Refuse Unsafe Work (Formal) Letter: Free Template and What to Include

If you need to formally notify your employer you are refusing work due to serious safety concerns, a written letter is the recommended first step — it creates a clear record and shows you're pursuing the matter formally. Below is what a strong refuse unsafe work (formal) should include.

What this letter needs to cover

• Identify the specific work refused and why it is dangerous
• Reference section 44 of the Employment Rights Act 1996 protecting workers who refuse unsafe work in circumstances of serious and imminent danger
• Request a risk assessment and safe system of work
• Request written confirmation that no detriment will follow

Your right to refuse genuinely dangerous work

Under the Employment Rights Act 1996, you have the right to refuse to work, or to leave your workplace, if you reasonably believe there's serious and imminent danger to your health and safety — and you're protected from dismissal or detriment for exercising this right, provided your belief is genuinely held and reasonable.

What to include before you send it

• The specific danger you believe is present, described factually
• Why you consider it serious and imminent, not just a general concern
• Confirmation of your refusal to carry out the specific task until the danger is addressed
• What you'd need to see resolved before returning to the task

The important distinction between "serious and imminent" and general concerns

This protection specifically requires the danger to be serious and imminent — a general worry about safety standards, without a specific immediate risk, may not meet this test in the same way. Being clear and specific about exactly what danger you're responding to strengthens your position considerably.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I be disciplined for refusing to work in this situation?
Not if your belief was reasonably held, even if it later turns out the danger wasn't as serious as you believed at the time — the law protects reasonable, good-faith judgment, not just situations where you were later proven correct.

Do I still get paid while refusing unsafe work?
This can be a point of dispute — it's worth raising this specifically with your employer, since unlawful deduction of pay for a genuine, protected refusal could itself be challenged.

[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[Your Postcode]
[Your Phone Number]
[Your Email Address]
[Name of Recipient]
[Job Title, e.g. Site Supervisor]
[Company Name]
[Company Address]
[Company Postcode]
[Date]

Dear [Name],

Subject: Refusing unsafe work – serious and imminent danger

I am refusing to carry out a specific task because I reasonably believe it puts [me / me and others] in serious and imminent danger.

• The task: [e.g. driving forklift [number], whose brakes are not working]
• The danger: [e.g. I cannot stop the vehicle and could hit someone]
• When I raised it: [e.g. I told my supervisor at 9am today]

Section 44 of the Employment Rights Act 1996 protects me from being treated badly for refusing to work where I reasonably believe there is serious and imminent danger that I could not reasonably be expected to avert.

I am not refusing to work. I am available for any other duties that are safe, and I will return to this task once it has been made safe.

Please:
• carry out a risk assessment of this task and put a safe system of work in place; and
• confirm in writing that I will not suffer any detriment for refusing.

Yours sincerely,

[Your Signature]
[Your Printed Name]