The Health and Safety – Information for Employees poster was updated back in 2009 and the HSE Board agreed a five-year transition period to ensure the old 1999 version was replaced with the latest poster or leaflet.
The transition period has now expired and the old 1999 version must now be replaced with the 2009 poster or leaflet.
The reason for the redesign was for the benefit of the user, in particular to be more readable and engaging. HSE stated that research showed that the old 1999 version was unappealing, rarely read and relied upon businesses to provide further information in writing on the poster or leaflet.
The latest 2009 version has been set out in simple terms, using graphics and numbered lists to ensure the Health and Safety message for employees is delivered and understood in an appealing manner.
The 2009 poster does still have optional boxes where details of any worker health and safety representatives and other health and safety contacts can be added. It is not a legal requirement to include this information but it may be helpful to workers.
Employers have a legal duty under the Health and Safety Information for Employees Regulations (HSIER) to display the approved poster in a prominent position in each workplace or to provide each worker with a copy of the approved leaflet that outlines British health and safety law.
Each copy of the 2009 poster incorporates a unique, serially numbered hologram in the bottom right corner. The security hologram is to help prevent mis-selling.
The Health and Safety Executive has produced a range of health and safety law products. There are various versions of the poster, so that you can select the most appropriate for your business, depending on where in the UK your business is based.
To buy the latest version of the HSE poster or leaflet please visit HSE.gov.uk