The employer holds the primary responsibility for health and safety in the workplace. Under UK law, they must provide a safe working environment, assess risks, and ensure staff are trained in safe working practices.

However, employees also have a legal duty to follow safety procedures, report hazards, and take reasonable care of themselves and others.

Health and safety is a shared responsibility—and proper training ensures everyone understands their role.

The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 is the main piece of legislation governing workplace safety in the UK. It outlines the legal duties of employers, employees, and the self-employed to protect the health, safety, and welfare of all individuals affected by their work.

It covers everything from risk assessments and training to equipment maintenance and incident reporting.

At Ascend Learning, our training courses are built around this legislation to ensure compliance and best practice in all types of workplaces.

Health and safety is vital to protect employees, prevent accidents, and create a culture of wellbeing in the workplace. Effective health and safety practices reduce the risk of injuries, minimise downtime, and help organisations stay compliant with the law.

It also boosts staff confidence, improves morale, and shows that an employer cares about its people.

Through our accredited training, Ascend Learning helps organisations build safer, more productive working environments.

A risk assessment is a structured process that identifies potential hazards in the workplace and evaluates how likely they are to cause harm. It then helps determine appropriate control measures to eliminate or reduce those risks.

Employers are legally required to carry out regular risk assessments—and in many cases, to keep written records.

Our training ensures your team knows how to conduct, review, and act on risk assessments in line with current UK regulations.

A health and safety induction should provide new employees with key information about their working environment, potential risks, emergency procedures, and their rights and responsibilities.

It typically includes:

Site-specific hazards

Safe working procedures

Fire and evacuation protocols

First aid arrangements

Accident reporting systems

Our training supports employers in delivering thorough inductions that help new staff stay safe from day one.