Health and safety
Top tasks:
Our Commercial Group aims to provide a safe and healthy environment for people at work. We enforce health and safety legislation in over 2,300 work places in the borough by:
- Inspecting workplaces
- Investigating accidents and cases of ill health
- Enforcing good standards
- Distributing health and safety information (e.g. leaflets)
- Answering queries
Our commitments for each year are detailed in an annual Health and Safety Intervention Plan and will include any campaigns that we will be involved in, and any action that we take will be in accordance with our Health and Safety Enforcement Policy.
The work we carry out is also in line with the National Local Authority Enforcement Code which has been drawn up by Health and Safety Executive to guide local authorities with interventions in specific types of premises that carry the highest risks.
- Report a Health and Safety Problem
- Skin piercing activities
- Cooling towers and evaporative condensers
- Private Water Supply Regulations 2009.
- Health & Safety ABC
There are a number of smaller to medium sized businesses in our borough and to help them the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) have produced some free guides called 'Safe Start Up' based on sectors such as hairdressers, building trades and florists.
Independent regulatory challenge panel
The Independent Regulatory Challenge Panel provides an independent means for any person (whether companies or individuals) to complain about the actions of Local Authority health and safety regulators. Complaints may only be referred to the Panel if they have first been raised locally and it has not been possible to resolve the matter.
The Panel will consider complaints from companies or individuals who have been visited by HSE or LA health and safety inspector and who believe that the visit was not justified as being in accordance with a risk based approach to targeting proactive inspections.
They will also consider complaints where the advice given by the HSE or LA health and safety regulator is incorrect or not proportionate to the risks.
Sensible risk assessment
We have adopted the HSE's 'Help Great Britain work well' strategy. This strategy promises to protect people by managing risk in a proportionate and effective way, supporting innovation and increasing productivity. The challenge is to improve even further on this impressive record.
Last updated: Tue 2nd January, 2018 @ 16:19
