We can offer health and safety advice to you and your business.
We are responsible for enforcing the regulations set out in the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. We help to protect the health, safety and well-being of business employees and members of the public.
We carry out health and safety inspections, provide advice and support to prevent accidents in the workplace, investigate complaints and can take enforcement action.
Our emphasis is on helping businesses to avoid significant risks by providing advice and guidance.
How we decide which businesses to inspect
We visit individual businesses based on risk. We concentrate our work where the risks are likely to be highest and where it will have the greatest impact, in particular:
- To target certain geographical areas or business sectors, usually to concentrate on specific priorities, such as asbestos, violence, sunbeds
- Where there is evidence that health and safety performance is poor
- To investigate a specific incident, such as an accident or work-related illness
- To investigate a specific complaint
- To focus on issues that are particular priorities for local communities
- To assess the risks of new a new business or premises
What happens during an inspection
Whatever the reason for the visit, we will be checking the standards of health, safety and welfare in your business and giving you advice, guidance and information on how to prevent people being made ill or injured at work.
We do not expect all risks in the workplace to be eliminated. Instead, we will want to see that you are taking sensible actions to reduce your health and safety risks.
When necessary, for example, where conditions are poor or there is blatant disregard for the law, our officers can use their enforcement powers to require improvements, including serving notices and prosecution where appropriate.
Further information on health and safety
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) website, Health and safety made simple - the basics for your business, makes it easier for you to manage health and safety in your business, by taking you through the basic steps and help you make sure you have done what you need to.
The Health and Safety Executive also provides lots of useful information and advice about health and safety issues for your business on its main HSE website.
The HSE also offer a number of free publications and advice leaflets, which are available to download from the website.
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