By Irfahn Saqib & Stefan Desbordes
|Published 29 July 2026
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has recently refreshed its guidance for the entertainment and leisure industry as part of its routine programme of updates.
The refresh is intended to make it easier for businesses operating in the sector to locate the guidance relevant to their activities on the HSE's website. It provides a useful opportunity for organisations to review their existing arrangements and ensure that they continue to reflect compliance with legal duties and current guidance.
The guidance has been reorganised and grouped into six principal areas:
The revised structure brings relevant information together under clearer headings and provides more direct access to detailed, activity-specific guidance.
For example, the leisure section now directs users to guidance covering the basic application of health and safety law, swimming-pool safety management and the operation of amateur sports clubs. The entertainment section also provides separate guidance for fairgrounds, inflatables, film and theatre work and construction activities undertaken as part of an event or production.
No – the HSE's refresh of its guidance does not reflect any changes to the legal framework for compliance (i.e. the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and the various subordinate regulations). Employers remain under a duty to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that their employees and those who may be affected by their activities are not exposed to risks to their health and safety. For example, in the entertainment and leisure sector, those affected may include volunteers, participants, club members, visiting teams, spectators and other members of the public.
Those in control of non-domestic premises may also owe duties in relation to the condition of the premises and any plant, equipment or substances provided for use. The identity of the relevant enforcing authority will depend upon the nature of the premises and activity. Local authorities will generally enforce health and safety law in relation to leisure activities, although the HSE is responsible in certain circumstances.
Although the update is principally a reorganisation of existing guidance, organisations should take the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the revised structure and identify the guidance relevant to their activities.
A proportionate review may include considering whether:
The extent of any review will depend upon the nature and complexity of an organisation’s activities. Many businesses may conclude that their existing arrangements remain appropriate, but records of a review may assist in demonstrating an organised and proactive approach to health and safety management should an incident or regulatory inspection arise.
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