These FAQs help illustrate the nature of some of the issues that HSE routinely gives advice on. The list is not exhaustive and further questions and answers may be added at a later date.
The Health and Safety Executive has worked closely with Fire and Rescue Authorities to produce a set of high level principles which strike the balance between operational and health and safety duties.
HSE fully endorses the recommendation in Common Sense, Common Safety that individual firefighters should not be put at risk of investigation or prosecution, under health and safety law, if they have put themselves at risk as a result of a heroic act.
Firefighters should not be expected to put themselves at unreasonable risk, even in the face of sometimes unrealistic public expectations.
Fire and Rescue Authorities are the principal enforcers and have a statutory duty to enforce the requirements of the legislation.
