Health and Safety at Work
We're responsible for promoting good practice to ensure the health and safety of employees and the public in a range of workplaces.
Work shouldn't hurt
Your safety and your health are important to us at Lambeth Council - we want to ensure you have a safe workplace.
- Slips, trips or falls cause the majority of accidents at work. Tell your employer if there is a problem. If they don't take action, tell us.
- One-third of all work-related sickness is caused by stress. If you have a problem, tell your employer. You or your employer can contact us for advice.
- Employees with special needs - anything from becoming pregnant to having a disability - should have their needs considered. Talk to us if you're unsure about what to do.
How we can help
The health and safety enforcement team is part of Lambeth Council's Regulatory Services.
We're responsible for promoting good practice to ensure the health and safety of employees and the public in a range of workplaces including:
- offices, shops and business centres
- theatres, clubs and cinemas
- care homes, nurseries and hotels
- warehouses and retail premises.
Factories, engineering, manufacturing and construction sites are the responsibility of the Health and Safety Executive. You can contact them directly on 020 7556 2100 or visit their website.
But if you're not sure about who covers what, please call us anyway. If we're not able to help directly, we'll put you in touch with the right people.
Call us in confidence
We can give confidential advice if you're worried about:
- dangerous working practices, equipment and premises
- health risks in the workplace
- being asked to do something that may damage your health or others.
We also:
- investigate workplace accidents and dangerous occurrences
- investigate complaints about safety in the workplace
- investigate environmental nuisance in the workplace
- carry out inspections of business premises
- advise employers on safeguarding the health and safety of their employees.
Enforcement
Where necessary, we can take enforcement action to ensure that employers comply with the laws on health and safety in the workplace - and that can include prosecution, if that is what's needed.
We have published our policies on enforcement and you can download a copy.
Health and safety enforcement policy
Prosecutions register
If businesses have been prosecuted for Health and Safety breaches, the details will be available on the Health and Safety Executive website - go to the Health and Safety Executive's Public Register of Convictions website.
Reporting accidents
RIDDOR '95 requires the reporting of work-related accidents, diseases and dangerous occurrences. It applies to all work activities, but not to all incidents.
The Health and Safety Executive's Incident Contact Centre website provides information about RIDDOR and allows you to report accidents, diseases and dangerous occurrences.
Health and safety regulations
You can get advice leaflets from the Health and Safety Executive website, including 'Health and safety regulation a short guide'.
Health and Safety Performance Indicator
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have a web-based tool - The Health and Safety Performance Indicator - to assist SME's to track and assess how well they are managing their own health and safety performance.
Our service standards
We aim to provide you with the best service possible in accordance with our service standards:
- We aim to investigate serious safety problems within two working days
- We will take formal action to make sure conditions are improved, where necessary
- We aim to respond to your request for information within ten working days
- We will always explain to you what action we are taking and the reasons for our decision