Health and safety at work
Local Authority enforces health and safety in the workplace as required by the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.
- Who is responsible?
- Registration and inspection
- Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR)
- Obtaining relevant leaflets
Who is responsible?
Health and Safety law enforcement is split between two organisations:
The Health and Safety Executive who generally deal with industry, manufacturing, and specialist activities such as the railways and nuclear power etc. Activities such as these are often undertaken on a national basis and require specialist inspectors.
Local Councils deal with Retail Shops, Warehousing, Offices, Residential accommodation, Leisure, Consumer Services etc. These activities are generally dealt with locally by trained Local Authority Health and Safety Inspectors.
If you are unsure please check with Environmental Health Services or the Healthy and Safety Executive. http://www.hse.gov.uk*
Registration and inspection
it is a legal requirement for you to register either with the Health and Safety Executive or the Environmental Health Department of the Council in the area you operate your business.
Depending on the nature of the business, some premises will require licensing or registration. For example, a person has to register before operating as an ear piercer. However, there is no legal requirement to similarly register as a body piercer (e.g. piercing of the navel, eyebrows, nose, lips etc). The cost of licensing or registration for specific businesses can be viewed on the Fees and Charges page.
Registration is free and achieved by completing and returning the form appropriate to your business. The form will either be form F9 for manufacturing premises or form OSR1 for other premises.
If you are unsure about where to register with please check with Environmental Health Services.
Each premises is rated and that rating will determine when the inspection is due. For example a lower rating equates to less frequent visits. During that inspection matters such working procedures would be examined. Written policies and procedures, accident reporting mechanisms, safe systems of work and the state of the premises would all be considered during the inspection.
Every premise should have a Health and Safety Poster displayed in the workplace. This will provide information on the enforcing authority and the Employment Medical Advisory Service (EMAS). This form will need to be completed by the company, with either the local authority address or the HSE (depending on the nature of the business) and EMAS' address. (EMAS, 3 East Grinstead House, East Grinstead, West Sussex, RH19 1RR, tel: 01342 334200)
Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR)
This regulation requires the reporting of all work-related accidents, diseases and dangerous occurrences. It applies to all work activities, but not to all incidents.
Reporting accidents and ill health at work is a legal requirement. The information enables the enforcing authorities to identify where and how risks arise, and to investigate serious accidents.
Full details of reportable Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences are available from Environmental Health Services or HSE Books - ISBN 0 7176 1077
Incidents can be reported by any of the following routes:
Telephone - 0845 3009923
Internet - by completing the relevant form at www.riddor.gov.uk/ *
Form -- by completing the relevant hard copy form and sending:
By Facsimile - 0845 3009924
By post to:
Incident Contact Centre
Caerphilly Business Park
Caerphilly
CF83 3GG
The Incident Contact Centre will forward details of incidents to the relevant enforcing authority, which is the environmental health department of the local authority if the business is:
office-based, retail or wholesale, warehousing, hotel and catering, sports or leisure, residential accommodation(excluding nursing homes), concerned with places of worship, pre-school child care, mobile vending.
For all other types of business it will be the area office of the Health and Safety Executive.
Environmental Health Services provide advice, enforce health and safety law and investigate accidents and complaints. However, we are unable to pursue civil claims for compensation or get involved in such actions.
Environmental Health Services is also responsible for investigating accidents that are reported to the Council. Accidents that occur in the workplace that are either of a serious nature such as fractures, electric shock, amputations and unconsciousness or that result in three days or more off of work should be reported.
Serious accidents should be reported as soon as possible to the enforcing authority and then within ten days the supporting form (F2508) should be sent. Over three day injuries should be reported within ten days. (F2508 forms can be obtained from HSE Books).
Obtaining relevant leaflets
There are many leaflets available on a majority of the health and safety topics. Some are held at the Council but they can also be ordered online from the HSE books website or via the post at:
HSE Books
PO Box 1999
Sudbury, Suffolk
CO10 6FS
tel: 01787 881165
fax: 01787 313995
