Health and Safety Enforcement

Health and Safety at Work

Responsibility for the enforcement of health and safety is split between the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and Local Authorities.

Who is responsible for enforcement of Health and Safety?

The HSE deals with factories, building sites, mines and quarries, farms, fairgrounds, railways, chemical plant and offshore and nuclear installations.

Enquiries about factories and industrial workplaces in the North East of England should be made to the Health & Safety Executive.

District Councils deal with shops, warehouses, offices, hotels and catering, sports, leisure, consumer services (such as launderettes, hairdressers, undertakers, shoe repair, tyre and exhaust (fitters), residential care homes and churches). For the Borough of Darlington it is officers working within the Environmental Health Section who are the authorised enforcement officers that visit businesses in connection with health and safety.

Their work includes:

  • Carrying out planned inspections
  • Giving advice and information about health and safety
  • Investigating complaints about health and safety in workplaces
  • Investigating workplace accidents 
  • Registration of cooling towers and evaporative condensers
  • Storage and use of pesticides at work and in the home

For advice and information about health and safety you should contact  the Council's Customer Services - Telephone 01325 388799. They will arrange for an appropriate officer to contact you within one working day. Alternatively e-mail environmentalhealth@darlington.gov.uk

Enforcement Priorities

When enforcement officers visit workplaces they assess how employers manage the risk to their employees and others who may be affected by their work activities. To carry this out effectively enforcement officers concentrate on the activities that are known to cause deaths, injury and illness, at work. The priority topics are: fatal accidents, major injuries, and incidents of public concern. 

Where can I find information about Health and Safety?

The Health and Safety Executive [external link] produce a large number of free and priced publications to help employers and employees understand the law.

You can obtain more information and advice from:

Health and Safety Executive
Information Centre
Broad Lane
Sheffield
S3 7HQ
Tel: 0114 289 2345
Open: 9.00am to 5.00pm - Monday to Friday

Miscellaneous/General

British Safety Council
National Safety Centre
Chancellors Road
London
W6 9RS
Tel: 020 8741 1231
 
Trades Union Congress
Congress House
Great Russell Street
London
WC1B 3LS
Tel: 0207 636 4030
 
Confederation of British Industry
Centre Point
103 New Oxford Street
London
WC1A 1DA
Tel: 020 7379 7400
 
The Institute of Occupational Safety and Health
The Grange
Highfield Drive
Wigston
Leicestershire
LE18 1NN
Tel: 0116 257 1399
 
British Standards Institution
389 Chiswick High Road
London
W4 4AL
Tel: 020 8996 9000

Contact details for HSE and other agencies

Health and Safety Executive
For the area including Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, Durham and Cleveland:

Alnwick House, Benton Park View
NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE NE98 1YX
Tel: 0151 951 4000