If you employ five or more people you must, by law (Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 section 2(3), have a written health and safety policy.

Your health and safety policy statement sets out how you manage health and safety in your organisation. It is also your key to achieving acceptable standards, reducing accidents and work-related ill health and it shows your employees that you really care about health and safety It is unique to your business and shows who does what, when and how they do it.

The policy statement should be reviewed and possibly revised in the light of experience, or because of operational or organisational changes. It  may be useful to review the policy regularly (e.g. annually).

Although not legally required to do so, businesses with less than five employees should also consider having such a policy as good practice. It could prove useful to have something in writing.