Health and Safety Inspections
Safety Officers from the Environmental Health and Licensing team carry out inspections to ensure that safe and healthy working conditions are provided for all employees, the self-employed and members of the public visiting these premises.
New business?
If you have recently moved premises or are a new business, you need to fill out a Health and Safety Questionnaire. The aim of the questionnaire is to inform the Local Authoirty what activities you are undertaking which may affect the various aspects of the Health and Safety Legislation. You may download the questionnaire (under Related Documents).
Government Aims for Health & Safety
The Government and HSC (Health and Safety Commission) have for the first time set national targets for improving the work environment over the next ten years.
The aim is to:
- Reduce the number of working days lost per 100,000 workers from work-related injury and ill health by 30% by 2010
- Reduce the incidence rate of fatal and major injury incidents by 10% by 2010
- Reduce the incidence rate of cases of work-related ill health by 20% by 2010
- To achieve half the improvements under each target by 2004.
The Government and the HSC have selected five priority programmes covering hazards where major improvements are necessary if the targets are to be met. These are areas where the incidence rate of injuries or ill health is high and where it is believed we have the ability to bring about change and success. This has implications for everyone involved in health and safety at work - INCLUDING YOU!
The five priorities are:
- Falls from Height
- Workplace Transport
- Stress
- Slips and trips
- Musculoskeletal disorders
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and Local authorities are being encouraged to target their resources by focusing their health and safety inspections on these five priority areas.
You may have already received an inspection by one of our officers.
Targeted inspections
During an inspection, Officers will need to be satisfied that any hazards to people, 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.
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. This 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.
Your responsibilities
As an employer or self-employed person you have a duty under Health and Safety At Work etc. Act 1974
- To provide and maintain plant and systems of work that are safe and without risks to health.
- Have arrangements in place to ensure that the use, handling, storage and transport of articles and substances are safe and without risk.
- Provide employees with information, instruction, training and supervision to enable them to carry out their jobs safely.
- Ensure that any workplace under your control is safe and healthy and that proper means of access and egress are maintained, particularly in respect of high standards of cleanliness, housekeeping, disposal of rubbish and the stacking of goods in the proper place.
- Keep the workplace environment safe and healthy so that the atmosphere is such as not to give rise to poisoning, gassing or the encouragement of the development of diseases.
- Welfare facilities must also be adequate.
- You are required to carry out risk assessments of the significant risks within your business. Please see the Health and Safety Executive website for more information on carrying out risk assessments.
- Employers have a legal duty to display the Health and Safety Law Poster in a prominent position in each workplace. In the new poster, references to obsolete legal requirements are removed and the revised text focuses on the modern framework of general duties, supplemented by the basics of health and safety management, and risk assessment. It now includes two additional boxes: one for details of trade union or other safety reps and one for competent persons appointed to assist with health and safety and their responsibilities.
Copies of the poster are available from:
HSE Books
PO Box 1999
Sudbury
Suffolk
CO10 6FS
Telephone: 01787 881165.
Fax: 01787 313995