Safety evidence library software for UK businesses

Why evidence management is a legal obligation, not optional

UK health and safety law requires employers not just to carry out the right activities — risk assessments, COSHH assessments, training, fire checks — but to be able to demonstrate they have done so. The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, MHSWR 1999 and the associated regulations all carry documentation requirements. When the HSE inspects, or when a personal injury claim is made, the question is always the same: can you prove what you did and when?

Certificates, inspection reports and safety data sheets also carry legal significance of their own. An expired PAT test certificate or a lapsed LOLER thorough examination can constitute a failure to comply with the relevant regulations, regardless of whether the equipment is actually safe. Managing expiry dates is part of managing legal compliance.

• Certificates: PAT testing, LOLER thorough examination, gas safe inspection, electrical certification, fire extinguisher service.
• Safety data sheets (SDS): store the current SDS for each substance in your COSHH register with supplier and version tracking.
• Training certificates: first aid, fire marshal, food hygiene, IPAF, PASMA — stored against the individual in the training matrix.
• Inspection reports: legionella, asbestos surveys, structural reports — stored with the next review date.
• Test records: noise surveys, LEV testing, health surveillance results.

Expiry tracking and automatic alerts

An evidence library is only as useful as the alerts that go with it. Documents without expiry tracking become a liability: you think everything is in order, and then an inspector picks up an out-of-date gas safe certificate or a lapsed LOLER report. Featherstone Safety Hub tracks the expiry date of every document and alerts you in advance so renewals are arranged before the deadline.

The dashboard surfaces approaching expiry dates alongside other compliance priorities, so you can see at a glance what is current and what needs attention — rather than manually reviewing a folder of documents at your annual review.

Instant retrieval for inspectors, auditors and insurers

When an HSE inspector arrives on site, you typically have a very short window to produce the records they request. With a library stored in a filing cabinet or across email folders, finding what you need under pressure takes time and creates a bad impression. From a digital evidence library, you can produce any record in seconds on a phone or tablet, and share it immediately if asked.

The same applies to insurance renewals: demonstrating to an insurer that you have current PAT, LOLER and fire extinguisher records, current training certificates and a live risk assessment programme supports your renewal and your policy terms.

Linked to your compliance activities

Evidence is most useful when it is linked to the compliance activity it supports. Safety data sheets stored in the evidence library are linked to the COSHH assessments that reference them. Training certificates are linked to the training matrix records for each person. LOLER reports are linked to the equipment they cover. This means the audit trail is complete: not just a document, but the activity it evidences.