Provide a ‘comfortable' working environment
This doesn't mean the office needs sofas, coffee tables and widescreen televisions, merely that basic standards are met. Toilets are essential, though separate male and female facilities are not necessary. Water must be available for both cleaning and drinking and the office must not be too cramped – a minimum of 11 cubic metres is required per employee. Finally, the temperature must be at least 16 degrees centigrade, though a temperature down to 13 degrees is acceptable if the work is physically active.

Provide health and safety information
As an employer, you must either display the poster ‘Health and Safety Law – what you should know' or provide staff with the leaflet ‘Your health and safety'. Specific hazards must be clearly marked and you must also display your certificate of liability insurance.

Carry out a thorough risk assessment
This can be a fairly straightforward process – look around for any potential hazards, establish who might be at risk and then decide whether your current provisions are adequate. If not, you will have to take steps to address any potential problem areas. Companies with more than five employees must record their risk assessment.

Provide first aid equipment
A basic first aid kit is essential (see the FPB's Health & Safety Guide for more details). It must also be someone's responsibility to check and maintain the first aid equipment. It is not a legal requirement to appoint a first aider, though it is often advisable.

Fire safety
The law relating to fire safety changed in 2006, with a risk assessment style approach introduced. Fire certificates for higher risk premises are no longer be valid.

Provision of suitable equipment
Equipment must be suitable for the intended use and safe as defined by the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations (PUWER) 1998. Employees must have suitable training in the use of any equipment and the equipment itself must be suitable and safe, well maintained and be labelled with any pertinent safety information.

Serious incidents must be reported
Although there is no set format for keeping the records, whatever system you chose to use must be capable of keeping the records on file for at least three years. Certain incidents must be reported to the local authority, deaths being one obvious example.