Health and Safety
Executive / Commission
Electricity
Under UK law (the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 (HSW Act) in Great Britain or the Health and Safety at Work (Northern Ireland) Order 1978 in Northern Ireland) employers are responsible for ensuring the safety and health of their employees and also the public, if they are at risk from those work activities. This includes electrical safety.
HSE employs Electrical Inspectors with the aim of reducing the number of electrical accidents by enforcing the Law, providing advice on good working practices, and developing guidance in response to technical changes in equipment and working methods.
Electrical Inspectors work in cooperation with other responsible bodies including The Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR), Local Authority Standards departments and The Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem).
HSE recognises that the dangers from electricity are present in all industries and so Electrical Inspectors are spread across many of the Directorates within HSE:
Electrical Inspectors also work centrally within HSE to develop policies that enable each UK industry to benefit from a coordinated approach to electrical safety issues.
Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) enforces the Continuity and Quality aspects of the Electricity Safety, Quality and Continuity Regulations 2002. For further information contact the DTI Inspectorate on 020 7215 5000. HSE enforces all other aspects of electricity supply.
The Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem) look after the interests of electricity consumers. This is principally a financial role, monitoring electricity generation, distribution and supply. For further information contact Ofgem on 020 7901 7000.
The address and telephone number of your nearest Health and Safety Executive office can also be found on the HSE's website. For some workplaces (such as offices, shops, hotels, many warehouses) the Local Authority enforces electrical safety regulations, generally its environmental services department. HSE and the Local Authorities work together to provide consistent advice and enforcement by means of a liaison committee (HELA).
Annual electrical accident statistics in the workplace can be found in the HSC Annual Report and in the HSC Health and Safety Statistics, also published each year. In addition, there is a more detailed breakdown of electrical accident statistics and trends in the HSE publication 'Electrical Incidents in GB'. This publication has a wider range of source material than just the workplace. Further information about these publications is available from HSE Books Tel: 01787 881165.