Health and Safety at Work - Regulation and Inspection
The regulation & inspection of local business premises ensures that safe and healthy working conditions are provided for all employees, the self-employed and members of the public visiting these premises.
Responsibility for Local Enforcement of Health and Safety Law.
Basildon Council's Environmental Health team are responsible for health and safety enforcement in offices, shops, warehouses, places used for leisure activities and other non-industrial premises. (The Health and Safety (Enforcing Authority) Regulations 1998: A-Z guide to allocation (opens new window) deal with factories and other industrial operations).
Types of business regulated by Basildon Council's Environmental Health team include:
- Offices & Shops
- Hotels & Catering
- Consumer Services
- Warehouses
- Leisure & Entertainment
- Residential Accommodation
- Places of Worship and Undertakers
- Pre-School Childcare
- Mobile Vendors
- Animal Care
- Therapeutic & Beauty Services
Health and Safety - Registration of Businesses
Businesses are not generally required to register for health and safety purposes.
However, if you work with hazardous substances, such as asbestos or explosives, or in a hazardous industry such as construction or diving, you may need to apply for a licence or notify HSE or your local authority. Please see Health and Safety Executive Website (opens new window) for further information.
To apply for cooling tower and evaporative condenser registration please see Basildon Councils Public health - Cooling Tower Notification web page
Food businesses must register with the local Environmental Health department.
Health and Safety Interventions
As with food safety, Health & Safety interventions are carried out on a routine basis without prior notification, and high risk premises are visited more frequently.
During an inspection, officers will need to be satisfied that any hazards to people's health, safety and welfare, which arise out of or in connection with work have been identified, and the associated risks adequately controlled. Further information about Health and Safety Inspections can be found in Health and Safety Executive Publications (opens new window)
Inspecting officers will look at the level of health and safety training of managers and employees to ensure that it is suitable.
Checks will also be made on the adequacy of structural and environmental conditions, and that plant and equipment are safe.
Inspectors mainly try to help employers by giving advice.
Where work practices or conditions fall short of what is regarded as satisfactory every attempt will be made to resolve the situation by informal means, but if this is not possible, or if the danger posed gives rise to a risk of serious personal injury, then officers will resort to formal action.
Inspectors do have legal powers but will generally only enforce them when something is seriously wrong or where their advice is ignored.
This could involve either the service of a legal notice, prosecution, or in situations where serious personal injury could arise, a prohibition notice requiring immediate action.