Enforcement and Advice

In Northern Ireland health and safety law is enforced by District Council Environmental Health Departments and the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI), depending upon the business activity being carried on (see table below).

Inspectors have the right to enter any workplace without giving notice, though notice may be given where the inspector thinks it is appropriate. On a normal inspection visit an inspector would expect to look at the workplace, the work activities, how health and safety is being managed, and to check that duty holders are complying with health and safety law. This will include looking for evidence that duty holders under the Control of Asbestos Regulations (NI) 2007 are fulfilling their legal duties to manage asbestos.

Who Does What

District Councils and HSENI are both involved in improving standards in health and safety but within different sectors, for example:

District Council	HSENI
service sector businesses	manufacturing
retail outlets	construction
wholesale outlets	government property
offices	mines and quarries
restaurants and hotels	agriculture
residential homes	school and universities
places of entertainment	transport
recreation facitities	hospitals and nursing homes

As well as enforcing the law we also provide advice and assistance to businesses and the general public.

Further contact details can be found here.