• FOD, the largest operational inspectorate in HSE, covers many employment sectors including construction, agriculture, general manufacturing, engineering, food and drink, quarries, entertainment, education, health services, local and central government and domestic gas safety.
• We contribute to HSE's mission to ensure that risks to people’s health and safety from work activities are properly controlled. This means reducing risks and protecting people at work by providing advice and guidance on how to comply with the law, inspecting workplaces, investigating accidents and complaints and taking enforcement action where necessary.
• Our headquarters is in Bootle, Merseyside where the Director of Field Operations is based. FOD is managed as seven geographical Divisions a national Construction Division, a Central Specialist Division and a Headquarters division. A Director or Head of Division leads each Division. Staff in geographical divisions and the national construction division are involved primarily in front-line activities, giving advice and guidance, contacting and inspecting workplaces, investigating incidents/accidents/complaints and taking enforcement action.
• The Employment Medical Advisory Service is part of FOD; it supports all HSE's front-line activities and provides occupational health advice direct to employers and employees.
• The Central Specialist Division provides technical advice across HSE on many health hazards and their control, particularly chemicals (including notification of new substances), pesticides & biocides, noise and vibration.
• FOD's plan of work contributes to HSC's Strategic Plan 2001-04. The plan identifies priority topics and sectors where significant improvements are needed if the targets in 'Revitalising Health and Safety' and 'Securing Health Together' are to be achieved.
• Further information on how FOD will contribute to HSC's 2003/04 Business Plan is provided in our Activity tables for 2003/04 [50kb].

Each FOD division typically has:

• operational groups, each with teams of inspectors carrying out inspection and enforcement work;
• a sector group with the national lead for one or more industries, eg construction, agriculture and wood;
• access to a specialist group of engineers, scientists, medical inspectors and occupational hygiene inspectors providing expertise for the operational and sector work; and
• Other staff who act as Workplace Contact Officers, deal with complaints and undertake publicity and promotional work