Health and Safety at work
The Safety and Pollution Team aims to ensure that work premises are safe for employees and visitors and that accidents are prevented wherever possible.
The Council has a legal duty to enforce the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and related legislation.
What do we do?
- inspect places of work to ensure compliance with health and safety law, in accordance with government priorities
- use educational techniques as well as legal means to achieve compliance
- investigate accidents to employees or others which occur in workplaces
- investigate complaints about health, safety or welfare in work premises
- license skin piercing premises
- advise other council departments about health and safety at events held at licensed premises
- work with Planning and Building Control Officers to advise on the health and safety implications of new developments
- give advice to customers and all stakeholders on health and safety issues
- work with other health professionals locally and nationally
What you can expect
We will:
- carry out regular inspections of workplaces
- investigate relevant workplace accidents
- respond to complaints about health and safety in workplaces
- respond to requests for advice or information about health and safety
- respond to letters or emails about health and safety issues
- keep you fully informed of the progress made with your enquiry or complaint
What you should do
Employees
If you think your employer is exposing you to risks, or is not carrying out his/her legal duties correctly, you should first approach your manager/employer to inform them. If you do not get a satisfactory response, contact us or the Health and Safety Executive, depending on who is the appropriate enforcing authority.
Your Health
If you believe that your work may be affecting your health, you should first discuss your concerns with your manager (or occupational health doctor/nurse where appropriate). Where a specific medical condition has caused problems at work, you should seek advice from your GP.
Members of the Public
If you are a member of the public, and you think you have been harmed by a work activity, or have noticed something you consider to be dangerous, you should contact us or the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) as appropriate.
We need to take as many details as possible, including exact location, names of company or people you have spoken to, etc. We will keep you in touch with what is happening throughout the course of the investigation.
Making a complaint
Please contact us if you wish to make a complaint about health, safety or welfare conditions in a workplace. Please have full details ready of the premises concerned when you contact us.
Some workplaces will be the responsibility of the Health and Safety Executive, rather than the Council, according to the nature of the work carried out. We can advise you who the relevant 'enforcing authority' for health and safety purposes is, when you contact us.
We need your name, address and contact details so we can keep you informed of our progress and in case we need to obtain further information.
We may sometimes advise that we don't think anything needs to be done.