated regularly!)
Identify and fix potential hazards before they become problems
Show your staff you genuinely care about their wellbeing
Reduce the risk of fines or legal trouble (nobody wants that!)
How Often Should You Review It?
A general rule of thumb is to review your policy at least once a year or whenever there’s a big change in your workplace (like new equipment, staff, or working practices). Major incidents or near-misses should also trigger a review because they’re a sign something isn’t working as it should.
Key Areas to Check
Here are a few essential areas to focus on when reviewing your policy:
Risk Assessments – Are they being carried out? Are they up to date? Do they reflect current working conditions?
Emergency Procedures – Are your fire exits, first aid provisions, and evacuation plans still relevant?
Employee Training – Are new staff properly trained? Does everyone know their responsibilities? When to wear personal protective clothing? How to correctly and safely clean machinery?
Workplace Environment – Are there any new hazards, like cluttered spaces, trip hazards, or outdated equipment?
Signage – is your signage up to date regarding trip hazards, fire exits, use of machinery guards and personal protective clothing to be worn?
Mental Health Considerations – Health and safety isn’t just about physical risks; stress and burnout can be just as damaging.
Getting Your Team Involved
A policy only works if people know about it! Keep the conversation open by:
Asking staff for feedback - what do they think needs improving?
Running regular training sessions (and making them engaging, not just another boring slideshow!)
Making sure policies are easy to find, and easy to read - nobody should have to dig through ten folders to find them and a thesaurus to understand them.
Final Thoughts
Health and safety doesn’t have to be a headache. Think of it as an investment in your team’s wellbeing and your company’s future. A little effort now can prevent bigger problems down the line.
So, grab a cup of tea, dust off that policy, and give it a quick review. Your future self (and your staff) will thank you!
How Robinson Grace Consultancy Can Help
At Robinson Grace Consultancy, we know that keeping up with health and safety policies can be overwhelming. Whether you need help reviewing your current policies, training your staff, or implementing best practices, we’re here to support you. Get in touch with our expert team today via HandS@robinsongracehr.com, and let’s create a safer, happier workplace together!
Frequently Asked Questions:
1. How often should I review our health and safety policy?
Answer: You should review your health and safety policy at least once a year (annual health and safety policy review) to keep it fresh, compliant, and fit for purpose.
However, you don’t need to wait a full year every time. You should trigger a policy review whenever there’s a “material change” in your workplace such as new equipment, new staff, different working practices, or after a near-miss or serious incident.
This risk-based and event-driven review ensures your health and safety policy remains relevant, effective, and aligned with real-world working conditions.
2. What should I check when reviewing my health and safety policy?
Answer: When you review your policy, focus on the key areas that have the biggest impact on workplace safety:
Risk assessments: Ensure they are up-to-date and reflect current hazards, including any new equipment or processes.
Emergency procedures: Re-evaluate fire exits, first-aid protocols, evacuation plans, and whether they remain effective.
Employee training: Confirm that all staff (including new joiners) know their roles, how to use PPE, and what to do in emergencies.
Workplace environment: Look around for physical hazards such as clutter, trip risks, broken equipment and update your assessments.
Signage: Review whether safety signs (e.g., PPE required, trip hazards) are still correct, visible, and understood.
Mental health: Don’t just focus on physical risks - check that you’re considering stress, burnout, and other psychosocial risks.
By regularly auditing these areas, you make sure the health and safety policy doesn’t just exist on paper - it actively protects your team.
3. How do I involve my team in the health and safety policy review?
Answer: Getting buy-in from your team is crucial - a policy only works if people know it, trust it, and feel invested. Here are practical steps:
Solicit feedback: Ask staff what’s working and what isn’t. Encourage them to highlight near-misses or everyday frustrations.
Run interactive training: Instead of dry slide decks, make health and safety training engaging. Use real-life scenarios, toolbox talks, or workshops.
Make the policy visible and accessible: Ensure the policy is easy to find (not buried in a drawer). Consider putting it online, pinning key parts on notice boards, or summarising it in a one-pager.
Communicate updates clearly: When changes are made, explain what changed, why, and how it affects people’s day-to-day work.
Use a safety committee (if relevant): For larger organisations, a health and safety committee (or team) can meet regularly (e.g., quarterly) to review incidents, monitor risk, and plan improvements.
This inclusive approach builds a genuine safety culture, not just compliance, but real shared responsibility.
Check out other Blogs in our series:
The content of our blogs is intended for general information and not to replace legal or other professional advice.
health and safety policy review, annual review, risk-based review, workplace changes, risk assessments, emergency procedures, training, workplace hazards, mental health safety, staff involvement, safety committee, health & safety training, policy communication, workplace safety culture, A Practical Guide to Reviewing Your Health & Safety Policy
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