Who has the authority to enforce health and safety legislation in a company?

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is a regulatory body in the United Kingdom that is responsible for enforcing health and safety legislation within businesses and workplaces. Its primary role involves ensuring that employers comply with legal health and safety standards to protect workers and the public from workplace hazards. The HSE has the authority to conduct inspections, investigate incidents and accidents, and take enforcement action when necessary, which includes issuing improvement and prohibition notices to encourage compliance with health and safety laws.

While local government, employees' union representatives, and company management have roles in health and safety matters, they do not possess the same level of enforcement authority as the HSE. Local government may have some influence in enforcing specific local regulations, while union representatives advocate for employee rights and safety concerns. Company management is responsible for implementing health and safety protocols, but they operate under the framework established by HSE regulations and are accountable to the HSE itself. Therefore, the HSE is the definitive body that holds the power to enforce health and safety legislation in a company setting.