Health and safety at work

What are we responsible for?

Enforcement of health and safety legislation is split between the local authority and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

Local authority environmental health departments are responsible for the following types of premises:

• offices (except government offices) 
• shops 
• hotels 
• restaurants 
• leisure premises 
• nurseries and playgroups 
• pubs and clubs 
• museums (privately owned) 
• places of worship 
• sheltered accommodation and care homes 

We do the following:

• Inspect work places to ensure compliance with health and safety law, in accordance with national and local priorities
• Investigate relevant workplace accidents in accordance with the HSE Incident Selection Criteria
• Investigate complaints about health, safety or welfare in work premises
• License particular premises (eg skin piercing, sex shops)
• Offer advice about health and safety at events being held at Licensed Premises
• Give advice to customers and stakeholders on health and safety matters
• Work with other health professionals locally and nationally

Help us to help you

You can help us by:

• Co-operating with any request for information to progress an inspection or investigation
• Being prepared to allow time to discuss the outcome and recommendation arising from a premises inspection or investigation

Complaints

What will we investigate?

We will investigate complaints concerning Health and Safety issues which affect employees, the self-employed and members of the public at workplaces for which we are the responsible Enforcement Authority, for example:

• offices (except government offices) 
• shops 
• hotels 
• restaurants 
• leisure premises 
• nurseries and playgroups 
• pubs and clubs 
• museums (privately owned) 
• places of worship 
• sheltered accommodation and care homes 

Complaints will be accepted from people who wish to remain anonymous, but the complainant should be aware that in such circumstances we may make judgement as to the authenticity of the nature of the complaint and we will not engage in subsequent dialogue concerning the findings of an investigation.

Help us to help you

Before formally raising a complaint about health, safety or welfare conditions in a workplace with us, try to speak to your employer or Trade Union representative about the matter first. Remember, if you've not told them, they can't take action to resolve the issues.

If you are not able to, or feel the matter has not been satisfactorily resolved, or you are a member of the public with concerns, please contact us by any means listed at the bottom of this page. Please have full details ready of the premises concerned when you contact us.