Safety First, Flowers Always: Your Essential Guide to Health & Safety in Floristry
Whether you’re crafting bouquets in a busy high-street shop in Ireland or the UK or setting up a stunning floral arch at a wedding venue as a freelancer, one thing is as important as a sharp pair of snips: Health and Safety.
It might not be the most glamorous part of the job, but understanding your role in keeping yourself and others safe is absolutely essential. Think of it as the sturdy wire that holds your most beautiful creation together—it’s the foundation for everything you do!
Let's break down the role of health and safety, and who is responsible for what.
What is the Role of Health & Safety?
Simply put, the main role is to make sure everyone who works for, with, or visits a floristry business is safe and healthy, preventing accidents and work-related illness.
In the Retail Shop:
It means having safe flooring so no one slips on spilled water or stray petals.
It involves storing sharp tools and chemicals (like flower food or cleaning products) securely.
It ensures you have clear emergency procedures and a tidy workspace, preventing trips and falls.
It also covers things like making sure your van is safe if you do deliveries, and that you lift heavy buckets and boxes correctly to protect your back.
In the Freelance/Event World:
It means carrying out a quick check (a risk assessment—more on that later!) of a new venue before you start setting up.
It ensures you use ladders or steps safely for high installations.
It covers things like knowing where your nearest First Aid kit is and making sure your electrical equipment is safe to use on-site.
Who is Responsible for Health & Safety?
Everyone!
In both a retail shop and on a freelance job, health and safety isn't just one person's job—it's a shared responsibility.
1. The Employer (The Shop Owner / Business Leader)
If you employ staff, you have the biggest legal duties. Your main responsibilities are:
Risk Assessments: You must identify potential dangers (hazards) in your shop or workplace and take steps to reduce the risk of harm. For example, a wet floor is a hazard, so you put up a "Caution Wet Floor" sign and clean it immediately to control the risk.
Safe Environment: You must provide a safe working environment, safe equipment, and safe ways of working.
Information and Training: You must give your staff the information, instruction, and training they need to do their jobs safely, like how to use a floral knife correctly or how to lift a heavy arrangement without injury.
Welfare Facilities: You must provide basic welfare needs like suitable rest areas, toilets, and clean drinking water.
Accident Reporting: You must have an accident book and report certain serious incidents to the relevant government body (HSE in the UK, HSA in Ireland).
2. The Employee (The Shop Assistant / Team Member)
Even though your employer is responsible for providing a safe workplace, you have a vital role:
Take Reasonable Care: You must take reasonable care of your own health and safety, and that of anyone else who might be affected by what you do or don’t do (like a colleague or a customer).
Cooperate: You must cooperate with your employer on all health and safety matters. If they ask you to use safety guards on a machine, you must do it.
Follow Training: You must use any equipment or safety items provided to you correctly, as you’ve been trained.
Report Issues: Crucially, you must report any hazards, dangerous situations, or accidents to a responsible person (like your manager) immediately. If you see a trailing wire, report it!
3. The Freelancer / Self-Employed Florist
If you work for yourself, you essentially take on the responsibilities of the employer for your own work:
You Are the Boss of Your Safety: You are legally responsible for your own health and safety, and for making sure your work doesn't harm other people (like venue staff or wedding guests).
Risk Assess Everything: You must carry out risk assessments for your activities, especially when working in different venues (event setups, private homes, etc.).
Insurance is Key: You should have appropriate business insurance, particularly Public Liability Insurance, which covers you if a member of the public is injured or their property is damaged because of your work (e.g., a guest trips over your tool bag).
Safe Tools: You must ensure your own tools and equipment are safe and in good working order.
Who is Responsible for an Accident?
This depends on the situation, but here is the simple rule:
Situation: Who is Likely Responsible?
An employee slips on water that a manager knew was spilled but failed to clean up or put a sign out for.
The Employer/Business. They failed in their duty to provide a safe environment and follow their risk controls.
An employee uses a ladder incorrectly, despite being trained on how to use it safely, and falls.
The Employee. They failed in their duty to follow safe procedures and take reasonable care. (Though the employer may also be held responsible if supervision was poor).
A freelance florist's metal structure for a floral arch falls and injures a wedding guest.
The Freelancer. They failed in their duty to ensure their work activity did not harm others.
This is why Public Liability Insurance is vital!
A customer trips over their own shopping bag in a clean, tidy shop.
Generally the Customer. The shop has met its duty of care if the area was clear and safe.
My Top 3 Safety Tips for Every Florist:
Stop, Think, Act: Before you use a sharp tool, lift something heavy, or climb to a height, pause. Think about the safest way to do it, and only then act.
Tidy as You Go: Floristry is messy—wet floors, fallen foliage, and trailing wires are the biggest risks. Get into the habit of cleaning up water, stems, and debris immediately to prevent slips and trips.
Use Your Voice: If you see something dangerous, say something! A potential hazard that is reported and fixed before an accident happens is the best outcome.
Stay safe and keep creating those beautiful blooms!
Disclaimer: This blog provides general information and is not a substitute for professional legal advice. Always refer to the specific Health and Safety Executive (HSE in the UK) or Health and Safety Authority (HSA in Ireland) guidelines and legislation for your full legal obligations.