This accessibility statement applies to www.hse.gov.uk and its related websites and subdomains, except those listed below which have their own accessibility statements:
How you should be able to use this website
This website is run by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). We want as many people as possible to be able to use this website. For example, that means you should be able to:
- change colours, contrast levels and fonts using browser or device settings
- zoom in up to 400% without the text spilling off the screen
- navigate most of the website using just a keyboard
- navigate most of the website using speech recognition software
- listen to most of the website using a screen reader (including the most recent versions of JAWS, NVDA and VoiceOver)
We have also made the website text as simple as possible to understand.
AbilityNet has advice on making your device easier to use if you have a disability.
How accessible this website is
This website is partially accessible. Some parts of this website are not fully accessible. For example:
- most older PDF documents are not fully accessible to screen reader software
- live video streams and some existing videos do not have captions
- some microsites are developed by third-party suppliers and are outside the standard HSE website template
- some images do not have alternative text, or do not describe the information conveyed clearly enough
- new browser windows may open without being announced to screen reader users
- some time limits cannot be adjusted
- some interactive components may not be fully usable by keyboard alone
- some pages use incorrect HTML heading structures
- some tables do not have appropriate headings
- some text is presented as images
- some links or buttons do not have sufficiently descriptive text
- some button labels may not be announced correctly to screen reader users
- some form fields rely on placeholders instead of persistent labels
- some text and interface elements may not meet minimum colour contrast requirements
- some pages may require scrolling in two directions on small screens
- pagination controls may not announce their purpose correctly to assistive technologies
- hidden content may be announced incorrectly by screen reader users
- some forms are provided in PDF or Microsoft Office formats and may not be fully accessible
There may be other accessibility issues present that have not yet been identified. We are working to document and resolve issues within our control and will publish updates as improvements are made.
If you need help using this website, please contact [email protected].
Feedback and contact information
If you need information on this website in a different format, such as accessible PDF, large print, easy read, audio recording or braille, please contact [email protected]. In your message, include the web address (URL) of the content, your name and email address, and the format you need. We will review your request and respond within 21 days.
Reporting accessibility problems with this website
We are always looking to improve the accessibility of this website. If you find any problems not listed on this page, or think we are not meeting accessibility requirements, please contact [email protected] in the first instance.
Enforcement procedure
The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is responsible for enforcing the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018 (the ‘accessibility regulations’). If you are not satisfied with how we respond to your complaint, you can contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS).
Contacting us by phone or visiting us in person
We provide a text relay service for people who are D/deaf, hard of hearing or have a speech impairment.
Our offices have audio induction loops. If you contact us before your visit, we can also arrange a British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter.
Find out how to contact us via our contact page: https://www.hse.gov.uk/contact/index.htm.
Technical information about this website’s accessibility
HSE is committed to making its website accessible, in accordance with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018.
Compliance status
This website is partially compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) version 2.2 AA standard, due to the non-compliances listed below.
Non-accessible content
The content listed below is non-accessible for the following reasons.
Non-compliance with the accessibility regulations
- Some images do not have alternative text, or do not describe the information conveyed clearly enough. This means users of assistive technologies may miss important content. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 1.1.1 (Non-text Content).
- Some tables do not use correct header markup. In some cases, tables are used to present content that is not genuinely tabular. This means assistive technologies may not interpret table structures correctly. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships).
- Some tables are structured incorrectly, so screen reader users cannot understand the relationships between information in the table. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships).
- Some page content is not structured using appropriate HTML landmark regions. This makes it harder for screen reader users to navigate pages efficiently. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships).
- Some form fields do not programmatically identify their purpose. This means browsers cannot assist users by automatically filling in known information. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 1.3.5 (Identify Input Purpose).
- Some images and charts use colour as the only way to convey meaning. This means users who are colour-blind or using assistive technologies may not have access to the full information. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 1.4.1 (Use of Colour).
- Some text and interface elements do not meet minimum colour contrast requirements. This can make content difficult to read for some users. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 1.4.3 (Contrast Minimum).
- Some text is presented as images, which prevents users from resizing or adjusting it. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 1.4.5 (Images of Text).
- Some pages require scrolling in two directions on small screens due to fixed-width content such as tables. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 1.4.10 (Reflow).
- Some interactive components are not fully operable using a keyboard. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 2.1.1 (Keyboard).
- Some pages contain multiple links with identical text that lead to different destinations, and some links and buttons do not have sufficiently descriptive text. This makes it difficult for assistive technology users to distinguish between or understand the purpose of links. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criteria 2.4.4 (Link Purpose) and 2.4.6 (Headings and Labels).
- Some pages contain duplicate HTML element identifiers, for example where page components have been copied without updating unique references. This means assistive technologies may not be able to correctly identify or navigate page content. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 4.1.1 (Parsing).
- Some links and interactive components cannot be correctly identified by assistive technologies. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 4.1.2 (Name, Role, Value).
- Help and contact links are not labelled consistently across all pages. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 3.2.6 (Consistent Help).
The site search functionality is provided by Google Programmable Search and accessibility issues may arise from changes outside HSE's direct control. We monitor this and work to resolve issues using the guidance and tools available from the provider.
Issues with documents and published files
Many older documents on this website are in non-HTML formats such as PDF, Word and Excel. These may not be fully accessible, for example because they lack text alternatives or are not structured correctly for screen reader users.
The accessibility regulations do not require us to fix PDFs or other documents published before 23 September 2018 if they are not essential to providing our services. However, if you need information in an alternative format, please email [email protected].
Some documents covered by the regulations, including PDFs, Word and Excel files, currently have accessibility issues. We are working to address these.
List of PDFs covered by the regulations that have known accessibility issues (updated 17 November 2025).
We aim to ensure all new documents meet accessibility standards.
Content that is not within the scope of the accessibility regulations
PDFs and other documents published before 23 September 2018
PDFs and other documents published before 23 September 2018 are not required to meet the accessibility regulations where they are not essential to providing a service.
Live video
Live video streams are exempt from the accessibility regulations. We do not currently plan to add captions to live video streams.
What we are doing to improve accessibility
We are working to address all identified accessibility issues that are within our control and to replace inaccessible content with accessible HTML alternatives where feasible.
This website is regularly tested using the Silktide quality assurance service. In addition, internal reviews are carried out to monitor accessibility across new and updated content.
Preparation of this accessibility statement
This statement was prepared on 22 September 2020. It was last reviewed on 29 May 2026 and will be reviewed again by the end of May 2027.
This website was last externally audited in March 2020. The audit was carried out by Panlogic UK using a combination of manual and automated testing across a representative sample of pages and templates. Since then, we have carried out regular internal testing and continuous monitoring using automated tools, including Silktide, alongside manual reviews.