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Health and safety

We work with businesses, owners and managers to help them achieve high health and safety standards and avoid problems.

Advice and training

Whether you are a new business or have been going a while we can help with advice on legislation, practical problems, and advice for your premises.

We have short guides available on different health and safety matters such as display screen equipment, slips and trips, noise at work, and risk assessments. Much advice is also available in the guidance section of the Health and Safety Executive website.

Regulation and inspection

We enforce health and safety regulations for:

  • offices
  • shops
  • warehouses
  • hairdressers
  • cinemas
  • tyre and exhaust centres
  • beauty parlours
  • residential homes
  • golf courses
  • other non-manufacturing premises.

The Health and Safety Executive are responsible for enforcing regulations in other types of business such as manufacturers, construction sites, schools, railways, motor repairs, dentists, and quarries.

We try to work proactively with businesses to avoid issues and bring their standards to a high level. This may be on a direct basis through inspections, through campaigns, or through responding to reports of accidents or issues.

Complaints about a health and safety issue in your workplace can be made to us by telephone or email.

Investigation

Where work conditions fall short we will investigate and try to resolve by informal means. Where this isn't possible we'll take action. This could include:

  • a legal notice
  • prosecution
  • or in situations where serious personal injury could arise a prohibition notice requiring immediate action.

Reporting accidents at work

If an employee is off work due to a work related illness then you must check if it needs to be reported under RIDDOR (Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013).

If a member of the public has an accident in your workplace and is taken to hospital then you must also report this under RIDDOR.

Fatalities and major incidents and injuries can be reported by telephone to the Health and Safety Executive call centre: 0345 300 9923 (Monday to Friday 8.30am to 5pm).

All other incidents should be reported to the Health and Safety Executive online.

Ways to contact us about health and safety

If you have a question about health and safety or how we can support your business you can contact us by: