HSE Inspector's Guide to Improvement and Prohibition Notices

05 February 2025

Introduction

As a regulator, HSE's goal is to prevent workplace death, injury or ill health. We achieve this by working with dutyholders to help them understand the risks they create and how to manage them. HSE's emphasis is on prevention but, where appropriate, we will enforce the law where we find it is being deliberately flouted.

Serving notices is an important part of HSE's enforcement role.

This workshop-style training course will help delegates to understand why, when and how HSE takes formal enforcement action, the factors that affect an inspector's decisions and how to respond to receipt of a notice.

The workshop will be delivered by a former HSE inspector with more than 35 years of experience and is a rare opportunity to understand how HSE regulates by seeing the world through an inspector's eyes.

Learning outcomes

Delegates will be provided with information that will help them to:

• Understand the basic format of the improvement and prohibition notice
• Understand the legal basis for HSE taking formal enforcement action
• Understand how HSE inspectors form their judgement about whether to serve notices
• Understand how organisations can legitimately influence an inspector's enforcement decision
• Understand the options for both formal and informal actions that are available to an organisation receiving a notice

What the course will cover

Delegates will examine the legal basis to enforcement (when notices can be served, what they must contain), understand how to respond to a notice, the importance of the inspector's opinion and how an inspector forms that opinion. Delegates will gain an insight into how to legitimately influence an inspector's enforcement decision. There will be practical, interactive elements to the workshop, using relevant case studies to enhance learning.

Who should attend?

This course is designed for health and safety professionals who act as the interface between their organisation and HSE. It is also suitable for business owners or senior managers responsible for managing and controlling risks, or anyone who might have a formal notice put in their hands by an HSE inspector.

Venue

The course will be run at the HSE Science and Research Centre in the spa town of Buxton.

Buxton is in the heart of the Peak District and has good links to major roads and motorways, mainline train stations and Manchester International Airport.

Details of hotels in the Buxton area can be found at www.visitbuxton.co.uk

Price

£560 per person (includes course notes, lunch and refreshments).

Book Course

Please note that all courses must be paid for via credit card at the time of booking.

Some of our training courses can also be delivered in-company, please contact us to discuss your requirements.

Email: HSEtraining@hse.gov.uk
Telephone: +44 (0)203 028 3704

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