What to Update Before January: Your Health & Safety Reset

December is often a time for reflection, closure, and planning ahead. In business, it’s also the perfect opportunity to reset your Health and Safety arrangements so you can enter January with a clear mind, confident that everything is compliant, up to date, and fit for the year ahead.

Rather than carrying unresolved actions, expired documents, or overlooked risks into the New Year, a structured end-of-year review helps protect your people, strengthen safety performance, support the environment, and set your business up for success.

Below is a practical guide to what you should be reviewing and updating before January.

1. Review Your Health and Safety Audit Checklist

An end-of-year review isn’t about starting from scratch, it’s about checking that what you already have still works.

Your health and safety audit checklist should be one of the first documents you revisit. Ask yourself:

• Are audits being completed at the planned frequency?

• Have actions from previous audits been closed out?

• Do findings reflect current operations, staffing levels, and risks?

• Have any trends or recurring issues been identified?

Audits provide assurance that your systems are functioning as intended. Closing the year with outstanding audit actions can create unnecessary pressure in January, so now is the time to resolve them and document improvements.

A clean audit record supports compliance, but more importantly, it shows a proactive commitment to people’s safety and wellbeing.

2. Update Your H&S Inspection Checklist

Workplaces change, sometimes gradually, sometimes overnight. New equipment, altered layouts, temporary work activities, or seasonal hazards can all impact risk.

Before January, review your H&S inspection checklist to ensure it still reflects reality on the ground:

• Are all relevant work areas included?

• Do inspection questions reflect current risks?

• Are environmental factors such as waste management, energy use, and spill controls covered?

• Are inspections actually being carried out and recorded?

Inspections are a frontline defence against accidents and non-compliance. A refreshed checklist ensures hazards are identified early, protecting people while reinforcing a culture of safety and environmental responsibility.

3. Check Risk Assessments, Safe Operating Procedures and Method Statements

Risk assessments often exist, but are not always current.

December is the ideal time to review:

• Risk assessments for routine tasks

• Method statements for higher-risk activities

• Do the safe operating procedures need updating?

• Lone working and remote working arrangements

• Contractor and visitor risk controls

If controls are outdated, unclear, or no longer practical, they may not protect people effectively. Updating them now means teams return in January knowing exactly what’s expected and how risks are managed.

Clear, current documentation reduces confusion, improves compliance, and helps work start smoothly after the Christmas holiday period.

4. Review Training, Competency, and Records

People are at the heart of Health and Safety. Before January, check that training records are complete and accurate:

• Are mandatory courses up to date?

• Have new starters received appropriate inductions?

• Are refresher training dates planned for the year ahead?

• Do supervisors have the competence needed for their responsibilities?

Outdated or missing training records are a common compliance gap. Addressing them in December avoids last-minute scrambles in January and ensures your workforce starts the year confident, competent, and supported.

5. Close Out Incidents, Near Misses, and Actions

Nothing disrupts a “fresh start” feeling like unresolved incidents.

Take time to review:

• Accident and near miss reports

• Investigations and root causes

• Corrective and preventive actions

• Trends that may need strategic focus in the new year

Closing actions demonstrates learning, accountability, and care for people’s safety. It also helps prevent repeat incidents and supports continuous improvement, a key driver of long-term success.

6. Check Legal Compliance and Documentation

Legislation doesn’t pause for the holidays.

Before January, confirm that:

• Policies and procedures reflect current legislation

• Safety statements and arrangements are signed and current

• Contractor documentation is valid

• Insurance, certificates, and statutory inspections are in date

Using a structured Health and Safety audit checklist can help identify any gaps quickly, giving you confidence that compliance is under control heading into the New Year.

Start January with Clarity and Confidence

A December Health and Safety reset isn’t just about ticking boxes. It’s about creating space for a calmer, more focused January, knowing your systems protect your people, support safe operations, respect the environment, and enable sustainable success.

If you’d like support reviewing your H&S inspection checklist, completing an end-of-year audit, or preparing your business for a fresh start in the New Year, please get in touch. Professional guidance can make the process simpler and more effective.

Because when Health and Safety is clear, current, and compliant, everyone benefits.

If you do require Health and Safety support – please get in touch. Health & Safety Services – Craven Consultancy Services