Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 - Section 3

The purposes of HSWA include protecting people other than those at work from risks to their health and safety when these arise out of or in connection with the activities of persons at work. The scope of the general duties set out in HSWA Section 3 is very broad so HSE has developed a policy to guide enforcing authorities in exercising discretion Section 3, HSW Act: Policy[10] that complements HSE's Enforcement Policy Statement (EPS)[11] .

HSE's arrangements for enforcing section 3 need to take account of health and safety priorities - most recently set out in HSE's strategy Helping GB WORK WELL - whilst continuing to meet the section18 HSWA duty to make adequate arrangements for enforcing the relevant statutory provisions. HSE's current priorities for enforcement can be found at (Priorities for Enforcement of Section 3 of HSWA 1974- July 2003 (rev April 2015)

Further guidance in relation to the enforcement of Section 3 can be found at:

Related content

Link URLs in this page

  1. How HSE regulateshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/enforce/index.htm
  2. HSWA - Section 3https://www.hse.gov.uk/enforce/hswact/index.htm
  3. Investigation for incident or complainthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/enforce/hswact/investigate.htm
  4. Dealing with imminent dangerhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/enforce/hswact/imminentdanger.htm
  5. Scope and applicationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/enforce/hswact/scopeapplication.htm
  6. Liaisonhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/enforce/hswact/liaison.htm
  7. Agreements with other authoritieshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/enforce/hswact/agreements.htm
  8. Priorities for enforcementhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/enforce/hswact/priorities.htm
  9. Further informationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/enforce/hswact/furtherinformation.htm
  10. Section 3, HSW Act: Policyhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/enforce/opalert.htm
  11. HSE's Enforcement Policy Statement (EPS)https://www.hse.gov.uk/enforce/enforcement-management-model.htm
  12. Dealing with imminent dangerhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/enforce/hswact/imminentdanger.htm
  13. Scope and application of Section 3 HSWAhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/enforce/hswact/scopeapplication.htm
  14. Should HSE investigate an incident or complainthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/enforce/hswact/investigate.htm
  15. Liaison with other statutory inspection bodies and enforcing authoritieshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/enforce/hswact/liaison.htm
  16. Agreements with other regulatory authoritieshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/enforce/hswact/agreements.htm
  17. Further information https://www.hse.gov.uk/enforce/hswact/furtherinformation.htm
  18. What to expect when a health and safety inspector callshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/hsc14.htm
  19. Regulation of health and safety at workhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/hse51.htm
  20. Enforcement Policy Statement (EPS)https://www.hse.gov.uk/enforce/enforcepolicy.htm
  21. Enforcement Management Model (EMM)https://www.hse.gov.uk/enforce/enforcement-management-model.htm
  22. Enforcement guide - England and Waleshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/enforce/enforcementguide/index.htm
  23. Enforcement guide - Scotlandhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/enforce/enforcementguidesc/index.htm
  24. Fee for intervention (FFI)https://www.hse.gov.uk/fee-for-intervention/index.htm
  25. Enforcement guide - England and Waleshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/enforce/enforcementguide/index.htm
  26. Enforcement guide - Scotlandhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/enforce/enforcementguidesc/index.htm
  27. Fee for intervention (FFI)https://www.hse.gov.uk/fee-for-intervention/index.htm

Glossary of abbreviations/acronyms on this page

HSWA
Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974

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Updated 2021-12-14