Health and safety bodies and inspectors

Updating author: Andrea Tithecott

On this page:
Summary
Future developments
Practical example
Key references
Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974
Health and Safety Executive
Department for Work and Pensions
Employment Medical Advisory Service
Local authorities
Inspectors
Trade associations
British Standards Institution

Summary

• The Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 provides the main framework for health and safety law in the UK. (See Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974)
• The Health and Safety Executive is the single national non-departmental regulatory body responsible for promoting the cause of better health and safety at work through health and safety legislation, research and the enforcement of health and safety legislation in higher-risk sectors. (See Health and Safety Executive)
• Responsibility for the Health and Safety Executive lies with the Department for Work and Pensions. (See Department for Work and Pensions)
• The Employment Medical Advisory Service can provide employers with expert advice on work-related medical matters. (See Employment Medical Advisory Service)
• Local authority environmental health officers are responsible for the enforcement of health and safety legislation in most lower-risk sectors. (See Local authorities)
• The Health and Safety Executive and local authorities are empowered to appoint suitably qualified persons as inspectors to enforce health and safety legislation. (See Inspectors)
• Various trade associations have developed safety standards that, in some instances, have acquired a limited legal status. (See Trade associations)
• The British Standards Institution is responsible for facilitating, drafting, publishing and marketing British Standards and other guidelines. (See British Standards Institution)

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Future developments

Health and safety inspections: In September 2012, the Government announced its intention to introduce legislation that will ensure (with effect from April 2013) that only businesses that operate in high-risk areas such as construction, those that have a record of poor performance or those that have had an incident will be subject to health and safety inspections. The Government's announcement (on the BIS website) states that "Shops, offices, pubs and clubs will no longer face burdensome health and safety inspections" and the new rules "will exempt hundreds of thousands of businesses from burdensome, regular health and safety inspections".