Be prepared for an inspectors' visit | Watch asbestos webinar on-demand | Law poster

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Make sure you are prepared when an inspector calls

Engineers discussing at an industrial facility

It is important to be prepared when an HSE inspector calls at your business. They will look at how you keep your workers, and anyone who may be affected by your work, healthy and safe.

They may also give you health and safety advice or make sure you are providing suitable welfare facilities.

 

We have resources that will help you prepare as they explain:

  • what to expect when an inspector visits your business and how inspections are carried out
  • why inspections are an important part of keeping people healthy and safe at work
  • how to let workers and their representatives know about information an inspector may provide during a visit

You can:


Waste management company fined after worker suffers serious burns

The company was issued with a £200,000 fine following an incident that left a worker with burns to his face and body, as well as a broken left arm, fractured ribs and a dislocated kneecap.

The injuries suffered by the worker happened after the crowbar he was using came into contact with a live electrical conductor. HSE's investigation found that:

  • this was not part of the normal workload for the injured worker and he had not received any training with regards to undertaking electrical work
  • the task had not been properly planned or risk assessed, and the electrical cables were not isolated before work began
  • the level of supervision provided was inadequate and safety devices on the electrical supply had been set inappropriately, prioritising continuity of supply over safety of the electrical circuit

Read the press release for more details on why the waste management company was fined

 

HSE's website has guidance on electrical safety.

 

Other recent enforcement cases include:


Check that you are not buying a fake health and safety law poster

HSE Health and safety law poster

Only HSE can approve a version of the health and safety law poster.

If you employ anyone, the law says you must:

You must display the poster where your workers can easily read it and you can’t print a copy yourself.  

 

We are aware of suppliers selling fake versions online that haven’t been approved.

 

The current version of the law poster includes enhanced security features and is more durable. Read our guidance on how to identify a genuine law poster.

 

You can order HSE approved versions of the poster. 

 

You can also buy it from other suppliers we work with. However, if you have any doubts, you can email us to check if the law poster is legitimate. 


HSE as a market surveillance authority for workplace products

As one of the UK's market surveillance authorities, HSE monitors and enforce legal requirements on the safety of most products used in the workplace, including any risks to health. 

HSE has a duty to notify the Secretary of State about unsafe or non-compliant products and of the measures taken and communicated by an economic operator.  

 

Products that present a serious or high risk to the health and safety of the user, and products that have been recalled, are published as product recalls and alerts on GOV.UK.  

 

Recent examples of notified products are:

  • 3M 5E-11 Face Shield - GOV.UK
    During high-speed particle impact testing conducted in accordance with EN 166 for B-marked face shields, some 5E-11 face shields (with a manufacture date of December 2021) were breaking

  • Beha-Amprobe MT204-S with Test Leads - GOV.UK 
    The product has been assessed as presenting a high risk of electric shock. The inclusion of unshrouded test leads resulted in the machinery tester not being compliant with EN 61577-14 or the essential health and safety requirements

Asbestos duty to manage webinar now available on demand

workers at desk watching a webinar

If you missed our recent asbestos duty to manage webinar you can watch the recording on demand.

The webinar, ‘Duty to manage asbestos in buildings: The law, the risk to health and how to safely manage asbestos’, featured HSE experts.

 

You will learn more about:

  • why asbestos is dangerous
  • where asbestos is likely to be found
  • the legal obligation to manage asbestos in buildings
  • HSE’s Asbestos – Your Duty campaign
  • how to carry out an effective asbestos risk assessment
  • how to complete an asbestos management plan

Register to watch the free asbestos duty to manage webinar

You can get all the latest news and updates from HSE across a range of industries and topics.

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