Health and Safety inspectors may arrive without warning, this isn’t unusual. They don’t always tell people when they are coming and the law lets them visit at any reasonable time. However, whilst they have the powers to come into your workplace, inspectors still have to follow the government’s code of practice on entering homes or businesses.
The inspector 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 advice on health and safety or make sure you are providing suitable welfare facilities, such as running hot and cold water and toilets.
While the inspector is with you, they may:
Ask you about your workers and what they do
Look at any possible health risks arising from the work you are doing
Look at any machinery or other equipment that you have
Ask to see records or other documents
Take photographs
The inspector will want to know about:
The main health and safety issues in your workplace
Your own knowledge or experience of health and safety
Your workers
The inspector will need to talk to your employees or their representatives during the visit.
What if there’s something wrong?
The inspector may take action if they find you’re breaking the law during the visit. They may also tell you to stop a dangerous activity in your workplace immediately.
After the inspector has finished looking round your workplace, they might:
Offer advice (either verbal or in writing) about improvements you could make
Give you a notification of contravention that tells you about health and safety laws you've broken and how you've broken them. You'll have to pay for the cost of the visit if this is received.
Give you an improvement notice to tell you what's wrong, changes needed, and how long you have to make those changes
Give you a prohibition notice to stop doing something until it has been made safe to continue
Prosecute you for breaching health and safety laws
Is your company unsure about your current health and safety policies and procedures? You Can Do It Training offers consultancy services which provide advice and support suited to your needs. Contact us to find out more:
01782 438813
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