Health and safety advice for businesses

Health and safety regulations are enforced by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and district councils. Who to contact depends on what the business does and where it is located.

Local authorities are the main enforcing authority for retail, wholesale distribution and warehousing, hotel and catering premises, offices and the consumer and leisure industries.

Small to medium enterprises looking to tender Kent County Council should consider the information below.

Local authorities use a number of intervention approaches to regulate and influence businesses in the management of health and safety risks including:

provision of advice and guidance to individual businesses or groups
proactive interventions including inspection
reactive interventions for example, to investigate an accident or complaint.

The HSE is responsible for health and safety regulations in factories, building sites, schools and colleges, fairgrounds, gas, electricity and water systems, hospitals and nursing homes and local government buildings. Visit the HSE website for more information.

Useful resources

For further information on Health and Safety regulations see these useful resources:

Report any health and safety concerns

If you have any concerns about the health and safety concerns of a business, contact your local district council's environmental health team: