In our experience, most incidents may be satisfactorily investigated during normal working hours. However, we recognise that situations will occur that demand a prompt response from HSE and in order to do so there is a duty officer on call who can contact an appropriate HSE officer out of hours.

Do I need to contact HSE out of hours?

The type of circumstances where HSE may need to respond out of hours are:

• following a work-related death, or where there is strong likelihood of death following an incident at or connected with work;
• following an accident at a workplace, to gather details of physical evidence that would be lost if you waited until normal working hours;
• following a major incident at a workplace where the severity of the incident, or the degree of public concern, requires an immediate public statement from either HSE or Government ministers.

If you feel that your incident fits these descriptions, or if you are not sure, then ring the duty officer on 0151 922 9235.

The duty officer will take your message and will ask you for a phone number to allow us to contact you. They will pass your details to an appropriate HSE officer, who may wish to contact you further. If the Duty Officer number is unobtainable please ring 0207 928 8382 (duty press Officer).

If you wish to report diseases, dangerous occurrences or work-related accidents resulting in work-related injury other than that mentioned above, you should contact the Incident Contact Centre (ICC) during office hours.

If you wish to contact HSE for any other reason, in the first instance you should contact HSE Infoline during office hours.