Report workplace health & safety concerns if you are worried that working practices or conditions at work could cause injury or harm.
Reporting health & safety concerns at work
Concerns should first be reported to your employer. This is usually done by speaking to your supervisor or manager. If your employer has a grievance procedure this may be used to progress concerns if you feel that your employer doesn’t take your concerns seriously. It could also be useful to report concerns to your employer in writing (keeping a copy for your own records).
Members of a trade union can also report the matter to the union representative. A trade union representative may be able to help you resolving any issues.
Reporting to the Health & Safety Executive or Local Authority
After reporting workplace health & safety concerns to your employer, you may feel that no improvement is made. You may then may wish to report the matter further. If the conditions at work are likely to cause injury or serious harm to you, your colleagues or a member of the public you can make a more official report.
The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) and Local Authorities work together to enforce workplace health & safety laws. HSE and Local Authority inspectors can investigate any breach of health & safety law which is putting people’s safety at risk.
Before you report workplace health & safety concerns you should check which authority has responsibility for your particular workplace or premises. The HSE provides information about the types of workplace covered by each authority.
How to report workplace health & safety concerns
Reports can be made directly to the HSE using an online reporting form.
If the workplace is covered by the Local Authority the report should be made to the Environmental Health Officer of the relevant Local Authority for your area. This can usually be done via the individual Local Authority website.
Claiming compensation after a workplace injury or accident
The HSE and Local Authority cannot help an injured person to obtain compensation due to a breach of health & safety law. If you wish to make a claim for compensation due to a workplace injury or accident at work you will need to take your own legal advice. There are also rules for reporting an injury or accident at work.
We offer free initial advice and can help you to make a claim for compensation after an accident or injury at work. Simply complete our contact form or call us freephone on 0800 731 5434.
What to read next? You might find the following pages of interest ….
Duty of an Employer to Prevent Workplace Falls from Height
Avoiding Workplace Trip & Slip Accidents