What types of organisations could the Lead Authority Principle be applied to?

Normally, a substantial part of the organisation should operate within the LA enforced sector. These will often be organisations in the services and leisure sectors. Business activities that might typically be represented by LAPS are shown below.

• Office-based activities
• Leisure and sport
• Warehouse and storage
• Supermarket and food
• Tyre and exhaust fitting bay
• Banks and building societies
• Residential care homes
• General retail
• Pubs and clubs
• Charitable associations

Although predominantly aimed at national and regional businesses with premises or work activities in more than one LA, trade organisations, registered charities and small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) employing less than 50 employees are welcome to join the scheme provided their outlets or branches span two or more LA areas.

Where there is a shared enforcement responsibility with the Health & Safety Executive LA's should contact their Enforcement Liaison Officer to discuss the implications this may have for the partnership and the potential for just working and other synergies.

Trade and other associations

LAPS partnerships can also be formed with trade and other associations. Rather than carrying out 'classic' health and safety management auditing projects, the LA will need to evaluate aspects such as:

• the quality of health and safety guidance distributed by the association;
• how new legislation is interpreted and its implications brought to the attention of members;
• how good health and safety management is promoted;
• the arrangements in place for communicating with members and liaison with other bodies;
• how trends within the association's industry or sector are recognised, recorded and responded to.