HSIER 1989: HSE Law Poster and Leaflet Rules

Regulatory citation: Health and Safety Information for Employees Regulations 1989 (SI 1989/682)

What Are the Health and Safety Information for Employees Regulations?

The Health and Safety Information for Employees Regulations 1989 (HSIER) require employers in Great Britain to tell employees about health and safety law. Employers must either display the HSE-approved law poster or give each worker the approved leaflet. The poster and leaflet are titled Health and safety law: what you need to know.

Why the Law Poster Matters

The poster tells workers in plain terms what their employer must do, what they must do, and where to get help. It is often the first thing an inspector checks, and it is one of the simplest legal duties to meet.

Core Obligations

1. Display the Poster or Give the Leaflet (reg 4(1))

For each employee, the employer must either keep the approved poster displayed in a readable condition at a place reasonably accessible to the employee while at work, positioned so it can be easily seen and read, or give the employee the approved leaflet.

2. Give Leaflets to New Starters Promptly (reg 4(2))

An employer relying on the leaflet complies if it gives the leaflet as soon as reasonably practicable after the employee starts work.

3. Use the Current Approved Version (reg 3)

The approved poster and leaflet are the forms approved and published by HSE. When HSE approves a revision, it must publish it and issue a notice of the approval date. A revision does not take effect until five years after its approval, and employers may use the revised version during that period. HSE's current poster was introduced in 2014 and includes security features.

4. Update When a Revision Takes Effect (reg 4(3))

By the date a revision takes effect, employers relying on the poster must display the revised poster. Employers relying on the leaflet must either give employees the revised leaflet or tell them about the revision in writing.

5. Add Enforcing Authority Details (reg 5)

Employers using the poster must clearly and indelibly add either the name of the enforcing authority and the address of its local office, together with the address of the local employment medical advisory service office, or details of how employees can obtain that information. Employers using leaflets must give a written notice with the same details. Changes must be reflected within six months.

6. Know the Scope and the Defence (regs 2(4) and 7)

The regulations do not apply to the master or crew of a sea-going ship. In a prosecution, it is a defence to prove that all reasonable precautions were taken and all due diligence was exercised to avoid the offence. The enforcing authority is the body that enforces section 2 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 for the main activity at the premises.

Common Compliance Approaches

Choose the Right Format

HSE publishes A2 and A3 posters, a Welsh poster and an offshore installations poster, plus free standard, Welsh, easy read and large print leaflets and pocket cards.

Cover Remote and Mobile Workers

Where staff rarely visit a site with a poster, give them the leaflet. For employees working at several places, the leaflet notice uses the premises their work is administered from.

Check Posters During Inspections

Add the law poster to routine workplace inspection checklists so damaged, hidden or outdated posters are replaced.

Example: The Law Poster in Practice

A cleaning contractor has a head office and 60 cleaners who work at client sites. It displays an A2 poster in the head office staff area, with the enforcing authority details filled in. Cleaners never visit the office, so each new starter gets the free leaflet and a written notice of the enforcing authority details during induction. The HR system records that the leaflet was issued.

Related regulations: HSWA section 2 general duties, First-aid regulations, HSCER 1996 consultation with employees.

Note: This summary reflects the regulations as they apply in Great Britain. HSE publishes a separate law poster for Northern Ireland, which has its own equivalent legislation. Always check the current legislation and HSE guidance.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need both the poster and the leaflet?

No. The regulations require either the approved poster to be displayed or the approved leaflet to be given to each employee.

Where should the poster be displayed?

At a place reasonably accessible to the employees it covers while they are at work, in a readable condition and positioned so it can be easily seen and read.

What details do I add to the poster?

Either the name and local office address of the enforcing authority and the local employment medical advisory service address, or details of how employees can obtain this information.