Report health and safety incidents and risks

We offer guidance for reporting health and safety issues in the workplace.

If you think there is an imminent danger to you or others, report your concerns immediately by calling 02380 285411 or by email to eandr@nfdc.gov.uk.

Report a workplace incident

If you are an employer, self-employed or in control of premises, you must report specified workplace incidents and accidents.

To report an incident to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), use the online form below.

Report a health and safety incident

When we receive a report, we will consider if further investigation is necessary. The outcome of these enquiries usually involves the provision of advice to the employer.

If the investigation uncovers serious breaches of health and safety law, more formal action may have to be considered in line with our enforcement policy.

If you have any questions, contact us by email to eandr@nfdc.gov.uk.

Report a risk in the workplace

We are responsible for the enforcement of health and safety relating to the following workplaces:

• offices, shops, restaurants and canteens
• retail warehouses
• leisure activities and places of entertainment (such as sports centres and cinemas)
• childcare, playgroup and nurseries in non-domestic and non-school premises
• tyre and exhaust fitters
• tattooists and therapeutic treatments by non-registered medical practitioners
• residential care homes.

Report a health and safety risk

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is responsible for the enforcement of health and safety relating to the following workplaces:

• garages and motor vehicle repair
• manufacturing
• mobile workers (such as gas fitters, electricians and plumbers)
• construction and building work
• schools and colleges
• hospitals and nursing homes.

To report a health and safety risk in any of the above, use the HSE website online form below.

Report a health and safety risk to the HSE

Health and safety law

Health and safety law protects both employees and members of the public. It requires businesses to take reasonable steps to make sure that their staff and others are not exposed to risks to their health and safety.

Health and safety incidents must be reported under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR).

If you are worried that your workplace or someone's work activity is putting your health or safety at risk, you should report it to the relevant enforcing authority.

If you are an employee, consider reporting minor incidents and near misses at work to your employer or your work safety representative. If you feel nothing has improved after reporting your concerns, and your or others' health and safety is still at risk, contact us by email to eandr@nfdc.gov.uk.

We treat all reported incidents in confidence. We aim to investigate and resolve issues professionally, and in accordance with our enforcement policy.  

If you are unsure of who you should contact, we can help. If we are not the enforcing authority, we will direct you to the most appropriate organisation to deal with your enquiry.

How we investigate

The problem or incident you report may be investigated by us in several ways. This will typically include the following:

• contact the business to verbally confirm the facts surrounding the incident, and what has been done to prevent a recurrence
• visit the business to investigate the facts surrounding the reported incident, and check the level of compliance with health and safety law
• request the business to provide evidence that it is complying with the law
• carry out a full inspection of the business, depending on the initial investigation findings
• ask the business to investigate your complaint and inform us of the findings.

We will take the appropriate action necessary to ensure that the business complies with health and safety law.

Information required and disclosure

We will ask for your name and contact details, to allow us to follow up the issue. We do not share your information with anyone else unless we are required to do so by law, or it is necessary to provide our services to you.  

Depending on the nature and circumstances of the issue, it may be possible for the person you are reporting to guess that you notified us, particularly if you have already raised the matter with them.

Unless part of an ongoing investigation, the information collected as part of the process is available subject to a Freedom of Information enquiry. For more information, refer to our Food and Safety Privacy Notice.

If you are reporting a workplace health and safety issue, employment law gives you protection as a whistleblower, especially in relation to unfair dismissal. This includes the importance of the following the correct process. Visit the GOV.UK website to find out more about Whistleblowing for employees.

Anonymous health and safety reports

We will not normally investigate your incident if you have made it anonymously, or you have withheld your contact details. This is because we are not able to confirm or discuss the incident details with you.

Anonymous complaints will only normally be considered if the allegation concerns serious risk of harm, or we have previously received similar notifications.

Compensation

We cannot help you get compensation, or resolve problems covered in civil law.

The Citizens Advice Bureau can provide further information about your legal rights regarding these issues.

If you have any questions, contact us by email to eandr@nfdc.gov.uk.