Health and safety duties of trusts: overview template and how to comply

As a trust, you have health and safety duties because you're the employer. Be clear on what these are and understand how to fulfil them. Use our overview tool to help you keep track of and monitor your requirements across your trust.

Last reviewed on 8 May 2024

School types: All•School phases: All•Ref: 43789

Contents

Your trust is responsible for keeping staff, pupils and visitors safe
Download our tool to keep track of your requirements
Follow these principles
Appoint a competent person, manage contractors and train your staff
Have a policy, statutory risk assessments and incident recording and reporting in place
Manage asbestos, fire safety and other estate-related responsibilities
Ensure first aid provision across your trust
Use the DfE's good estates management guidance

As the employer, you have health and safety duties. Maintenance of your estate plays an important part in complying with these.

Your duties towards your staff, pupils and visitors include to:

Put arrangements in place to manage the risks to these groups
Make sure staff are aware of the risks and the measures in place to manage them
Make sure staff have the relevant information and training to manage risks on a day-to-day basis, including access to competent health and safety advice where needed
Check that the control measures have been implemented and remain appropriate and effective

Make sure any health and safety policies are clear and focus on real risks, and don’t encourage unnecessary paperwork.

But you remain legally accountable for them. So you'll want to monitor these delegated responsibilities and make sure