In this section
Report a Health and Safety at work issue
Overview
If you have concerns about health and safety in your workplace, firstly you should inform your employer. This may be through your line manager, through a health and safety representative, or through your Trade Union. If this does not resolve your issue, or you do not feel able to raise your concern with your employer, you can report it to the ‘enforcing authority’.
The Council are the enforcing authority for workplaces such as:
- Shops,
- Cafes & Restaurants,
- Offices,
- Warehouses,
- Other non-industrial units.
In other workplaces, such as factories and construction sites, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) may be the enforcing authority. You can find a more detailed list on the Health and Safety Executive website.
Advice for businesses
All employers must ensure the health, safety and welfare of all their staff, customers and anybody else who may visit their site. They must spot the hazards relating to their work and assess the risks that the hazards pose. Ways to reduce or remove the risks must then be put into place. If the employer has five or more employees, they must keep a written record of this.
Hazards will be different for each workplace but could include:
- slips and trips
- falls from height
- stress
- workplace transport
- substances hazardous to health (eg chemicals or dust)
More advice on how to comply with health and safety requirements can be found on the HSE’s website.
Reporting your concern
If you are an employee or a member of the public with a concern about a workplace, and the Council is the enforcing authority for the business, then you can report it using our online form.
