Operational guidance are internal-only instructions and guidance that HSE employees use for regulatory operational work on inspecting, investigating, permissioning, and enforcing.
HSE publishes operational guidance when it includes content that might be useful for dutyholders or other stakeholders. Operational guidance is up to date at the time of publication.
Operational guidance older than 6 years is hosted by The National Archive and is available below. This is in line with the HSE Retention Policy and generally applies to any operational guidance that is over 6 years old.
- Agriculture sector work plan 2019 to 2020: Inspection of farms
- Agriculture sector work plan 2021 to 2022: Inspection in conjunction with agriculture compliance events
- Agriculture sector workplan 2022 to 2023: Inspection in conjunction with agriculture compliance events
- Arrangements for drilling notifications and enforcement at onshore borehole sites
- Assessing the use and effectiveness of acoustic warning signals
- Asbestos Regulation 7 plans of work – purpose and core principles
- COMAH Competent Authority process for exempting a local authority from the requirement to prepare an external emergency plan under the Control of Major Accident Hazards Regulations 2015
- Construction dust: Inspection and enforcement guidance
- Dealing with asbestos contamination incidents/events
- Hand-arm vibration: Inspection and enforcement guidance
- Health and Safety (Enforcing Authority) Regulations 1998
- Health and Safety (Enforcing Authority) Regulations 1998: Main activity concept
- Inspection of the management of risk from violence and aggression and musculoskeletal disorders in healthcare 2021 to 2022
- Inspection of violence and aggression and musculoskeletal disorders in healthcare 2019 to 2020
- Managing fire risk during cladding and insulation removal and replacement on tall buildings – guidance for inspectors
- Manufacturing sector work plan 2019 to 2020: Musculoskeletal disorders in food and drink manufacturing
- Manufacturing Sector Work Plan 2018 to 2019: Musculoskeletal disorders in food manufacturing
- Manufacturing Sector Work Plan 2019 to 2020: Occupational Lung Disease (OLD) caused by asthmagens, carcinogens and Respirable Crystalline Silica (RCS), in manufacturing industries
- Manufacturing Sector Work Plan 2021 to 2022: Occupational Lung Disease (OLD) caused by asthmagens and carcinogens, in the fabricated metal sector
- Manufacturing sector work plan 2021 to 2022: Impact Evaluation Inspections: Occupational Lung Disease (OLD) caused by wood dust
- Manufacturing Sector work plan 2022-23: Occupational lung disease (OLD) caused by wood dust in wood working and furniture making industries
- Moving and handling construction materials
- National Fairground Inspection Team (NFIT) sector workplan 2019 to 2020
- National Fairground Inspection Team (NFIT) sector workplan 2021 to 2022
- National Fairground Inspection Team (NFIT) Sector Workplan 2022 to 2023
- Onshore decommissioning and dismantling of offshore installations - Intervention planning
- Preventing or controlling ill health from animal contact at animal visitor attractions
- The Pipelines Safety Regulations 1996
- The use of Health and Safety (Enforcing Authority) Regulations 1998: Regulations 5 (Transfer) and 6 (Assignments)
- Transport and Public Services unit: Work plan 2019 to 2020: Proactive inspections to assess the management of asbestos in buildings
- Transport and Public Services Unit work plan 2022-23: Inspections to assess the management of asbestos in school buildings
- Waste and recycling Sector work plan 2022-23: Targeted inspections
- Welfare facilities for construction work
Operational guidance collection placed in The National Archives
The following operational guidance that is more than 6 years old is hosted by The National Archives.
- Asphyxiation hazards in welding and allied processes
- Bungee Jumping – Advice for regulators
- Civil Proceedings in England and Wales (version withdrawn)
- Construction Hazardous Substances: Inspection and Enforcement Guidance
- Construction Noise: Inspection and Enforcement Guidance
- Contact with employee representatives by HSE field staff
- Control of Legionella: Inspection of evaporative cooling systems and investigation of outbreaks, clusters and single cases of Legionnaires' disease
- Cyber Security for Industrial Automation and Control Systems (IACS)
- Dermal exposure to hazardous substances: Prevention of dermatitis
- Enforcement considerations for inspectors investigating gas incidents arising from the failure of steel service pipes
- Enforcement of pesticide legislation
- Fire safety precautions – enforcement and liaison
- Gas Pipelines: Inspecting Polyethylene (PE) Natural Gas Installations
- Head protection for Sikhs wearing turbans
- Inspection of gas supply emergency arrangements and associated co-operation requirements
- Investigating cattle incidents
- Lightning protection at onshore hazardous installations
- Management of access to material by interested parties at HSL to meet HSE investigation requirements
- Management of instrumented systems providing safety functions of low / undefined safety integrity
- Material and evidence management (collection, retention and disposal)
- Obtaining Information from Government Departments and Agencies and Open Sources
- Occupational Asthmagens
- Onshore Pipeline Integrity Management - Operational Guidance for Inspectors
- Operator Response within Safety Instrumented Systems in the Chemical, Oil & Gas, and Specialist Industries
- Post weld cleaning using pickling pastes
- Proof Testing of Safety Instrumented Systems in the Onshore Chemical / Specialist Industry
- Protection against inadvertent ignition of explosive atmospheres by radio-frequency radiation at onshore hazardous installations
- Quarry industry worker competence
- Quick hitch devices on excavators
- Respiratory Protective Equipment
- Role of HSE in Civil contingencies and cross-government emergency planning work
- Simple Cautions - HSE guidance
- Solid fuel catering appliances - enforcement guidance
- Strategic initiative between HSE and BAE Systems 2014 to 2016
- Structural safety: Action by inspectors including liaison with local authorities
- Tackling labour abuse - joint working and intelligence sharing
- The health and safety (training for employment) regulations 1990
- The management of HSE material at HSL
- The prevention of entanglement in the rotary parts of drilling and piling rigs
- The safe use of oxy-propane preheating torches
- The Victim Personal Statement (VPS) scheme (withdrawn)
- Understanding onshore oil and gas well notifications
- Whistleblowing and whistleblowers
- Worker consultation – enforcement of Regulations
- Working with the health and safety authorities in Guernsey and Jersey