Health and Safety in the Workplace

Health and Safety enforcement is split between the Council (Local Authority or LA) and the Health & Safety Executive (HSE).

The HSE is responsible for:

• temporary mobile and fixed accommodation for farmworkers,
• care premises,
• agricultural activities and shows,
• construction sites and projects,
• crematoria,
• Crown Premises,
• Defence Activities,
• factories,
• fairgrounds, and
• fishing vessels.

The Local Authority deals mainly with:

• retail,
• wholesale distribution and warehousing,
• hotel and catering premises,
• offices, and
• the consumer and leisure industries.

For a full list of Local Authority and HSE responsibilities, please see HSE Enforcement.

What are we responsible for?

We are responsible for enforcing the regulations set out in Health and Safety Law. This helps protect the health, safety and well-being of business employees or members of the public.

Our responsibilities are:

• Health and safety inspections 
• Providing advice and support to prevent accidents in the workplace 
• Investigating complaints 
• Taking enforcement action if necessary and appropriate.

We aim to help businesses avoid significant risks by providing advice and guidance.