About the Health and Safety Executive (HSE)

HSE's job is to protect people against risks to health or safety arising out of work activities.

HSE and local authorities share responsibility for regulating health, safety and welfare for those at work and for those affected by work activity, including the public.

HSE want health and safety to be seen as a cornerstone of a civilised society and so achieve a record of workplace health and safety that leads the world (HSE already have one of the best safety records). HSE are working for this in partnerships with businesses, with workers and their trades unions, providing advice, guidance and information – both nationally and locally.

HSE also help achieve their aims by visiting individual businesses. How do HSE and local authorities decide which ones to visit? They do this on the basis of risk. They concentrate tgheir work where the risks are likely to be highest and where it will have the greatest impact, in particular where:-

1. They have evidence that health and safety performance is poor – either in a business or sector, or if the type of work done shows a high rate of accidents or ill health. Whilst visiting a business their staff will concentrate on the risks identified as priorities for national health and safety improvements (for instance falls from height or on the level) because they have the greatest potential to improve health and safety performance nationally.

2. They want to investigate a specific incident (accident or work related illness) or complaint. They concentrate their efforts here on the most severe incidents - those resulting in deaths or major injuries - or those that link to our priorities for national health and safety improvements. Their inspectors’ investigation will seek to find out what went wrong and to learn the lessons both for your business and for others that do similar type of work.

HSE and local authority staff also carry out a limited number of visits to:-

1.Make an assessment of the risks in new businesses or premises

2.Target certain geographical areas or sectors usually to concentrate on specific priorities such as bad backs or workplace transport

3.Do random ‘spot checks’ on compliance

4.Keep abreast of new developments and processes or for training purposes

Whatever the reason for the visit, they will be checking the standards of health, safety and welfare in your business and giving you advice on how to prevent people being made ill or injured at work.

HSE do not believe that all risks in the workplace can be eliminated. Instead, they will want to see that sensible actions are taken to reduce health and safety risks. Where necessary, for example where conditions are poor or there is blatant disregard for the law, their staff can use their powers to require improvements, including prosecution where appropriate.