The HSE to charge for their time.

Many businesses are unaware that the HSE (Health & Safety Executive) has now started to charge businesses a fee for its services. The fee for intervention (Ffl) regime came into force on October 1^st this year and allows the HSE to recover its costs for time spent by its officials in resolving “material” breaches of health & safety legislation.

If you are found to be non compliant with the law and receive a letter or enforcement notice the HSE will send you a bill. The HSE will recover its costs from the first visit through to the point when the matter is rectified to their satisfaction. Currently this will be charged at £124 per hour. The cost of non conformance could be high and even for a minor offence a figure of £500+ could be expected.

My experience over the years with HSE inspectors has generally been good but as in all businesses and professions you do occasionally get the odd “jobs worth” that could cost companies a lot of money, time and effort. New guidance has now been produced for inspectors to ensure an even–handed and consistent approach. For those companies that deliberately ignore legislation then these changes are no bad thing; in essence, to “fine” them but there is concern expressed that the relationship between businesses and the HSE will suffer in light of these rules.

If the enforcement authority for your type of business is a Local Authority Environmental Health Office then luckily these charges will not apply to you.

Further information can be obtained from the HSE’s website: www.hse.gov.uk a visit to which will not be charged!