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Enforcing authorities

Explosives: update

The UK has left the EU, and some rules and procedures have changed from 1 January 2021[55].

This page contains information for other enforcing authorities, such as the police, fire and rescue services and trading standards.

HSE's Explosives Inspectorate works in partnership with these other enforcing authorities to enforce legislation on explosives in Great Britain.

Separate legislation applies in Northern Ireland[56].

Who is the enforcing authority?

The table under applying for a licence[57] explains who is the enforcing authority by location, activity, and type and quantity of explosives.

What is enforcement?

Enforcement ensures that dutyholders:

  • deal immediately with serious risks
  • comply with the law
  • are held to account if they fail in their responsibilities

Enforcing authorities may offer dutyholders information and advice, both face to face and in writing. They may warn a dutyholder that, in their opinion, they are failing to comply with the law.

Where appropriate, they may also serve improvement and prohibition notices, withdraw approvals, vary licence conditions or exemptions, issue formal cautions (England and Wales only), and they may prosecute (or report to the Procurator Fiscal with a view to prosecution in Scotland).

For further information relating to the types of enforcement and the procedures involved when enforcement action is taken is available in 'What to expect when a health and safety inspector calls'.[58]

Information and guidance for enforcing authorities

Guidance for licensing authorities on the processes involved in refusal, revocation or variation of licences. It also contains information and guidance on the appeals process intended to assist licensing authorities, applicants and licensees.  

Storage of fireworks in retail premises [59]

Advice and guidance to retailers and enforcing authorities on the storage of fireworks.

Link URLs in this page

  1. Explosiveshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/index.htm
  2. Explosives Regulations 2014 (Amendment) Regulations 2016https://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/regulations2016.htm
  3. Overview - The Explosives Regulations 2014https://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/new-regulations.htm
  4. Guidance structurehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/guidance-structure.htm
  5. Subsector guidancehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/new-regs-subsector.htm
  6. Explosives Legislative Reviewhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/explosives-legislative-review.htm
  7. Getting startedhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/getting-started.htm
  8. Overview - Authorisations/licensinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/licensing/index.htm
  9. Hazard type https://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/licensing/hazard-classification.htm
  10. Safety requirementshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/licensing/safety-requirements.htm
  11. Separation distanceshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/licensing/separation/index.htm
  12. Building and construction typehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/licensing/separation/separation-distance-tables.htm
  13. Applying for a licencehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/licensing/how-to-apply.htm
  14. Local authority assenthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/licensing/local-authority-assent.htm
  15. Explosives in portshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/licensing/licensing-explosives-in-ports.htm
  16. Information for enforcing authoritieshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/licensing/enforcing-authorities.htm
  17. Refusals and revocations of authorisationshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/licensing/refusals-revocations.htm
  18. Safeguarding planshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/licensing/safeguarding-plans.htm
  19. Manufacturinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/manufacturing.htm
  20. Securityhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/licensing/storage/storage-security.htm
  21. Storing explosiveshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/licensing/storage/index.htm
  22. Overview - Classification for transporthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/classification/index.htm
  23. UN test resultshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/classification/un-test-results.htm
  24. UN test series FAQshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/classification/faq-conducting-un-test-series-6.htm
  25. Analogyhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/classification/analogy.htm
  26. Non-contracting partyhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/classification/non-contracting-party.htm
  27. UN default scheme for fireworkshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/classification/un-default-scheme-fireworks.htm
  28. How to applyhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/classification/how-to-apply.htm
  29. Overview - Fireworkshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/fireworks/index.htm
  30. Firework displayshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/fireworks/using.htm
  31. Storing and selling fireworkshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/fireworks/industry.htm
  32. Transfer of explosiveshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/transfer-of-explosives.htm
  33. Overview - Ammonium nitratehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/ammonium/index.htm
  34. Ammonium nitrate and COMAHhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/ammonium/comah.htm
  35. Storage of ammonium nitrate blasting intermediate (ANBI)https://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/ammonium/storage-ammonium-nitrate.htm
  36. Notification thresholdhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/ammonium/notification-threshold.htm
  37. High nitrogen contenthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/ammonium/high-nitrogen-content.htm
  38. Land use planninghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/ammonium/land-use-planning.htm
  39. Discarding and disposalhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/disposal.htm
  40. Reporting losshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/reporting-loss.htm
  41. Placing civil explosives on the markethttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/ce-marking/index.htm
  42. Market surveillancehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/market-surveillance.htm
  43. Record keeping requirementshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/record-keeping.htm
  44. Manufacture, storage and carriage of thermiteshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/manufacture-storage-carriage-of-thermites.htm
  45. Overview - Other topicshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/other.htm
  46. Exemptionshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/exemptions/index.htm
  47. Record of explosives incidentshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/eidas.htm
  48. Identification and traceability https://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/traceability-itoer.htm
  49. Applying for a Site Identification Codehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/applying-for-site-identification-code.htm
  50. Overview - Resourceshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/resources.htm
  51. Formshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/forms/explosive/index.htm
  52. Publicationshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/publications.htm
  53. Useful linkshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/useful-links.htm
  54. Contactshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/contact.htm
  55. The UK has left the EU, and some rules and procedures have changed from 1 January 2021https://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/ce-marking/index.htm
  56. Northern Irelandhttp://www.hseni.gov.uk/
  57. applying for a licencehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/licensing/how-to-apply.htm
  58. 'What to expect when a health and safety inspector calls'.https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/hsc14.htm
  59. Storage of fireworks in retail premises https://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/new-regs-subsector.htm
  60. Ammonium nitratehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/ammonium/index.htm
  61. Disposal of explosiveshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/disposal.htm
  62. Ports and harbours https://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/licensing/licensing-explosives-in-ports.htm
  63. Fireworkshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/fireworks/index.htm
  64. ITOERhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/traceability-itoer.htm
  65. Securityhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/licensing/storage/storage-security.htm
  66. Transfer/RCAhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/classification/index.htm
  67. Authorisations / Authorisations / licensinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/licensing/index.htm

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Updated: 2024-06-12