Retail and Market Trading - UK Compliance

Health and Safety Documents for Self-Employed Craft Fair Sellers

Eight compliance documents for self-employed craft fair sellers - covering craft material COSHH, display safety and the full compliance requirements of a sole trader craft fair business.

Get My Documents

One-off payment. No subscription. Delivered in minutes.

Compliance documents for your business
Filled in for you
Ready in minutes
8 documents included
HSE compliant
Secure via Stripe

Every self-employed person in the UK needs this

Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, every self-employed person whose work could pose a risk to themselves or others is legally required to have health and safety documentation in place.

This is not a large-business requirement. It applies to sole traders, one-person businesses, home studios, and mobile workers equally. The size of your business does not change the legal obligation.

Sole traders and one-person businesses Working alone does not exempt you. If you use chemicals or see clients, the obligations apply in full.
Mobile and home-based workers Working from home or visiting clients does not reduce your compliance requirements - it often adds to them.
Chair renters and freelancers Renting a chair or working as a freelancer through a third party does not transfer your compliance obligations to them.
New businesses and established ones Whether you started last month or have been trading for years, you need documentation in place.
Your legal obligation

What self-employed craft fair sellers need to have in place

As a self-employed craft fair seller, a COSHH assessment for the materials used in making your products, a risk assessment covering display setup and public safety at fairs, a health and safety policy, and fire safety documentation for any production or storage space are all required. Craft fair and artisan market organisers are increasingly asking sellers for evidence of public liability insurance and compliance documentation when applying for pitch spaces. Having everything in place from the start gives you a stronger application. CompliantDocs produces everything in minutes.
Health and safety compliance documents
The real problem

Self-employed craft sellers focus on their making and their products and rarely address compliance documentation

The creative and making focus of craft selling means compliance documentation is often overlooked entirely. CompliantDocs produces everything in minutes from your answers about your craft business.
Half a working day
What self-employed craft fair sellers spend on compliance. Our service does it in minutes.
Your trade, specifically

The risks and requirements specific to your work

Craft fair sellers work with diverse hazardous substances and tools that require specific control measures. You handle solvent-based wood stains, polyurethane finishes, acrylic paints, adhesives containing volatile organic compounds, and metal polish containing mineral spirits. Your hand tools include sharp cutting implements, hot glue guns operating at 190 degrees Celsius, soldering irons, rotary cutters, and jewellery pliers. Power tools present crush and laceration hazards, whilst kiln firing for ceramics generates extreme heat exposure. Chemical hazards include dermatitis from repeated contact with resins, epoxy adhesives, and dyes, plus respiratory exposure from spray application in poorly ventilated fair halls. Your workspace is typically a shared marquee or indoor venue with limited extraction, shared electrics, and high footfall creating trip hazards. Display tables create manual handling risks when setting up and packing down. Fire risk escalates when multiple traders use portable heaters and you store flammable materials like varnish and thinners. You interact with fairground visitors and staff, requiring documented procedures for managing public safety around your working area.
The cost of getting it wrong

What happens without proper documentation

Without documented health and safety compliance, craft fair sellers face serious consequences. The HSE issues improvement notices requiring remedial action within specified timeframes, with prosecution fines reaching unlimited amounts if you breach the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. A single serious accident involving chemical burns from solvent exposure or laceration from uncontrolled hand tools triggers HSE investigation, potential prosecution, and personal liability extending to your own injury or death. Insurance companies reject claims when you cannot evidence risk assessment and control measures, leaving you personally liable for third-party injuries at your fair stall. Your reputation suffers when accident reports circulate amongst fair organisers, affecting future bookings. Craft fair organisers increasingly require H&S documentation before accepting traders, excluding you from premium venues. Medical costs for dermatitis, respiratory issues, or burns escalate without documented prevention procedures. CompliantDocs eliminates these risks by delivering your specific, trade-tailored documents in minutes at a fraction of consultant costs, ensuring you answer every HSE question with confidence.
What you get

Eight documents, all filled in for your business

Eight documents for your self-employed craft fair business.
Health and Safety Policy Generated
Written for your business, covering your responsibilities and the measures you have in place
Risk Assessment Generated
Identifying the specific hazards in your work and the controls you have in place
COSHH Assessment Generated
Specific to the chemicals and products you use, with proper hazard and control information
Fire Safety Risk Assessment Generated
Documenting fire hazards, escape routes, and fire safety measures for your premises
Skin Exposure and Dermatitis Prevention Policy Generated
A legal requirement under COSHH for chemical skin exposure risk
Client Consultation Record Word
Ready-to-use editable template for client records and allergy documentation
PAT Testing Checklist Word
For logging PAT tests on all your professional electrical equipment
Accident and Near Miss Log Word
Ready-to-use log for recording any incidents in your working environment
How it works

Four simple steps to full compliance

1

Pay once

Secure checkout via Stripe. One-off payment. No subscription, no renewal fees.

2

Tell us about your business

A short form about your working environment and setup. Takes two minutes.

3

We fill in your documents

Compliance documents completed specifically for your business from your answers.

4

Delivered to your inbox

All documents arrive via secure download link within minutes. Save them, print them, done.

What inspectors check

What an HSE inspector looks for when they visit

When an HSE inspector visits your craft fair workspace or home workshop, they request four specific documents immediately: your risk assessment identifying craft hazards, your COSHH assessment listing every chemical with control measures, your fire risk assessment addressing flammable material storage and emergency procedures, and your accident log recording any incidents. They physically inspect your chemical storage for proper labelling, sealed containers, and segregation of incompatibles like solvents away from adhesives. They examine your electrical equipment testing certificates for hot glue guns and soldering irons, check your first aid provision for chemical exposure, and observe your workspace layout for trip hazards and fire exit accessibility. They question you directly on specific hazards: how you prevent dermatitis, what you do if solvent ignites, how you dispose of hazardous waste, and what you do if a fair visitor enters your work area. They review your health and safety policy statement, check whether you have documented procedures for chemical handling and emergency response, and ask how often you update your assessments. They observe your personal protective equipment provision and ask whether you have skin monitoring procedures. CompliantDocs documents mean you provide every document confidently, answer every question with specific references to your documented controls, and demonstrate proportionate compliance aligned with HSE expectations for sole traders.
Common errors

The mistakes most people in your trade make

Craft fair sellers frequently create generic risk assessments identifying only obvious hazards like sharp tools, omitting specific chemical hazards from resins, epoxies, and finishes that cause dermatitis and respiratory issues. You then cannot explain to an HSE inspector which specific substances you use, their hazards, or your control measures, appearing unaware of your own exposures. Second, sellers store flammable materials incorrectly in cardboard boxes under stalls or near heaters, violating fire safety regulations and creating prosecution risk if a fire occurs at a fair. You do not document chemical quantities or shelf lives, continuing to use degraded adhesives and finishes that generate toxic fumes. Third, you fail to update assessments when changing fair venues, introducing new materials like ceramic glazes with cadmium, or modifying processes, leaving documented controls irrelevant to your current actual hazards. Fourth, you assume self-employed status exempts you from documentation, then struggle during HSE inspection without evidence of your compliance thinking, leaving inspectors no option but to issue notices. CompliantDocs eliminates these mistakes because your documents are generated specifically for your craft, your materials, your workspace type, and your processes, ensuring every control measure reflects your actual business and every HSE question is answered by your own documented evidence.
Questions and answers

Frequently asked questions

Is this right for you?

Who this pack is not designed for

This pack is not suitable for established businesses with dedicated HR departments, companies already retaining H&S consultants, or enterprises with 10 or more employees requiring bespoke assessments. Large manufacturers with complex production processes and chemical handling operations need specialist consultation beyond this scope. However, for sole traders and micro-businesses operating independently at craft fairs, markets, and seasonal events, these done-for-you documents provide proportionate, legally compliant protection at a fraction of consultant costs.

Get your compliance sorted today

Documents filled in for your business, delivered in minutes.

Get My Documents