Health and safety

Who enforces health and safety in your workplace

Health and safety enforcement is split between:

Bristol City Council, which covers most service and retail premises within our area and
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) covering larger premises such as factories.

Most health and safety legislation places the legal duty to comply on the employer (company, partnership or individual).
Responsibilities may be delegated to a 'competent person' appointed to give health and safety advice, eg - the first aiders, the fire wardens, the caretaker, but the employer remains legally liable.
All employees have a legal duty to co-operate with the employer and not to damage or misuse anything provided for health and safety.
Directors, managers, supervisors etc can be prosecuted for health and safety offences if the offence took place with their 'consent or responsibility'.
Employers must consult their employees on health and safety matters.
The 'competent person' may be the employer himself, a suitably trained employee or a consultant.

Provide a safe and healthy place of work for your staff, customers, visitors and contractors.
Provide and maintain safe equipment and machinery that is suitable for its purpose.
Plan work activities so that they are safe and without risks to health, and provide any necessary protective equipment.
Provide staff and others with all necessary information, instruction, supervision and training.
Assess risks to staff and others from the workplace and work activities and check that all necessary safeguards are in place.
Check that contractors use safe systems of work when they are on your premises and give them any information they might need to work safely, for example, asbestos panels on fire doors.
Record accidents in your accident book and report them when necessary by phone to the Incident Contact Centre on 0845 300 9923.

The team seeks to protect people from accident, ill health or injury and property from damage, helping to promote business efficiency.
We inspect and licence animal welfare premises in Bristol including zoos, pet shops, riding stables and animal boarding businesses.
We ensure that accident notifications received in accordance with the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) are investigated in line with our service policies.
We promote health and safety in Bristol in accordance with local and national initiatives.
We carry out health and safety inspections.
We investigate complaints about workplaces.
We inspect ships arriving at the Port of Bristol.
We inspect and sample imported food.
We investigate cases of infectious disease notified across the city.

If you're unsure about who enforces health and safety in your workplace, contact us.

Phone: 0300 003 1647

Health & Safety Executive Website

Bristol City Council
Health and Safety (City Hall)
P.O Box 3399
Bristol
BS1 9NE
Tel: 0117 922 2500
Fax: 0117 922 4711
Email: health.safety@bristol.gov.uk