Health and Safety

Health and safety inspectors work to protect people's health and safety by making sure risks in the workplace are properly controlled. They ensure employers comply with all aspects of health and safety laws and that workplaces are not the cause of ill health, injury or even death. They do this by inspecting business premises, investigating accidents and through enforcement of the law.

According to The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in the UK 'two million people were suffering from an illness they believed was caused or made worse by their current or past work and 212 workers were killed at work' in the year 2005/2006.

» Typical work activities
Health and safety inspectors may specialise in one area such as the general workplace, construction, forestry or hazardous goods or may work for a general team. Depending on the geographical location and specialism, day-to-day tasks can vary but will generally include the following:

visiting various business and industrial premises to inspect processes and procedures and ensure good health and safety practice;
investigating accidents and complaints and determining if there has been a breach of health and safety law;
carrying out examinations of machinery, working environments and structures, taking measurements of noise, heat, vibrations and taking photographs and samples where necessary;
ensuring workers are provided with suitable protective equipment, such as eye goggles, ear protectors or appropriate types of gloves and clothing;
investigating precautions taken to prevent industrial diseases;
investigating procedures for working in hazardous environments or with potentially harmful substances;
keeping up to date with new legislation and health and safety standards;
staying informed about developments within particular sectors, e.g. in agricultural or construction settings;
providing specialist advice and information to businesses and organisations on health and safety and advising on changes required and on other relevant issues;
negotiating with managers and operators to try to eliminate possible conflicts between safety considerations and production/profit;
writing reports on results of inspections and investigations and completing detailed paperwork;
making and imposing recommendations for action;
developing health and safety working programmes and strategies;
developing methods to predict possible hazards drawn from experience, historical data and other appropriate information sources;
preparing for and presenting court cases, if a decision is made to prosecute;
providing training and educational support to employers and new/trainee employees.