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Health and safety is one of those areas that often only becomes a priority when something brings it to the surface - an audit, an accident, a tender deadline or an insurer request.
But the truth is, the foundations of a safe workplace are built long before those moments. And when time is short, teams are stretched and priorities are shifting, it’s easy for health and safety to slip down the list.
At Breathe, we spoke to health and safety consultants, as well as managers, leaders and employees at SMEs about how they manage health and safety. What we found revealed some common patterns, and a few things growing businesses might not realise they’re overlooking. Here are six signs it could be time to take a closer look.
Skip to:
- The six signs to watch out for
- FAQs
1. Health & safety documents are missing or out of date
45% of SME managers and leaders had one or more health and safety documents missing or out of date - from health and safety policies to health and safety training records.
As an employer, you’re legally required to have employers’ liability insurance in place if you have employees. If you ever need to rely on that cover, clear and up-to-date records are what turn good intentions into evidence you can stand behind. They also serve as proof for the HSE (the government's national independent regulator for workplace health and safety in Great Britain), auditors and even customers or clients who may ask for evidence that you’ve complied with health and safety regulations.
"People are often busy doing the work they're paid to do. Not sitting there doing paperwork."
Adam Older (IOSH, NEBOSH), Managing Director, A.Older Safety Solutions
2. Health and safety duties are still being managed in spreadsheets or on paper
Half of those surveyed were still using manual tools to manage health and safety, like spreadsheets, emails and paper. These tools might feel manageable at first but they’re harder to scale and easy to lose track of as things grow.
As your team gets bigger, is spread across different locations or becomes more remote, staying organised gets trickier. And when someone leaves the business, their knowledge often goes with them.
Having multiple spreadsheets, bits of paper or even disconnected systems can make it unclear where the most up-to-date information lives. It becomes easier for things to be missed, or simply too confusing to act on confidently.
But with more roles and responsibilities in play, a central system can make it easier to stay consistent and reduce risk.
"You can't eliminate risks. It's all about managing them."
Joanne Casey (IOSH, NEBOSH), H&S Consultant, Safety United Ltd
3. Health and safety training stops at onboarding
Most SMEs cover off health and safety during onboarding. But our research showed that 43% of employees hadn’t had any refresher training since.
Training doesn’t have to be formal or time-consuming, but regular reminders help teams stay confident, especially as risks or roles evolve. As an employer, you’re required to consult with employees on health and safety matters and provide appropriate training and facilities so people can do their jobs safely.
Without regular training, even the best teams can lose clarity over what to do and when. Automated training reminders can help you stick to a regular rhythm for refresher health and safety training and make a big difference.
4. Health and safety risks and incidents aren't being reported
Half of the employees surveyed said they’d never reported a health and safety risk or incident because they believed they'd never seen one. That might seem like a good thing. But more often, it means people aren’t sure what counts, or worry they’ll get in trouble for raising something.
Near misses, small hazards and observations all offer valuable insight. But if nothing’s being logged, patterns can go unnoticed.
A clear and blame-free reporting process helps businesses spot issues early and make improvements before anything serious happens.
5. There's unclear ownership for health & safety responsibilities
While businesses are legally required to name one "competent person" in your health and safety policy, health and safety duties are a shared responsibility. This includes making sure basic provisions are in place, such as having appropriate first aid kits available and ensuring people are trained to deal with first aid situations if something goes wrong.
Fire wardens, line managers and employees also play a role. And while it’s great when everyone’s involved, without clarity, things can get blurred.
Plus, in many SMEs, the person managing health and safety isn’t a specialist—they’re often juggling it alongside other roles.
In fact, 'Unclear roles or ownership' and 'lack of in-house expertise' were two of the top health and safety challenges named by managers and leaders in SMEs, alongside 'finding the time to stay on top of it' and 'manual processes that slow things down'.
A clear structure - with defined roles, joined-up records and easy tools - helps non-experts manage health and safety with confidence, and all employees to know what's expected.
"What tends to happen is once they've got the documents, the office manager or business admin ends up managing it, and they're not trained in health and safety."
Adam Older (IOSH, NEBOSH), Managing Director, A.Older Safety Solutions
6. Remote working risks, like display screen equipment risk assessments, are getting forgotten
Hybrid and remote working having become the norm for many SMEs - but health and safety processes haven't always caught up. Employers still have responsibilities for people working at home, including completing DSE (display screen equipment) risk assessments and PAT (portable appliance testing) for work electrical equipment that's being used in employee homes. This includes making sure people have suitable setups to work safely at home (and all other working locations), like adjustable task lighting and ergonomic furniture, and help reduce the risk of musculoskeletal disorders.
Our research showed this is often overlooked, even in well-intentioned businesses. Half of remote or hybrid workers hadn’t completed a DSE or didn’t have the right equipment - or both. And 60% had never had their electrical equipment tested or hadn't had it tested since it was first issued.
These setups aren’t just uncomfortable they can lead to real risks that quietly go unnoticed.
With clear policies, regular check-ins and remote-friendly processes, you can help people stay safe and supported - wherever they work.
"When someone works from home, their home becomes their workstation, and similar responsibilities apply."
Joanne Casey (IOSH, NEBOSH), H&S Consultant, Safety United Ltd
Why does all of this matter?
Each of these signs is a quiet signal that something important might be falling through the cracks.
If risks and incidents go unnoticed or unreported, the likelihood of injuries and absences increases. In 2024/2025, 40.1 million working days were lost due to work-related illness and workplace injury.
If training isn’t being tracked and refreshed, your insurance claim could be denied or your legal standing weakened - contributing to the £22.9 billion annual cost of work-related injuries and ill health.
And if documentation is missing or outdated, audits become more stressful, and tender opportunities might be missed due to a lack of evidence.
But when workplace health and safety is being managed well, everything feels more under control. Fewer accidents. Smoother audits. Teams that feel confident and know what to do if something goes wrong.
That’s the ROI for health and safety. You might not see it on a sales dashboard, but it shows up in everyday operations - and it adds up over time.
"The ROI for managing health and safety is in reduced injuries and less employee time off - the gains you don't see."
Adam Older (IOSH, NEBOSH), Managing Director, A.Older Safety Solutions
Join our upcoming webinar and take the next step to safer, smarter health & safety
Join us at 10am on 5th February for a live webinar with HR + Health & Safety expert, Emma del Torto (Effective HRM) and Breathe's Head of Operations and Health & Safety lead, Sy Hook.
In this session, we'll:
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Highlight the most common health & safety risks that show up in growing businesses
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Share what a straightforward and compliant health & safety setup looks like in 2026
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Give you practical steps to reduce risk and stay ready
Register now to sense-check your health and safety approach and spot any gaps before they become problems.
Health & safety FAQs for SMEs and growing organisations
Q: Do I need a written health and safety policy and what should it cover?
A: If you have five or more employees, safety law requires you to have a written health and safety policy. This should explain how you approach safety at work, who is responsible for managing health and safety, and the safety measures you have in place. Even if you have fewer than five employees, a clear policy can help protect employee health and show that you take your responsibilities seriously.
Q: What does health and safety legislation require from SMEs, in practice?
A: The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 sets out the main framework for workplace health and safety in the UK. It places a duty on employers to protect employee health, safety and welfare, so far as is reasonably practicable. This work act is supported by other regulations that cover risk assessment, workplace conditions, work equipment and welfare.
In practice, this means providing a working environment that is safe and suitable for the people who use it. Under the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, employers must ensure things like appropriate lighting, space, cleanliness, welfare facilities and safe access routes are in place. These key protections apply across offices, sites and other work locations.
Q: What is a risk assessment and how often should it be reviewed?
A: A risk assessment helps you identify hazards, assess who might be harmed, and decide what actions are needed to reduce risk. Under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, employers must assess and manage risk across physical, chemical, ergonomic and psychological hazards. This includes manual handling risks, stress and how work equipment is used. Risk assessments should be reviewed regularly and whenever something changes.
Q: Who is responsible for managing health and safety day-to-day?
A: Employers are ultimately responsible for health and safety, even if tasks are shared. You must appoint someone competent to support managing health and safety, but managers, employees and leaders all have a role to play. Clear ownership helps ensure safety basics are covered and nothing important gets missed.
Q: Does health and safety include mental health and wellbeing?
A: Yes. Mental health is a core part of safety at work. Employers are expected to assess and manage risks such as work-related stress and burnout, and to consult with employees on health and safety matters. Managing health effectively means putting support in place, not just focusing on physical risks.
Q: When do employers need to provide personal protective equipment?
A: In certain industries, such as construction, healthcare and manufacturing, employers must provide personal protective equipment to protect staff against health and safety risks that cannot be adequately controlled in other ways.
The Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 act requires employers to supply suitable PPE, ensure it fits properly, and provide training on the use of PPE so people know how to use it safely and understand the risks it protects against. Employees must then use the personal protective equipment provided in accordance with the instructions provided by their employer.
Q: Who enforces health and safety law in the UK and where can I get further guidance?
A: The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is responsible for enforcing workplace health and safety legislation in the UK and provides guidance to help employers understand safety law and apply it in practice.
This blog is informed by two surveys conducted by Breathe in December 2025, involving 100 managers, leaders and employees from UK SMEs with between 10-250 employees. The surveys were conducted to understand how small businesses manage health and safety in practice.
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