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Safety and Health Practitioner (SHP) is first for independent health and safety news.
August 27, 2023

HSE

Health and Safety Executive (HSE)

What does HSE stand for?

HSE-logoThe Health and Safety Executive, often referred to as the HSE, is an independent regulator that aims to prevent work-related death, injury and ill-health.

Click here to visit The Health and Safety Executive website.

When was HSE formed?

The foundations of the organisation can be dated back to the 1800’s when the HM Factory Inspectorate, Mines Inspectorate and Quarry Inspectorates were formed.

But it was on 1 January 1975 that the Health and Safety Executive was officially established, led by its first Director General, John Lock.

The organisation came into being the year after the publication of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. (In Northern Ireland, these duties lie with the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI).)

What does HSE do?

The organisation acts in the public interest to reduce work-related death and serious injury across Great Britain’s workplaces. It is not the sole regulator, as in many cases local authorities are responsible for breaches of the Health and Safety at Work Act etc 1974.

Since 2014 when the Care Act came into force, the Care Quality Commission has been responsible for undertaking some of the investigatory/regulatory work currently been undertaken by the HSE or the local authorities, when an incident causing harm, injury or death occurs to a person who is receiving care and support.

Commentary from HSE officials is often featured in SHP from its in-court stories, where the regulator is responsible for bringing prosecutions against individuals and companies.

HSE prosecutions

For the latest HSE news stories, including prosecutions, follow SHP’s In Court page here and see a summary of the most recent news stories below.

HSE facts and figures

HSE data shows that a total of 135 workers died in work-related incidents in Great Britain in 2022/23, an increase of 12 from the previous year.

In statistical terms the number of fatalities has remained broadly level in recent years – the average annual number of workers killed at work over the five years 2017/18-2021/22 is 134.

Over the past 20 years there has been a long-term reduction in the number of workplace fatalities, demonstrating that Great Britain is one of the safest places to work in the world.

The figures released by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) relate to workplace incidents. They do not include deaths arising from occupational exposure to disease, including COVID-19.

The construction and agriculture, forestry and fishing sectors continue to account for the greatest number of workers killed in fatal accidents each year.

Workplace fatality figures 2023/24

  • Workers falling from height (50)
  • Being struck by a moving vehicle (25), and
  • Being struck by a moving, including flying/falling object (20)

Those three causes of death account for more than half of fatalities in 2023/24. Click here for more on annual workplace fatality figures.

Key figures for Great Britain (2022/23)

  • 1.8 million working people suffering from a work-related illness, of which
  • 875,000 workers suffering work-related stress, depression or anxiety (new and long-standing)
  • 473,000 workers suffering from a work-related musculoskeletal disorder
  • 123,000 workers suffering from COVID-19 which they believe may have been from exposure to coronavirus at work
  • 2,268 mesothelioma deaths linked to past asbestos exposures (2021)
  • 135 workers killed in work-related accidents
  • 561,000 working people sustained a non-fatal injury at work according to the Labour Force Survey
  • 60,645 injuries to employees reported under RIDDOR
  • 35.2 million working days lost due to work-related illness and workplace injury
  • £20.7 billion estimated cost of injuries and ill health from current working conditions (2021/22)

HSE regulatory functions versus local authorities

As a regulator, the HSE’s aim is to prevent workplace death, injury or ill health, through using a variety of methods to influence change and help people manage risks at work. These include:

They claim to work collaboratively with other regulators, agencies and government departments to ensure the most appropriate organisation intervenes. They do this by setting arrangements, where laws overlap, to:

  • Promote cooperation;
  • Minimise duplication;
  • Coordinate on joint regulatory activities;
  • Share information and intelligence.

They will not intervene if another regulator has specific responsibility for that area.

Local authorities are responsible for regulating health and safety in lower-risk workplaces, such as offices, shops and warehouses.

For more information, visit the HSE’s guide on who is the correct enforcing authority.

COMAH

Under the Control of Major Hazards Regulations 2015 (COMAH), it also regulates major hazards by working jointly, as a competent authority, with:

  • Environment Agency.
  • Scottish Environment Protection Agency.
  • National Resources Wales.

Offshore major hazard industries (oil and gas) are regulated jointly by us and the Department for Environment and Climate Change.

It supports the work of the Office for Nuclear Regulation, the Office of Road and Rail Regulation and the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency.

It also works closely with the Civil Aviation Authority and Maritime Coastguard Agency.

A complete list of all the regulators we have formal agreements with is available online.

Where is HSE based?

Headquartered in Bootle, near Liverpool, the HSE headquarters address is: Redgrave Court, Merton Road, Bootle, Merseyside, L20 7HS.

There are also several other offices around the country. To find your nearest office or knowledge – centre see this page on the HSE website.

Reporting incidents to HSE

All incidents can be reported using an online form, but a telephone service remains for reporting fatal and major injuries only – call the HSE Incident Contact Centre on 0345 300 9923 (opening hours Monday to Friday 8.30 am to 5 pm).

The Safety Conversation Podcast

Subscribe and tune in the The Safety Conversation Podcast to discover the latest issues facing the health and safety profession, and stay on-top of the developments affecting your role, from working at height, lone working and common workplace hazards, to safety culture, behaviours, occupational health and mental health and wellbeing.

Listen as Peter Kelly, Senior Psychologist for the Health and Safety Executive, talks about work-related stress and the impact the coronavirus pandemic has had on employee mental health, and a discussion on the upcoming ISO45003 Standard.

Latest HSE articles

Fine for company after worker fell to his death from church steeple

A specialist construction company has been fined £60,000 after a worker fell to his death from a church steeple in Birmingham.

Company fined £800k after worker dies at wind farm construction site

An engineering company has been fined after a labourer died during the construction of a wind farm on the Shetland Islands.

Council fined after employees exposed to risks from vibrating tools

A worker who repaired potholes was diagnosed with Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS), an occupational disease, following repeated exposure to vibration tools.

Fine for MOT testing centre after child crushed by car

An MOT Testing centre in Finsbury Park has been fined £10,000 after a child sustained life changing injuries after being hit by a car and crushed.

Fine for Kent timber firm after worker loses three fingers

A company has been fined after an employee had three fingers severed by a panel saw at work.

Company fined after barn roof fall

A company has been fined £133,000 after a man was left seriously injured when he fell through a barn roof in Southampton.

Company fined after man’s legs crushed by 800kg pallet

A manufacturer in Sheffield has been fined after a steel pallet landed on an employee, leaving him permanently disabled.

Stone company fined after repeatedly failing to protect workers

A company that produces stone products and its director have been fined a total of just under £20,000 after repeatedly failing to protect workers from exposure to Respirable Crystalline Silica.

HSE publish new advice for stone worktop installers

Britain’s workplace safety regulator has published a guide of do’s and don’ts for people installing stone worktops.

Food manufacturer fined over £500k following machinery incidents

A food manufacturer has been fined more than half a million pounds after three of its employees suffered serious injuries in separate incidents involving machinery.

HSE celebrates 50-year anniversary

Created by the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) was officially launched on 1st January 1975.

Company fined as worker breaks leg from fall

A company has been fined £120,000 after an employee broke his leg while working on a property in Salisbury.

SHP’s top 10 health and safety prosecutions of 2024

From unsafe working conditions, missing or insufficient risk assessments to failing to implement their own safety policies, have a read of the biggest health and safety fines of 2024.

School Academy Trust fined £300k after student death

A school academy trust has been fined £300,000 after a 19-year-old student died as a result of a ‘series of management failures’.

Drinks giant fined after worker sustains serious burns

An international drinks manufacturer has been fined half a million pounds after an employee sustained burns to over 30% of his body.

Engineering company fined after man killed

A Blackburn-based engineering company has been fined £80,000 after a man described as ‘caring and loving’ by his family was killed after being crushed under a machine.

Company and contractor sentenced as failures led to evacuation in village

A company and a contractor have been fined following the evacuation of 30 homes in a Derbyshire village.

‘On trial’ – An immersive experience

Tim Marsh reflects on a recent mock trial, and its tangible impact after a workplace incident.  

Company and director sentenced for putting workers at risk

A roofing firm has been fined while its director has been handed a suspended prison sentence after putting the lives of workers at risk during a roof renovation in Surrey.

Company fined £600k after prisoner dies due to legionella

A company has been fined after it failed to manage the risk of legionella bacteria in the hot and cold water systems at HMP Lincoln.

Wood panelling firm fined £400k after injured worker loses leg

A wood panel manufacturer has been fined £400,000 after a worker suffered life-changing injuries at its factory in Chirk, near Wrexham.

Company fined £1.6m following the death of 24-year-old

A company has been fined £1.6m after a 24-year-old man was crushed to death.

Company fined after an explosion seriously injured two employees

A company which produces electricity from food waste by anaerobic digestion, has been fined more than £300,000 after an explosion caused two employees to suffer life changing injuries.

HSE publishes annual work-related ill health and injury statistics for 2023/24

The HSE has published statistics that cover work-related ill health, non-fatal workplace injuries and enforcement action taken by HSE, in the 2023/24 period.

Plastics manufacturer fined as worker suffers multiple leg fractures

A plastics manufacturer in Kent has been fined £400,000 after an employee was seriously injured by a forklift truck.

Manchester engineering firm fined after apprentice loses fingers

A Manchester-based engineering company has been fined £500,000 after a young apprentice lost the use of two fingers when using a horizontal bandsaw.

Company fined after worker killed by telehandler

A construction company has been fined £160,000 after a man was killed by a telehandler at a house build site

Ginsters owner fined £1.28m after employee crushed to death by lorry

The owner of Ginsters has been fined £1.28 million after an employee was killed by a lorry that was delivering supplies to the bakery where it makes its pasties.

Council fined £500k after man killed by falling tree

Cheshire East Council has been fined £500,000 after a man was killed by a falling tree.

School trust fined after pupil injured

A school trust in Surrey has been fined after part of a pupil’s finger was amputated.

Legal Lens: National Grid fined £3.2m after pylon worker suffers serious burns

Andrew Sanderson and Amaan Ahmed of Fieldfisher’s Health & Safety Group analyses and shares lessons to be learnt from National Grid’s recent £3.2 million fine.

Fine for construction company after man left paralysed

A father-of-three was left paralysed from the chest down after falling through a ceiling at a house renovation in Derbyshire.

Company fined as employee fractures skull

A company has been fined £80,000 after an employee sustained a fractured skull at its site in Glasgow.

Cosmetics firm fined after HSE inspection found serious failings

A cosmetics company in Yorkshire has been fined more than £50,000 after an inspection by Britain’s workplace regulator uncovered serious electrical failings.

Short-term fix? Mental Health First Aiders

Duncan Spencer at IOSH analyses the legal position and impact of Mental Health First Aiders in the workplace.

HSE to draft new guidelines around engineered stone

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is drafting new guidelines for tradesmen working with engineered stone after report shows increased risk to silicosis.

Metal recycling firm fined £650k after inspection

A major metal recycling firm has been hit with a £650,000 fine following a routine inspection by Britain’s workplace regulator.

Company fined £900k after legionella risk to residents

A company has been fined following an outbreak of legionella at its sheltered housing accommodation in Birkenhead, putting vulnerable residents at risk of contracting Legionnaires’ disease.

Contractor fined after worker left paralysed by falling tree

A contractor from Dorset has been fined after a tree fell onto a forestry worker and left him with life-changing injuries.

Enforcement agencies need to engage

In light of Grenfell, enforcement agencies must engage with the profession, explains David England.

Cheshire farm owner fined after roofer dies in fall

A Cheshire farm owner has been fined after a man fell to his death from a forklift truck while attempting to repair the roof of a packing shed at his premises in Tarporley.

Sandwich bread baker fined after worker loses finger

A nationwide bakery has been fined more than £360,000 after one of its employees lost a finger in machinery at a site in Northamptonshire.

Company fined £750k following crane collapse

A company has been fined after a crane collapsed at its site on Falmouth Docks, putting more than 250 people at risk.

HAVS regulation and legislation

Tim Turney at Casella explains why HAVS legislation differs between the US and UK.

National mental health strategy needed to tackle workplace wellbeing issue, urge UK safety bodies

National workplace mental health strategy among recommendations in new whitepaper joint-published by group.

Wellbeing requires definition to help employers, report says

Lack of definition around wellbeing hinders employers’ efforts to support workforce, new study finds.

Crown Censure issued following death of soldier

The Health and Safety Executive has issued the Ministry of Defence (MoD) with a Crown Censure following the death of a reservist soldier in Yorkshire.

Chemicals firm fined following explosion

A solvents manufacturer has been fined following an explosion at its factory in the Scottish Borders.

Company fined after man dies from fall

A man died after falling through a hole in his own bathroom that had been left by workers.

Manufacturing company fined as worker suffers six bone fractures

A manufacturing company has been fined after an employee broke his arm while operating machinery at its site in Warwickshire.

Honorary diplomas awarded to leading voices of the health and safety profession

Two inspiring individuals have been awarded a NEBOSH Honorary Diploma for their outstanding contribution to the health, safety, and environmental (HSE) industry

HSE to canvas artificial intelligence impact

Regulator aims to enhance AI knowledge with release of survey.

Construction firm fined £285k after worker loses life and another injured

A company has been sentenced after a 62-year-old worker fell 10 metres to the ground and died during the construction of a new university facility.

Tyre firm fined after worker dragged into machine

An Essex-based tyre refurbishment company has been fined £54,000 following a worker sustaining significant injuries after being drawn into a machine.

National Grid fined £3.2m after pylon worker suffers serious burns

National Grid has been fined more than £3million after safety failures left a father-of-two with life-changing injuries from working on a pylon in South Wales.

Safety fine for landlord who put tenants lives at risk

A landlord has been given a suspended sentence of 26 weeks and electronically tagged for 4 months after putting the lives of her tenants at risk by not maintaining gas appliances at a property in Kent.

Company fined after worker died in excavation

A company has been fined after a man died while working inside an excavation at a construction site in Glasgow.

Company fined more than £100k after worker loses leg

A Manchester-based waste and recycling company has been fined more than £100,000 after an employee lost his leg after being struck by an excavator.

Woodworking company fined following collision death

A wood recycling company has been fined after an employee was killed when he was struck by a JCB wheel loader.

East Sussex body fined as dog walkers struck by tree

A body that manages a major forest in East Sussex has been fined after a husband and wife were struck

Builder avoids immediate prison sentence after failing to protect workers

A builder has been given a suspended prison sentence after he put the lives of workers at risk on a construction site in London.

Multi-national food company fined £360k after worker loses fingers

A multi-national food company has been fined more than £300,000 after one of its workers lost four fingers on his

Safety and compliance: A guide to Asset Integrity Management

How does Asset Integrity Management contribute to maintaining safety, productivity, and compliance in the UK industrial and retail sectors?

Grampian Health Board prosecuted after death of patient

Grampian Health Board, also referred to as NHS Grampian, pleaded guilty following the death of 40-year-old Vincent Mulsant at the Royal Cornhill Hospital.

Company fined £1m as employee suffers serious injuries

A logistics company has been fined £1 million after an employee fell over 10 metres and sustained serious injuries.

Wolverhampton company fined after worker hit by forklift truck

A manufacturing company based in Wolverhampton has been fined £30,000 after a welder sustained serious injuries when he was struck

Company fined after worker loses legs

A company has been fined £160,000 after an employee lost both legs whilst working at its site near Warrington.

Companies fined after man crushed to death by machine

Two companies have been fined after a father-of-three was crushed to death by a machine.

Learning lessons from worker’s weir drowning

Drowning of 60-year-old construction was avoidable but essential learning must be taken from the tragedy, explains legal expert.

Recycling company director sentenced after worker loses leg

The director of a Halifax-based recycling company has been given a community order after a worker lost part of his left leg when it was crushed by machinery.

Recycling company fined £3m after one man died and another seriously injured

A recycling company has been fined after a man died and another was seriously injured while decommissioning a North Sea gas rig.

Company fined £240k after fall left man paralysed

A Cheshire-based electrical transmission company has been fined £240,000 after a man was left paralysed from the chest down after a fall at work.

Engineering firm fined after employee sustains serious injuries at HS2 site

An engineering firm has been fined after an employee suffered a fractured skull, hip, jaw and pelvis, while working at a HS2 construction site in Hertfordshire.

Site manager issued suspended sentence after death of young father

The site manager of a waste and recycling company has been given a suspended prison sentence following the death of a young father at a site in Dewsbury.

Equipment supplier fined after worker injured

A company in Aberdeen has been sentenced after an employee sustained serious injuries.

Competency is key – associations respond to UK building plan

IOSH and CIOB have urged Labour to consider quality and competency in its ambitious construction targets.

Company and director fined after worker fractures skull

A company and its director have been fined after an employee was struck by an object while manufacturing large steel cable drums for the offshore industry.

Housing company fined after worker killed by concrete blocks

A housing company has been fined more than £300,000 after a driver was crushed to death by falling concrete blocks at a construction site in South Lanarkshire.

Legal Lens: Openreach fined £1.34m following death of engineer in the River Aber

Barrister Christopher Hopkins joins Fieldfisher’s Andrew Sanderson (Partner) and Krysteen Ormond (Associate) to examine the facts leading to the HSE’s prosecution of Openreach.

Council fined as school technician loses finger

A local authority has been sentenced after a worker lost his finger while operating a machine.

Explosives manufacturer fined £670k after worker dies

A manufacturer of military explosives has been fined £670,000 after an employee was killed and another seriously injured in an explosion at its factory near Salisbury.

HSE annual workplace fatalities: Construction and falls from height deaths rise

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has published its annual statistics on work-related fatalities, with 138 workers killed in work-related accidents, up from 136 last year.

Companies fined after 16-year-old worker exposed to asbestos

Two companies have been fined after a teenage worker was exposed to asbestos.

Charitable trust fined following death of volunteer

A charitable trust has been fined after a volunteer lost his life during restoration work on the Wilts and Berks Canal.

Why temperature control is vital in manufacturing facilities

Dakota Murphey discusses strategies to safeguard employees from heat-related illness and accidents within manufacturing. 

Company fined after delivery driver electrocuted

A company in Berkshire has been fined £30,000 after a father-of-four was electrocuted.

Farming business fined for multiple health and safety risks

A farming business has been fined for multiple health and safety breaches which placed employees and others at risk over many years, in an attempt to cut costs.

Drinks company fined after employee loses finger in bottling machinery

A drinks company has been fined £14,000 after a man’s finger was amputated after being caught in bottling machinery.

Livestock auctioneers fined after man, 75, killed by cow

A company has been fined after a 75-year-old man was killed by a cow that had escaped from a livestock market in Wales.

Man sentenced after carrying out unsafe work on his own home

A man has been given a suspended sentence after he carried out unsafe work on an extension to his own home in Manchester.

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