Assuring compliance

The new Section 18 Standard, setting out the duties on health and safety enforcement, came into effect in April 2008 and requires full compliance by March 2011. The Standard applies to Local authorities and HSE’s Field Operations Directorate.

To help enforcing authorities meet the Standard ten toolkits are now available via the Section 18 website.

The toolkits incorporate links to new Priority Planning Guidance, new Incident Selection Criteria, the Regulatory Development Needs Analysis Tool and provide other basic information on compliance, key points and sources of further information.

Although there has been extensive consultation on the toolkits, there is now a further six months window of opportunity for all Local Authorities to look at and use the toolkits as part of your Self-Assessment, and provide comments, suggestions, and examples of best practice etc. via either your LA/HSE Partnership Teams or the Section 18 feedback e-mail address (section18@hse.gsi.gov.uk).

Compliance will be determined by Self Assessment followed by Peer Review. A Self-Assessment and Peer Review tool has been developed which can be used to monitor progress with compliance.

• Example self assessment and peer review tool - description
• Example self assessment and peer review tool [Compressed zip file]
  The documents contained in this compressed file will require 'extracting' to your individual PC before use.

Local Authorities will receive their individual Self Assessment toolkit via e-mail in the coming weeks. The Self-Assessment and Peer Review system consists of seven steps;-

• EA self-assessment against the S18 Standard using question sets to help determine level of compliance;
• EA develops an Action Plan to overcome any deficiencies or put in place elements of best practice (progress reviewed annually);
• EA records evidence of compliance within an electronic folder;
• EA shares its Self Assessment, Action Plan and supporting evidence with other EAs within their Liaison Group;
• A peer review within the Liaison Group challenges the assumptions/conclusions reached by the EA and suggests any necessary revisions to the Action Plans;
• Findings of the Self-Assessment/Peer Review and progress with Action Plans are reported to local Chief Environmental Health Officer Groups;
• LAU gathers the review data and provides a report on compliance and issues for further consideration to HELA on an annual basis.

Self-Assessment and Peer Review will be undertaken once every four years and progress on action plans reported annually. A rolling program of Self-Assessment and Peer Reviews is to be developed shortly.