Inspections of the workplace

Formal inspections can take different forms and you and your representatives will need to agree the best methods for your workplace. Here are some of the ways inspections can take place.

  • Safety tours - general inspections of the workplace
  • Safety sampling - systematic sampling of particular dangerous activities, processes or areas
  • Safety surveys - general inspections of particular dangerous activities, processes or areas
  • Incident inspections[110] carried out after an accident causing a fatality, injury, or near miss, which could have resulted in an injury, or case of ill health and has been reported to the health and safety enforcing authority

Sample forms

Sample forms you and your safety representatives may find helpful are available on the HSE website for:

  • recording that an inspection by a safety representative has taken place (Form F2534 (PDF) [111])
  • notifying you that there are unsafe or unhealthy conditions or working practices, and unsatisfactory arrangements for welfare at work (Form F2533 (PDF) [112])

Where a health and safety representative has drawn your attention to the findings of an inspection they have carried out, you should consider the matter and decide what appropriate follow-up action should be taken.

Inspecting the workplace

Union-appointed health and safety representatives can inspect the workplace. They have to give reasonable notice in writing when they intend to carry out a formal inspection of the workplace, and have not inspected it in the previous three months. If there is substantial change in conditions of work or HSE publishes new information on hazards, the representatives are entitled to carry out inspections before three months have elapsed, or if it is by agreement.

The frequency of inspections will depend on the nature of the work. Inspections may be less often, for example, if the work environment is low risk like in a predominantly administrative office. But if there are certain areas of a workplace or specific activities that are high risk or changing rapidly, more frequent inspection may be justified, for example on a construction project.

Good practice

  • Plan a programme of inspections[113] - you and your representatives can plan a programme of inspections in advance.
  • Agree the number of representatives[114] - agree the number of representatives taking part in any one formal inspection.
  • Co-ordinate inspections - plan inspections if there is more than one representative, because they can then co-ordinate their inspections to avoid unnecessary duplication.
  • Inspect together[115] - it will help your relationship with the representatives if you inspect together.
  • Consult specialists[116] - if there is a safety officer or specialist advisers.
  • Break down tasks[117] - for larger workplaces, it may not be practical to conduct a formal inspection of the entire workplace in a single session.

Following-up after an inspection

After an inspection:

  • Explain the reasons for any follow-up action you decide to take to your representatives.
  • Let the representative who notified you of the inspection have the opportunity to inspect again so they can check if the issues raised got appropriate attention, and record their views.
  • Share the follow-up action taken throughout the workplace and other relevant parts of the business, including the health and safety committee where there is one.

There may be times when action may not be appropriate, you may not be able to act within a reasonable period of time, or when the action you take is not acceptable to your safety representatives. It is advisable to explain the reasons for the action you have decided to take in writing to your representatives. You can even use the sample inspection form (PDF) [118] and report form (PDF) [119] on the HSE website to do this.

You remain responsible for taking decisions about managing health and safety, but by explaining the reasons for actions and being open with your representatives, you can show that you have considered what they had to say.

Case study: Springfield Fuels

Springfield Fuels, a nuclear fuel fabrication facility, ensures everyone on site is involved when making decisions about their employees' health and wellbeing. Their partnership approach has resulted in joint working groups, joint accident investigations, and several other effective initiatives because they recognise that everyone has a part to play in managing health and safety.
Read the Springfield Fuels case study[120]

Investigating accidents, hazards and complaints[121]

Link URLs in this page

  1. Worker involvementhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/index.htm
  2. The basicshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/basics.htm
  3. Health and safety representativehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/hsrepresentatives.htm
  4. Overview - Preparehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/prepare/index.htm
  5. Talk to your employeeshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/talktoyouremployees.htm
  6. Facts and figureshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/factsfigures.htm
  7. Overview - What the law sayshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/prepare/law/index.htm
  8. Which regulations applyhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/prepare/law/flowchart.htm
  9. 1977 regulationshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/prepare/law/1977.htm
  10. 1996 regulationshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/prepare/law/1996.htm
  11. Both regulationshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/prepare/law/bothregs.htm
  12. Employment protectionhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/prepare/law/empprotection.htm
  13. Overview - Gain commitmenthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/prepare/commitment/index.htm
  14. How to encourage employees to be health and safety representativeshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/prepare/commitment/encemployees.htm
  15. Overview - Union-appointed repshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/prepare/union/index.htm
  16. Representhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/prepare/union/represent.htm
  17. Attend training courseshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/prepare/union/attendtraining.htm
  18. Contact with inspectorshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/prepare/union/contact.htm
  19. Workforce-elected repshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/workerelectedreps.htm
  20. Overview - Elections for representativeshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/elections/index.htm
  21. How many representatives?https://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/elections/howmany.htm
  22. How often will elections take place?https://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/elections/howoften.htm
  23. Encourage and involve employeeshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/elections/encourage.htm
  24. Fair and open electionhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/elections/fairandopen.htm
  25. Overview - Prepare-good practice tipshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/preparetips/index.htm
  26. Consult your workforcehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/preparetips/norep.htm
  27. Joint involvementhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/preparetips/jointinv.htm
  28. Don't decide for your workershttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/preparetips/decision.htm
  29. Reflect diversityhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/preparetips/diversity.htm
  30. Train your repshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/preparetips/reptraining.htm
  31. Give it timehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/preparetips/time.htm
  32. Shared perspectivehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/preparetips/training.htm
  33. Overview - Planhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/plan.htm
  34. Factors to considerhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/factorstoconsider.htm
  35. Overview - What to consult abouthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/whattoconsult.htm
  36. A competent personhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/competentperson.htm
  37. Risk assessmentshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/riskassessments.htm
  38. When to consulthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/whentoconsult.htm
  39. Overview - Traininghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/training.htm
  40. Training Providershttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/trainingproviders.htm
  41. Planning checklisthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/planningchecklist.htm
  42. Overview - Plan-good practice tipshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/plantips/index.htm
  43. Scope of consultationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/plantips/consult.htm
  44. Consult employeeshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/plantips/involve.htm
  45. Provide feedbackhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/plantips/feedback.htm
  46. Address health issueshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/plantips/healthissues.htm
  47. Involve employeeshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/plantips/invemployees.htm
  48. Overview - Consulthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/consulttips/consult.htm
  49. Overview - What your duties arehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/yourduties.htm
  50. Allow paid time offhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/paidtimeoff.htm
  51. Provide facilities and assistancehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/facilities.htm
  52. Provide informationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/provideinformation.htm
  53. Overview - How to involve your employeeshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/involveemployees.htm
  54. Consulting directly with employeeshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/facetoface.htm
  55. Consulting indirectly with employeeshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/indirectly.htm
  56. Where English is not the first languagehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/englishlang.htm
  57. Overview - Consulting with representativeshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/representatives.htm
  58. Investigating accidents, hazards and complaintshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/accidents.htm
  59. Inspections of the workplace https://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/inspections.htm
  60. Overview - Set up a H&S Committeehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/hscommittees.htm
  61. How to set up your H&S committeehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/howtosetup.htm
  62. How your H&S committee will workhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/agreeprinciples.htm
  63. Membership of your H&S committeehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/membership.htm
  64. More about membershiphttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/membership-cont.htm
  65. Frequency of meetingshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/frequency.htm
  66. What your H&S committee will dohttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/whatwillhsdo.htm
  67. Decision makinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/committeedecisions.htm
  68. What resources will be neededhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/committeeresources.htm
  69. Overview - Consult-good practice tipshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/consulttips/index.htm
  70. Recognise the rolehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/consulttips/recogniserole.htm
  71. Different work patternshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/consulttips/workpatterns.htm
  72. Preferenceshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/consulttips/preferences.htm
  73. Involve the representativehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/consulttips/involve.htm
  74. Plan a programme of inspectionshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/consulttips/inspectionplan.htm
  75. Agree the number of representativeshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/consulttips/repnumber.htm
  76. Inspect togetherhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/consulttips/inspecttogether.htm
  77. Consult specialistshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/consulttips/specialists.htm
  78. Break down taskshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/consulttips/breakdown.htm
  79. Involve a variety of peoplehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/consulttips/committeereps.htm
  80. Think about minor incidentshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/consulttips/minorincidents.htm
  81. Plan meetings in advancehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/consulttips/flexible.htm
  82. Communicatehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/consulttips/communicate.htm
  83. Keep the datehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/consulttips/keepdate.htm
  84. Address strategic issueshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/consulttips/resolve.htm
  85. Agreementshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/consulttips/agreements.htm
  86. Disagreementshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/consulttips/disagreements.htm
  87. Overview - Improvehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/improve/index.htm
  88. Monitoring performancehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/monitorperformance.htm
  89. Reviewing progresshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/reviewprogress.htm
  90. Meet the challengeshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/meetchallenges.htm
  91. Review checklisthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/reviewchecklist.htm
  92. Overview - Improve-good practice tipshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/improve/goodpractice.htm
  93. Signs of successhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/improve/success.htm
  94. Seek help https://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/improve/seekhelp.htm
  95. Overview - Resourceshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/resources.htm
  96. Publicationshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/publications.htm
  97. Overview - Case studieshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/resources.htm
  98. Devonport Docks https://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/casestudies/devonport.htm
  99. Overcoming challengeshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/casestudies/overcomingchallenges.htm
  100. BT Group plchttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/casestudies/btgroup.htm
  101. Springfield Fuelshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/casestudies/springfield.htm
  102. UCATT North-Westhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/casestudies/ucatt.htm
  103. University of Leedshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/casestudies/leeds.htm
  104. Bristol City Councilhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/casestudies/bristol-city-council.htm
  105. Researchhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/research.htm
  106. Lord McKenzie speechhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/mckenzie141008.htm
  107. Overview - Videoshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/assets/video/index.htm
  108. Judith Hackitthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/assets/video/judith-hackitt.htm
  109. Useful linkshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/usefullinks.htm
  110. Incident inspectionshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/accidents.htm
  111. Form F2534https://www.hse.gov.uk/forms/incident/f2534.pdf
  112. Form F2533https://www.hse.gov.uk/forms/incident/f2533.pdf
  113. Plan a programme of inspectionshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/consulttips/inspectionplan.htm
  114. Agree the number of representativeshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/consulttips/repnumber.htm
  115. Inspect togetherhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/consulttips/inspecttogether.htm
  116. Consult specialistshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/consulttips/specialists.htm
  117. Break down taskshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/consulttips/breakdown.htm
  118. inspection formhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/forms/incident/f2534.pdf
  119. report formhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/forms/incident/f2533.pdf
  120. Read the Springfield Fuels case studyhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/casestudies/springfields.htm
  121. Investigating accidents, hazards and complaintshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/accidents.htm
  122. Consulting employees on health and safety: A brief guide to the law INDG232(rev1)https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg232.pdf
  123. Involving your workforce in health and safety: Good practice for workplaces HSG263https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/hsg263.htm
  124. Safety representatives: inspection formshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/forms/incident/index.htm
  125. Safety representatives: report formhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/forms/incident/index.htm
  126. Springfield Fuels case studyhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/casestudies/springfields.htm
  127. Health and safety basics for your business https://www.hse.gov.uk/simple-health-safety/index.htm
  128. Managing for health and safetyhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/managing/index.htm

Is this page useful?

2024-10-24