Free Health and Safety Policy Template for UK Contractors
Use this free health and safety policy template as a practical starting point for a UK construction, trade or maintenance business. Adapt it to your work, people, sites and competent advice before issuing it.
Checklist
Replace every bracketed placeholder with your company, responsible people, trades, sites and review date.
Keep a signed statement of intent that confirms the business will protect workers and others affected by the work.
Name who has overall responsibility, who manages site safety and who workers should report hazards or incidents to.
Set out arrangements for risk assessments, RAMS, method statements, COSHH, permits, PPE, toolbox talks and site checks.
Add arrangements for training, competence, consultation, supervision, first aid, emergency plans and accident reporting.
Review the policy after significant changes, incidents, new work types, new sites or at least on a planned review cycle.
Template statement of intent
[Company name] is committed to providing and maintaining safe and healthy working conditions for employees, subcontractors, clients, visitors and others affected by our construction work. We will assess risks, plan safe systems of work, provide suitable information and supervision, consult workers and review this policy so it remains suitable for the work we carry out.
Template responsibilities
The owner or director has overall responsibility for health and safety. Managers and supervisors are responsible for planning work, checking RAMS, briefing workers, monitoring site conditions and escalating hazards. Workers and subcontractors must follow the agreed controls, use equipment properly, report hazards and stop work if conditions become unsafe.
Template arrangements
Our arrangements cover risk assessment, RAMS and method statements, COSHH, permits to work, PPE, plant and equipment checks, training and competence, toolbox talks, site inductions, first aid, emergency procedures, incident reporting, inspections, subcontractor control and document review.
When to write the policy down
HSE guidance says every business needs a health and safety policy, and businesses with five or more employees must write it down. Even smaller contractors benefit from a written policy because it gives supervisors, workers and clients one clear reference point.
How to use this free template
Start with the template wording, remove anything that does not apply, add trade-specific risks and arrangements, and check it against your real work. A policy is only useful if the responsibilities and arrangements match what actually happens on site.
Move from policy to evidence
A policy is the promise. The evidence comes from current RAMS, signed briefings, training records, inspection notes, actions, permits, incident records and review history. Zektrx helps keep those records connected instead of scattered across documents and folders.
Turn the process into a controlled workflow.
Zektrx helps turn repeated checks into owned actions, linked evidence and clear reporting.
Start by reading the free h&s policy template against one real project or job.
Check whether your current process covers: Replace every bracketed placeholder with your company, responsible people, trades, sites and review date.
Check whether your current process covers: Keep a signed statement of intent that confirms the business will protect workers and others affected by the work.
Check whether your current process covers: Name who has overall responsibility, who manages site safety and who workers should report hazards or incidents to.
Decide which items should become live actions, approvals, signatures, evidence links or reports.
Ask these before the process goes live.
Evidence question 1
Who owns this record when it is created?
Evidence question 2
What proves the latest version was reviewed or approved?
Evidence question 3
Where are photos, signatures, comments and close-out evidence stored?
Evidence question 4
Can the record be exported for a client, auditor or principal contractor without rebuilding it?
Connect the process to live software.
Construction Software
See how resources become live compliance, site, document and reporting workflows.
Contractor Software
Explore the operating system for trade businesses managing jobs, evidence and admin.
RAMS Software
Move from templates and checklists into controlled RAMS creation, issue and signing.
Common questions.
Is this free health and safety policy template legal advice?
No. It is a practical starting point for contractors. You should adapt it to your business, work activities, workforce, sites and competent health and safety advice before relying on it.
What should a health and safety policy include?
A practical policy normally includes a statement of intent, named responsibilities and arrangements for controlling risks, training workers, consulting staff, managing incidents and reviewing the policy.
Do small contractors need a written health and safety policy?
HSE guidance says every business needs a policy, and businesses with five or more employees must write it down. Smaller contractors often still write one because clients and principal contractors may ask to see it.
Can Zektrx manage the records behind the policy?
Yes. Zektrx helps manage RAMS, risk assessments, method statements, COSHH, toolbox talks, training, permits, inspections, actions and audit evidence connected to jobs and people.