Health and safety inspections are usually carried out by an accredited person on behalf of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Anyone who performs an inspection will have completed their training from the National Examination Board in Occupational Health and Safety (NEBOSH). Having this qualification enables inspectors to carry out the inspection with a thorough level of detail and experience.
A health and safety inspection can happen at any time! Inspectors have the right to enter a workplace without giving notice, although most businesses will be notified of an upcoming visit. Since a visit can sometimes be random, it is important that businesses adhere to and are compliant with health and safety regulations at all times.
Depending on the nature of your work and the industry that you belong to, you may be inspected more regularly. This is because businesses in high-risk categories like construction, agriculture and engineering have a heightened chance of danger. Therefore, more auditing and regulation is required.
Purpose
These inspections are designed to reduce or eliminate any hazards or risks to employees, customers, or the public in the workplace. When reviewing an area or workplace a representative will inspect everything from hygiene to cleanliness to risk assessments and more. A HSE inspector’s role is to protect the welfare of people, identify dangerous risks and offer solutions to rectify the issues within the business.
Procedure
During an inspection, several different health and safety elements will be checked within the work environment. You can expect an inspector to:
- Observe employee behaviour and work activities
- Check your management of health and safety
- Review incidents specific to a reported incident or subject campaign
- Conduct a thorough inspection of your premises
- Create a report detailing their findings
- Issue a Fee for Intervention (FFI) if there is a breach of health and safety regulations
As well as this, HSE representatives can also serve improvement notices and even take action if there is an immediate risk to health and safety.
Outcome
Post inspection it is your duty to take appropriate follow-up action. If there have been issues highlighted or reported, you should make changes to your health and safety policy or to your premises.
If you feel as though you have been issued an FFI unfairly then you have the right to appeal it.
The HSE have the right to enforce the closure of a business that is non-compliant.
