# Where does an NI business start with workplace safety?

Start with the risks of the work and use HSENI’s local guidance.

Jurisdiction: Northern Ireland
Source check: 2026-11-03. Editorial status: source-checked draft; specialist sign-off pending.

## Who this covers
Employers and relevant self-employed businesses operating in Northern Ireland.

## The requirement
Assess what could harm people through your business and take suitable precautions. HSENI states that employers with five or more employees must record their risk assessment results.

## Practical steps
- Identify hazards in your work and who could be harmed.
- Assess the risks and put suitable precautions in place.
- Record the findings where required and keep the assessment useful as work changes.

## Common mistake
Fewer than five employees does not mean there is no need to assess risk. GB legislation references must not simply be substituted for Northern Ireland’s framework.

## Timing
Review when work or conditions change and when there is reason to doubt whether the assessment remains adequate.

## Questions for a provider
- Which Northern Ireland duties apply to this activity?
- Does the assessment reflect how we actually work?
- What actions are needed and who will check them?

## Official sources
- [HSENI: risk assessment](https://www.hseni.gov.uk/articles/risk-assessment)
- [HSENI: health and safety made simple](https://www.hseni.gov.uk/health-and-safety-made-simple)

General information, not an assessment or a statement that a business is compliant.


## Give the adviser a task-based brief for the NI workplace

### Before you commission work
Describe what people do, the equipment and substances involved, and the issues staff have raised. Ask a prospective consultant to identify the Northern Ireland basis for the advice and any work needing specialist input. Agree whether the service includes a site visit, staff consultation and action planning.

### Follow through on the result
Review the proposed actions with the people responsible for carrying them out. Ask for vague recommendations to be made specific enough to implement and check. Keep a record of unresolved questions and escalation, especially when a business-wide policy needs adapting to different sites and local requirements.

## Related buying guides
- [Health and safety consultant costs: project or retainer?](https://whatcompliance.com/buying-guides/health-and-safety-consultant-costs)

## Buying the right work
- Explain what happens in the workplace, including non-routine work.
- Identify the people who may be affected.
- Ask for practical controls and actions under the correct local framework.

## What you can do yourself
Use HSENI’s steps to identify hazards and consider straightforward risks. Keep the focus on making work safer, rather than acquiring a generic folder.

## When to get help
Get competent advice where the activity is complex or you cannot adequately assess or control the risk.

## Records to keep
- Significant findings where required.
- Controls, actions and who is responsible.
- Reviews following changes or concerns.

## Can a GB legislative reference settle an NI duty?
Do not assume it can. Use Northern Ireland legislation and HSENI guidance for the relevant activity.

Source check for this expanded guide: 2026-11-03. Specialist sign-off pending.