The Health and Safety Executive (HSE), reporting to the Health and Safety Commission, is the British government body responsible for the regulation of risks to health and safety in the UK. It was created as a result of the Health and Safety at Work, etc, Act 1974, and has since absorbed earlier regulatory bodies such as the Factory Inspectorate and the Railway Inspectorate.

The HSE is responsible for health and safety in

  • factories
  • farms
  • hospitals
  • mines
  • nuclear installations
  • offshore gas and oil installations
  • railways
  • schools
  • the gas transportation grid
  • the movement of dangerous goods and substances

Local government bodies are responsible to the HSE for the enforcement of safety laws in shops, offices, and other parts of the service sector.

External link

HSE website