HSE CALLING..

A client of ours was recently contacted by the HSE to arrange a visit to the site. This was following concerns raised to them by a complainant. Having been appointed to act as the company's Competent H&S Support, they contacted us for advice, which was this;

Welcome them in, acknowledge their points, answer their questions and take note and action of any advice they offer.

The visit lasted 1.5 hours consisting of a walk of the business, observing operations and a discussion with an employee, something the HSE do as a duty of care to paint their own picture from discussions with management and workforce.

This visit was successful from more than one perspective - 

• We as the appointed advisors were pleased to hear that the HSE were happy with measures in place and that our input has been of value;

• The business (our client) was happy with the outcome, felt reassured in their efforts to date, were pleased with our support and learnt from guidance and suggestion the HSE officer offered;

• The HSE Officer told us they were pleased to see an organisation open to discussion, refreshed by the honesty and the interest in learning more.

Workplace inspections carried out by the HSE help improve Health and Safety standards by investigating injuries, diseases, dangerous occurrences and concerns raised by members of the public, workers or others.

How does the HSE decide which companies to visit?

They decide based on risk.  They concentrate on where the risks are likely to be highest and where it will have the greatest impact.

In particular where:

•        There is evidence that Health and Safety is managed poorly.

•        The organisation operates in one of a number of hazardous industries.

•        The HSE wants to investigate a specific incident or complaint.

The HSE also carry out visits on a handful of businesses to:

•        Carry out random spot checks on compliance.

•        Visit new businesses or premises to assess risks.

•        Target geographical areas or sectors to concentrate on priorities such as workplace transport or back pain.

•        Keep abreast of new developments and processes or for training purposes.

Whatever the reason for the visit, the HSE will check the standards of health, safety and welfare within an organisation and provide advice on preventing illness and injury at work.

Safety For support clients with HSE involvement from reportable incidents to workplace visits and communications. If you have questions about HSE visits, what to expect, how you can prepare and associated costs, contact us.