HR and Health and safety go together like tea and biscuits! | HR Unboxed S02 E07

HR Unboxed

Tuesday, 3 March 2026 - 1 hour 8 minutes

In this episode of HR Unboxed, Natalie and Faye join Chris in the studio to unpack a topic that many businesses avoid but absolutely cannot ignore — health and safety in the workplace. What might sound like a dry compliance subject quickly turns into a fascinating discussion about real-world risks, HR responsibilities, and why even the smallest organisations need to take safety seriously.

The team explore how health and safety connects directly with HR processes, from recruitment and onboarding through to absence management, wellbeing and training. They also explain why many businesses underestimate everyday risks — especially in office environments — and how something as simple as poor desk setup or lack of reporting procedures can escalate into long absences and injury claims.

Along the way, the conversation touches on:

Why health and safety should be seen as prevention, not paperwork
The real consequences for businesses that fail to manage risk properly
How HR and health & safety professionals work together after incidents
The importance of documenting policies, training and risk assessments
The legal responsibilities employers face — even with third-party behaviour
Why workplace culture and communication play a major role in safety
The risks of remote working and lone working that companies often overlook
Practical examples of workplace incidents and what businesses can learn from them

Natalie and Faye also discuss how technology can make compliance easier for small businesses, including tools that track training, manage risk assessments and create audit trails for health and safety procedures.

The episode also highlights how workplace expectations have evolved — from modern approaches to employee wellbeing through to the growing responsibilities employers have to protect staff from inappropriate behaviour by customers, suppliers or members of the public.

With a mixture of practical advice, real examples, and plenty of humour along the way, this episode is packed with insights for business owners, managers and HR professionals who want to build safer, more responsible workplaces.

If you run a business, manage a team, or simply want to understand how HR and safety obligations affect modern workplaces, this conversation is full of valuable takeaways.

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