We are the health and safety enforcing authority for a wide range of workplaces and premises including:
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shops
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restaurants and cafes
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takeaways
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hotels, caravan sites and campsites
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offices
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warehouses
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places of worship
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hairdressers and beauty therapists
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tattooing and body piercing
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tyre and exhaust premises
We have a team of officers who carry out inspections of businesses, investigate complaints and investigate accidents and near misses.
What can officers do?
The law gives a wide range of power to our officers, including:
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entering premises to carry out their duties
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carrying out investigations and examinations
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taking measurements, photographs and samples
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taking possession of articles and equipment
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requiring people to provide information
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taking statements from people
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inspecting and copying documents
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issuing Improvement Notices
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issuing Prohibition Notices
What action can we take?
If there is a breach of health and safety law, then the officer can take several courses of action, which most likely are:
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issue an informal warning – this will provide information and advice about improvements that can be introduced
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serve an improvement Notice – this is a formal enforcement notice which will detail what is wrong with any procedures and/ or practices, what to do to fix them and will specify the date by which the improvements must be introduced
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serve a prohibition notice – this is a formal enforcement notice to deal with a risk of serious personal injury. It requires a work activity or a process to stop immediately and will stay in force until all issues are resolved and the notice is lifted by us
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prosecution – this is likely to follow non-compliance of an improvement notice or a prohibition notice or after an investigation of a serious accident in the workplace.