The Police, Fire and Prisons (PFP) unit in HSE's Public Services Sector is actively working with key stakeholders to promote a culture within the service where health and safety risks are dealt with in a sensible and proportionate manner and are integral to the overall management systems of police operations. We are a small, dedicated team and we can be contacted at publicssector@hse.gsi.gov.uk
We work closely with all the major police stakeholders and we are a member of, the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) Health, Safety and Welfare Strategic Group and its associated working groups.
In 2009 we published a high level policy statement entitled 'Striking the balance between operational and health and safety duties in the Police Service, to allay concerns and help the Police Service achieve a balance between managing health and safety risks with their operational duties. The statement is a result of collaborative work with the Police Service. In support of the statement we have also published in July 2011 an explanatory note which sets out HSE's expectations and approach to managing health and safety and which implements the recommendation in Common Sense, Common Safety that police officers should not be at risk of investigation or prosecution as a result of any act of heroism.
We also support and advise HSE's Operational Inspectors in the Field Operations Directorate (FOD), the main operational part of HSE, in any work with the police that they are involved in, keeping them abreast of the latest developments. They are located in offices across the country and are responsible for:
The Home Office is responsible for policing in England and Wales and the Scottish Government is responsible for policing in Scotland.
In England and Wales, the Home Secretary is answerable to Parliament and the public for the provision of an efficient and effective Police Service.
Chief Officers of Police are responsible for delivering policing services. The Office of Chief Constable is the employer of police officers for the purposes of health and safety legislation.
Police Authorities, together with the Home Secretary and chief police officers are responsible for the management of policing in England and Wales.
There are 43 geographic police authorities - one for each local police force - plus additional police authorities for British Transport Police, Civil Nuclear Police, and a Police Committee for the Ministry of Defence. The Police Authority is the employer of civilian police staff in their local force.
Police authorities are independent bodies and are usually made up of 17 members who are local councillors and independent members selected following local advertising. The Metropolitan Police Authority has 23 members because of London's size. Each police authority sets the strategic direction for the local police force and holds the chief police officer to account for the service the police force deliver to local people.
The Police Service in England and Wales employs over: (as at 03/11)
In Scotland most of the police powers and functions are devolved to the Scottish Parliament. Scottish Ministers retain overall responsibility for policing policy in Scotland and will answer to the Scottish Government on these matters. However, there are some areas for which legislative responsibility remains with the UK Government including national security, terrorism, firearms and drugs, and the Home Secretary remains answerable on these issues.
Three parties share legal responsibility for police forces in Scotland; the Police Authorities/Joint Police Boards, Chief Constables and Scottish Ministers. This arrangement derives from the Police (Scotland) Act 1967.
There are eight police forces in Scotland (Strathclyde, Lothian and Borders, Tayside, Grampian, Central Scotland, Fife, Northern and Dumfries and Galloway) only two of which correspond with local authority boundaries. In addition to the eight forces there are a number of common services e.g. forensics, training, etc used by all forces which are provided by the Scottish Police Services Authority, which also maintains the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency. The Police Service in Scotland employs over 17,200 police officers (FTE) (as at 03/11).
Each force is maintained by a Police Authority or a Joint Police Board which is composed of representatives of each council in the force area. Among other issues, Police Authorities/Joint police Boards are responsible for setting police budgets and for appointing chief officers. Chief Constables are responsible for the operational aspects of policing within their force and decisions on the allocation of resources to meet operational requirements are a matter for each Chief Constable.
Individual forces are funded in part by grant paid directly by Scottish Ministers and in part by a local authority's revenue support grant, non-domestic rate income and council tax.
Social media
Javascript is required to use HSE website social media functionality.
Follow HSE on Twitter:
Follow @H_S_E