Health and Safety When You're Your Own Boss
Being self-employed in construction brings freedom—but also responsibilities. You might think health and safety legislation only applies to big companies with HR departments. That's not the case.
As a self-employed contractor in the UK, you have legal duties under several regulations. Ignore them, and you risk prosecution, insurance invalidation, and being locked out of work with main contractors.
Your Legal Duties as a Self-Employed Contractor
Health and Safety at Work Act 1974
Section 3(2) requires you to conduct your work in a way that doesn't expose others to health and safety risks. This means:
- You must work safely even if nobody employs you
- You're responsible for protecting clients, the public, and other workers
- You can be prosecuted personally for breaches
Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999
These require you to:
- Carry out risk assessments
- Implement preventive measures
- Provide information to those who might be affected
Note: If you have no employees, you don't technically have to write down your risk assessments—but in practice, you'll need to for contractors, insurers, and accreditation bodies.
CDM 2015
The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations apply to ALL construction work. As a self-employed contractor, you must:
- Plan, manage, and monitor your work
- Ensure you have the skills, knowledge, and experience for the work
- Cooperate with others on multi-contractor sites
- Follow directions from the principal contractor
- Not start work until a construction phase plan is in place (on notifiable projects)
What Documentation Do You Actually Need?
Here's the practical reality for self-employed contractors:
| Document | Legally Required? | Practically Essential? |
|---|---|---|
| Risk Assessments | Must do them, writing optional if no employees | Yes—required by contractors and insurers |
| Method Statements | Not specifically required by law | Yes—standard contractor requirement |
| RAMS Combined | Industry practice, not law | Yes—expected on most sites |
| COSHH Assessments | Yes, if using hazardous substances | Yes |
| Equipment Checks | Required for certain equipment | Yes—keep records |
Insurance Considerations
Your insurance policy likely contains conditions about health and safety. Common requirements include:
- Maintaining risk assessments for work activities
- Following manufacturer guidelines for equipment
- Using qualified subcontractors
- Notifying insurers of certain high-risk activities
Breach these conditions and your insurer can refuse claims. A £50 job could leave you personally liable for hundreds of thousands in damages.
Getting Onto Main Contractor Sites
Most main contractors now require:
- RAMS for every job: Specific to the work and site
- Insurance certificates: Valid public and employer's liability (even if you have no employees, some require it)
- Qualifications: Trade cards, CSCS, Gas Safe, NICEIC, etc.
- Accreditation: SSIP schemes like CHAS, SafeContractor, Constructionline
- Competence evidence: Training records, previous work examples
Without these, you simply won't get work from larger contractors. Many self-employed trades find that investing in proper documentation opens doors to better-paying work.
SSIP Accreditation: Is It Worth It?
SSIP (Safety Schemes in Procurement) schemes like CHAS, SafeContractor, and Constructionline verify your health and safety arrangements. Benefits include:
- Access to work with larger contractors and public sector
- One assessment accepted by all SSIP members
- Demonstrates professionalism to clients
- Often required for commercial work
Costs range from £100-£500 annually depending on the scheme and your company size. For many self-employed contractors, it's an essential business investment.
Practical Steps to Get Compliant
- Create generic risk assessments for your main activities (e.g., electrical installation, plumbing work, working at height)
- Develop method statement templates you can adapt for each job
- Gather your qualifications and create a competence folder
- Review your insurance and understand the conditions
- Consider SSIP accreditation if you want commercial work
- Set up simple record-keeping for training and equipment checks
Save Time on Documentation
The biggest complaint from self-employed trades is paperwork eating into earning time. DocGen's AI RAMS generator solves this—describe your job in plain English and get professional RAMS in minutes, not hours.
Whether you're a sparky, plumber, chippy, or general builder, our templates cover standard trade activities so you're not starting from scratch every time. Get your free RAMS template here.