Free health and safety compliance check

What the Safety Snapshot checks

You answer yes, partially or no to five questions in each area.

1. Leadership and policy. A written health and safety policy signed by a director or senior manager, communicated and reviewed, a competent person appointed, visible leadership from senior managers, and an improvement plan for the year.
2. Risk assessment. Assessments for every significant activity, reviewed after a change or an incident, COSHH assessments for hazardous substances, employees consulted, and controls that are actually used.
3. Training and competence. Inductions, role-specific training with records, refresher training, managers who know enough to supervise safely, and safety information for contractors and visitors.
4. Incident management. A reporting route for accidents and near misses, RIDDOR reports made on time, investigations that find root causes, findings shared, and trends tracked.
5. Monitoring and audit. Recorded workplace inspections, a formal audit or management review at least once a year, actions closed out, leading indicators alongside accident rates, and regular reporting to the board or senior leadership.
6. Emergency preparedness. A fire risk assessment reviewed in the last 12 months, evacuation procedures practised in drills, first aid provision, plans for emergencies beyond fire, and staff who know where the procedures and equipment are.

How your score works

Each answer counts as yes (full marks), partially (half marks) or no. Each area gets a score, and the six combine into an overall score out of 100 that places you in one of five bands:

• Reactive (0 to 40): significant gaps, with incidents managed as they happen.
• Developing (41 to 60): a foundation in place, with elements that are inconsistent or incomplete.
• Managed (61 to 75): a broadly functional system that meets core duties, with room to strengthen controls and records.
• Proactive (76 to 90): a programme where risk is identified and controlled before it causes harm.
• Exemplary (91 to 100): embedded systems that are monitored and regularly reviewed.

Your results show the score for each area and the actions to take first, and you can download them as a PDF report.

The duties behind the questions

Several questions trace directly to a legal duty. Section 2(3) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 requires a written health and safety policy, brought to the notice of your employees; regulation 2 of the Employers' Health and Safety Policy Statements (Exception) Regulations 1975 exempts employers with fewer than five employees. Regulation 5 of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 requires arrangements for the effective planning, organisation, control, monitoring and review of your preventive and protective measures, recorded if you employ five or more. Regulation 7 of the same Regulations requires you to appoint one or more competent persons to help you comply.

What the Snapshot can and cannot tell you

The score reflects your own answers. It shows where your arrangements look thin on paper, which is a useful place to start. It cannot check whether the written arrangements match practice, because that needs someone to walk the site.

Opus's consultants carry out health and safety gap analysis and audits built on the same HSG65 framework: your policies, risk assessments, safe systems of work and training records are reviewed against current law, a site inspection checks practice against paper, and you get a prioritised action plan with every gap ranked by severity.