National committees

The Statement of Commitment (link) set out the governance arrangements for HSE and LAs working together as co-regulatory partners.  HSE Local Authority Unit supports two national committees working within this framework, the HSE/LA Enforcement Liaison Committee (HELA) and the Local Authority Health and Safety Practitioner Forum.

HELA - Health and Safety Executive/Local Authority Enforcement Liaison Committee

HELA was set up in 1975 to provide effective liaison between the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and local authorities (LAs).  HELA provides strategic oversight of the co-regulatory relationship between HSE and local authorities with a view to maximising effectiveness, improving health and safety outcomes and ensuring health and safety legislation is enforced in a targeted, proportionate, consistent and transparent way.

HELA also provides a national forum for discussion and exchange of information on LA activity and enforcement.

Local Authority (LA) Health and Safety Practitioner Forum

The purpose of the forum is to provide LA regulator input to matters of operational policy and operational delivery. This includes:

  • Contribution to the development of operational materials to assist LAs delivery of health and safety enforcement in a targeted, consistent and proportionate manner; and
  • Informing the development of LGA policy on health and safety matters and on wider regulatory issues.

Members of this forum are nominated from LA liaison and regional groupings from across England, Scotland and Wales, providing a two way communication link between national and local forums.

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Updated 2022-05-23