Regulation And Inspection
Health and safety inspections
We carry out regular checks on
- offices
- shops
- warehouses
- places used for leisure activities
- other non-industrial premises.
This ensures that safe and healthy working conditions are provided for
- all employees
- the self-employed
- members of the public visiting these premises.
The Health and Safety Executive 
deal with factories and other industrial operations, i.e. we do not deal with Council buildings and employees, manufacturing, construction or food manufacturing industries relating to health and safety at work.
As with food safety, our officers carry out inspections to retail premises on a routine basis, generally without prior notification, and the higher risk premises are visited more frequently.
We will also carry out investigations if there are complaints and/or reported accidents.
What happens during an inspection?
Officers will need to be satisfied that any hazards to people's health, safety and welfare, which arise out of or in connection with work have been identified and the associated risks adequately controlled.
They will look at the level of health and safety training of managers and employees to ensure that it is suitable.
Checks will also be made on the adequacy of structural and environmental conditions and that plant and equipment are safe.
Currently inspections are focused on 6 key priority topic areas:
- slips and trips
- working at height
- workplace transport
- muscular skeletal injury
- stress at work
- asbestos
The above issues will be considered as part of the focused inspection. The inspection will generally focus on one or two of the six priority topics.
What happens when work practices/conditions are not satisfactory?
Where work practices or conditions fall short of what is regarded as satisfactory every attempt will be made to resolve the situation by informal means, but if this is not possible, or if the danger posed gives rise to a risk of serious personal injury, then officers will resort to formal action. We have a legal duty to ensure that businesses comply with the relevant legislation.
Formal action could involve either the service of a
- legal notice
- prosecution
or in situations where serious personal injury could arise, a prohibition notice requiring immediate action.
Cooling towers
All premises where cooling towers and evaporative condensers are situated must register with us so that we can ensure adequate preventative measures are taken against infectious diseases such as legionella
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