Workplace health and safety regulations

Depending on your main work activity, either the council or the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) will be responsible for enforcing workplace health and safety laws.

We're the enforcing authority for work places such as:

offices
shops
warehouses
hairdressers
restaurants
hotels
private residential care homes
consumer and leisure services

The HSE is responsible for workplaces such as factories, construction sites, farms and schools. Check the enforcing authority for your workplace.

Our role in workplace health and safety

The work we do includes:

investigating work-related accidents
responding to complaints about workplace health and safety
providing advice and guidance to businesses
registering businesses that carry out acupuncture, body piercing, ear piercing, electrolysis and tattooing
registering cooling towers
regulating sunbed use
carrying out inspections
enforcing health, safety, welfare and smoke-free legislation
running campaigns to raise public awareness of important issues

Report an accident at work

You can report an accident at work under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) on the HSE website. You can also find out about the types of incidents that must be reported and exemptions.

Report a health and safety problem

If you have a concern about health and safety where you work, please check the enforcing authority for your workplace before making a report.

If we're the enforcing authority, use our online form below to report a health and safety problem to us.
For work activities not enforced by us, contact the Health and Safety Executive.

Report a health and safety at work problem