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Safety and Health Practitioner (SHP) is first for independent health and safety news.
April 27, 2016

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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

  • Workers falling from height (40)
  • Being struck by a moving vehicle (29), and
  • Being struck by a moving, including flying/falling object (20)

Those three causes of death account for more than half of fatalities in 2022/23. Click here for more on annual workplace fatality figures.

Key figures for Great Britain (2021/22)

  • 1.8 million working people suffering from a work-related illness, of which
  • 914,000 workers suffering work-related stress, depression or anxiety
  • 477,000 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
  • 2,544 mesothelioma deaths due to past asbestos exposures (2020)
  • 123 workers killed in work-related accidents
  • 565,000 working people sustained an injury at work according to the Labour Force Survey
  • 61,713 injuries to employees reported under RIDDOR
  • 36.8 million working days lost due to work-related illness and workplace injury
  • £18.8 billion estimated cost of injuries and ill health from current working conditions (2019/20)

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).

Safety & Health Podcast

Subscribe and tune in the Safety & Health 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.

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Latest HSE articles

£800k fine after stunt performer sustains life-changing injuries on Fast and Furious movie set

A production company has been fined after a stunt performer was injured during the filming of Fast and Furious 9: The Fast Saga, amongst calls for improvements to health and safety on set. 

Entertainment company fined after worker dies from fall

A company in the entertainment industry has been fined £16,000 following the death of a worker.

HSE annual workplace stats: Rise in construction deaths while 1.8m cite work-related ill health

Nearly two million workers in Great Britain reported suffering from work-related ill health in 2022/23 as construction sector reports rise in fatalities.

Aberdeen firm fined after man suffers horrific injuries cleaning machine

An Aberdeen joinery and manufacturing company has been fined £9,400 after one of its workers suffered horrific injuries while cleaning a machine.

Manufacturer fined after workers fall from height

A manufacturer of shopping trolleys has been fined after two men fell approximately three metres when a metal cage they were dismantling collapsed beneath them.

How can we reduce and prevent occupational hearing loss? UKHCA Conference 2023  

The annual UKHCA conference took place in Sheffield this month, providing an overview of hearing health, risk management and control with noise at work.

Priory Healthcare fined following death of 21-year-old patient

Priory Healthcare Ltd has been fined for failing to ensure the safety of patients on the hospital’s Emerald Ward following the death of 21-year-old Francesca Whyatt.

Two men injured after cradle falls nine floors at London tower block build

Two men working on a residential tower under construction in London were fortunate to escape death when a defective cradle they were in fell about 90 feet.

Barcode Warehouse fined £500k after forklift truck death

Manufacturing company, Barcode Warehouse Ltd has been fined £500,000 after a man died when a forklift truck overturned. 

Funfair company fined £300k and manager jailed after three-year-old dies

An operations manager at a funfair company has been jailed for six months after a three-year-old girl died on a Norfolk beach. 

Specialist lifting company fined after two workers fell from a crane

A specialist heavy lifting company has been fined after two men fell from height during the assembly of a crane.

Suspended prison sentence for builder over gas safety failures

A builder has avoided an immediate spell behind bars after being convicted of carrying out gas work at a property in Berkshire when he was not qualified to do so.

Demolition company fined after building falls on worker

Company fined after a Victorian building falls on a labourer during demolition work in Kilburn, North West London.

Companies fined after labourer fractures skull

Two companies have been fined £46,000 in total after a labourer from Runcorn fractured his skull.

Unregistered gas fitter jailed for illegal and unsafe gas work

A West Midlands self-employed plumber has been jailed after carrying out further illegal and unsafe gas work.

Construction company fined £240,000 after residents put at risk during cladding removal

A health and safety inspector found dangerous cladding lying on residents’ balconies at a Liverpool apartment block, posing a serious fire risk.

Companies fined total of £420K after child suffers fractured skull

Three companies have been fined a total of £420,000 after a slate tile fractured the skull of a three-year-old child.

Food processing company fined after worker suffers serious injuries

A company has been fined £20,000 after an employee’s arm was drawn into machinery and seriously injured.

Construction Company fined after serious injury to 16-year-old on work experience

A 16-year-old boy suffered serious injuries after becoming trapped under a tractor while on paid work experience.

London waste firm fined £260,000 after worker suffers severe crush injuries

A waste and recycling company in London has been fined £260,000 after a worker sustained severe crush injuries during maintenance work.

Sole trader fined following workers’ exposure to wood dust

A Lincolnshire-based sole trader has been fined after his employees were exposed to a hazardous substance.

Leeds bird farm fined after worker suffers serious burns in shed blaze

A bird farm in Leeds has been fined £26,680 after a fire in a rearing shed resulted in serious injuries to one of its employees.

Recycling company fined after worker crushed to death

A recycling company has been fined £40,000 after its failure to maintain the lifting equipment on a refuse vehicle caused the death of an employee.

Three companies fined total of £600k after engineer electrocuted

Three companies have been fined a total of £600,000 after an engineer was fatally electrocuted while repairing an appliance in a hospital kitchen.

Meat company fined after worker severs fingers

A Herefordshire butchers has been fined after a teenage worker severed four fingers while operating machinery that hadn’t been suitably guarded.

No effective design or planning to eliminate risks from dust at some UK construction sites, HSE campaign finds

Some UK construction sites have no effective design or planning to eliminate risks from dust and the hierarchy of controls is simply not considered at all, says the regulator.

Dockside company sentenced after worker seriously injured on trawler

A dockside warehousing company has been fined £127,500 after a worker fell 25ft through an open hatch on a trawler which had no edge protection.

Company fined £1.275m after man crushed to death

A company in Birmingham has been fined £1,275,000 after a 26-year-old man was crushed to death during maintenance work at Mountsorrel Quarry in Leicestershire.

Haulage company fined £100k after worker dies from injuries

A haulage company in Wales has been fined £100,000 after a worker fell from a loading bay and died.

HSE officials to assess management of asbestos in schools

The officials will visit schools across the UK to assess the management of asbestos in buildings.

Company fined for putting worker at ionising radiation risk

A company in Berkshire has been fined £16,000 after putting an employee at risk of exposure to ionising radiation.

Carbon monoxide – the silent killer

RoSPA’s Dr Karen McDonnell, on the vital need to be aware of carbon monoxide risks in all spheres of life.

Company and director fined for putting workers at welding fume risk

A West Midlands engineering company and its managing director have been fined for failing to protect their workers from welding fume.

Two construction firms fined after man suffers serious injuries

Two construction companies have been fined a combined total of £120,000 after a groundworker suffered horrific injuries when heavy drainage pipes fell on top of him.

RAAC: How big of an issue is it?

Zoe Pond, Senior Associate, and Claire Burrows, Partner, at Brabners LLP on the long-term impact of RAAC.

£3m fine for waste management company after two deaths

A waste management firm has been fined a total of £3 million following the deaths of two workers in separate incidents.

Company fined after worker suffers life-changing injuries in fall

A Cumbrian construction company has been fined after a man was critically injured falling 10m through the roof of an industrial unit.

What exactly is risk management?

Ahead of a webinar on redefining risk management, Evotix’s Langdon Dement gives a great overview of what it really means and what steps you can take to embed it in your workplace.

Printing company fined after worker’s hand crushed

A commercial printing company has been fined £100,000 after an employee’s hand was crushed by a laminating machine. The man

RAAC: Initial legal insight

Over 150 schools have now been identified as having Reinforced Autoclave Aerated Concrete (RAAC) in their buildings. Law firm Fieldfisher LLP offers legal advice on the ramifications.

Company fined after workers injured by explosion

A manufacturing company in West Yorkshire has been fined £200,000 after workers were injured by an explosion.

Manchester company director fined after obstructing HSE investigation

A Manchester-based construction company and its director have been fined after health and safety failings following an inspection.

School trust fined after children injured by classroom ceiling collapse

An educational trust has been fined after 15 schoolchildren and their teacher were injured when their classroom ceiling collapsed during a lesson.

£535k fine for oil and gas firm after man injured on North Sea platform

Repsol Sinopec Resources UK Limited has been fined £535,000 after a worker sustained life changing injuries following the uncontrolled collapse of a crane.

Construction firm fined for asbestos exposure during renovation work

A Warrington-based construction company has been fined £90,000 after exposing people to asbestos during a renovation project in the Hanley area of Stoke-on-Trent.

Five HS2 workers injured in incident

Inspectors from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) are investigating an incident today (29 August) where five HS2 workers were injured.

Farm fined after man electrocuted

A farm has been fined £60,000 following the death of a man who was electrocuted by an overhead power line.

HSE flag potential issue around footwear standard

The HSE has flagged a potential issue regarding the testing of safety boots to the American Standard ASTM F2412-18A.

Compensation claims and strains – is AI the solution?

Gareth Buchanan COO at Soter Analytics suggests Artificial Intelligence (AI) could be the answer to the UK’s workplace injury crisis.

Road Haulage Association joins HSE’s Working Minds campaign

HSE has launched a campaign saying that more needs to be done to protect Britain’s HGV drivers from work-related stress.

HSE publishes fire safety guidance for building planning stage

Advice on the fire safety matters that should be considered by local planning authorities, and applicants has been published by HSE. Ron Alalouff reports.

HSE investigating following construction site death at new Everton football stadium

A man has died after being injured today (Monday 14 August) at Everton’s new football stadium which is being built in Liverpool.

Inclusive PPE – more than protection?

Poorly fitting PPE is stopping women from reaching their full potential, says Katherine Voyle. Is it time for governance to curb the issue?

£1.2million fine for Network Rail after man died doing maintenance work

Network Rail has been fined £1.2million following the death of a man who was crushed while carrying out maintenance work.

Sole trader jailed after man is crushed under van at Bootle garage

The owner of a motor repair company has been jailed for 10 months after a man got stuck and crushed under a vehicle and later died.

Creating safer forklift truck operations

Stuart Taylor of Mentor FLT Training explains why those working alongside forklift trucks should understand the risks to help keep themselves and others safe.

Manufacturing company fined after worker left paralysed

A manufacturing company has been fined after a worker became entangled in a machine and has been left paralysed from the chest down.

Tackling health risks in construction

Dr Karen McDonnell, RoSPA’s Occupational Health and Safety Policy Adviser and Head of RoSPA Scotland, is urging employers to look at ways to protect the health of construction workers.

Company fined after worker hit by forklift truck in Blackpool

A Blackpool clothing firm has been fined £40,000 after a man was seriously injured when he was hit by a forklift truck.

Companies fined more than £400,000 after hospital staff violently attacked by patients

Two companies have been fined a combined total of more than £400,000 after staff working at a South Wales mental

Construction company fined after bricklayer fractures skull

A construction company has been fined £12,000 after a Shropshire bricklayer fell through a stairwell opening and fractured his skull.

Plumber given suspended prison sentence for carrying out unsafe gas work

A self-employed plumber has received a suspended prison sentence after carrying out unsafe gas work in Hampshire and for pretending to be Gas Safe registered.

Boarding school fined after pupils overexposed to radon radioactive gas

A private boarding school has been fined £50,000 after exposing two employees, five pupils, and two other children to high levels of radioactive radon gas.

Workwear company fined £400,000 after woman suffers horrific injury

A leading workwear company has been fined £400,000 after an employee had the skin ripped off the palm of her left hand.

Manufacturer fined after worker partially severs two fingers

A Welshpool manufacturing company has been fined £100,000 after one of its employees partially severed two fingers while trying to find a fault in a machine.

Tissue manufacturer fined £1million after employee loses eye

A Welsh company that manufactures kitchen and toilet tissue paper has been fined £1million after an employee was seriously injured when he was struck in the face by a crane hook.

Haulage company fined after employee death

A family run haulage and storage business, has been fined following the death of a 25-year-old employee at its premises in East Lothian.

NHS Health Board fined £235,000 after failings resulted in man’s death

The largest health board in Scotland has been fined £235,000 after a man took his own life while in its care on 22 January 2020.

Plymouth City County Council fined £200,000 after failing to protect workers

Plymouth City Council has been fined £200,000 after its failures led to employees developing hand arm vibration syndrome (HAVS) and carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS).

Tata Steel UK fined after worker suffers permanent brain damage

Tata Steel UK has been fined £120,000 after a worker suffered serious head injuries after being hit in the face with a scaffold pole, causing him to fall backwards.

HSE fatality figures show year on year increase – construction again most vulnerable

One hundred and thirty-five workers were killed in work-related incidents in Great Britain in the last year, according to HSE annual report.

School fined after child severely burned at carol concert

A London primary school has been fined £35,000 after a child received 45 per cent burns to their body at a carol concert.

Wellbeing: Much ado about nothing?

Dominic Cooper suggests ambiguity around wellbeing is skewing OSH priorities. 

Business park operator fined after worker injured in fall

A Runcorn business park operator has been fined £13,000 after a worker fell more than 13 feet through a fragile roof.

Transport company fined after worker fractures skull

A transport company has been fined £255,000 after a worker fell from a lorry and fractured his skull.

Serco fined £240,000 after man killed in crash with litter picking vans

Serco has been fined £240,000 after a man was killed when the lorry he was a passenger in crashed into litter picking vans blocking a lane of a dual carriageway in Norfolk.

Manufacturing company fined after employee breaks arm

A manufacturing company has been fined after a man was drawn into a machine and broke his arm in two places.

Private health care provider fined for exposing workers to chlorine gas

A private health care provider has been fined after three workers received treatment following exposure to chlorine gas.

Manufacturing company fined after worker’s fingers cut off

A vape liquid manufacturing company in Manchester has been fined after a worker lost two fingers and a thumb while clearing a blockage in a packaging machine.

Aircraft seat manufacturer fined £660k after worker fell through roof

A manufacturer of aircraft seats has been fined £660,000 after one of its employees suffered horrific injuries when he fell through a roof at a site in South Wales.

Chelmsford City Council fined after man killed by bin lorry

Chelmsford City Council has been fined £80,000 after a father-of-three died when he was struck by a bin lorry.

Wiltshire land owner fined after public attacked by cows in two separate incidents

A Wiltshire landowner has been fined £15,000 after members of the public were seriously injured by cattle while walking along footpaths on his estate.

Employers asked to help workers during hot weather

Employers need to act to make sure their workers are protected during periods of extreme hot weather this summer, Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has said.

Bedding manufacturer fined £80,000 after machine operator loses fingers

A leading bedding manufacturer has been fined £80,000 after an employee suffered horrific injuries when his hand was drawn into a machine.

Firm fined following outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease

A plastics manufacturing company in West Bromwich has been fined after it put workers and the public at risk of being infected with potentially deadly bacteria.

The Building Safety Act – SOCOTEC answers FAQs

SOCOTEC answers top questions on the new Building Safety Act (BSA) for tenants and business owners…

Hampshire hygiene consultancy firm fined after admitting failures

A Hampshire-based hygiene consultancy firm has been fined £2,000 after its failures put workers at risk of exposure to hazardous substances.

Company fined as worker crushed by 700kg crate

A glass distribution and installation company has been fined £200,000 after an employee broke two ribs and fractured his vertebra after being crushed by a crate.

Car cleaning firm fined for putting workers at risk of electric shock

A County Durham car valeting company has been fined after failing to comply with enforcement notices and putting workers at risk of electrocution.

Company fined after worker’s leg amputated

A waste and recycling company has been fined after an employee’s leg was amputated after he was run over by a telehandler.

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