Environmental Health - Health & Safety - Complaints, Accidents & Investigations
We investigate complaints relating to dangerous working practises or unsatisfactory conditions at work. | |
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Workplace Safety & the Law
"Getting hurt at work is not a pleasant subject to think about but the reality is that in Britain each year an estimated 2.2 million people suffer from ill health caused or made worse by work.
If you are employee, your employer has a legal duty to protect your health, safety and welfare when you are at work. The rules apply to all businesses however small and whatever type of work done.
The law is also there to protect the public from dangers arising from the work. If you are concerned about any aspect of health & safety at work you should first always attempt to resolve the matter with the employer either directly or through your staff representative (if you have one).
If you are dissatisfied you can contact the relevant enforcement authority for the business for impartial advice or to ask for your complaint to be investigated"Source: Leaflet - Health & Safety in the Workplace produced by
Essex Chief Officers Occupational Health & Safety Group. Complaints about workplace safety.
Basildon Council's Env. Health team deal with workplace safety in offices, shops, warehouses, places used for leisure activities and other non-industrial premises within the District. (The Health and Safety Executive  deal with factories and other industrial operations).
Types of business regulated by Basildon Council's Env. Health team include:
- Offices & Shops
- Hotels & Catering
- Consumer Services
- Warehouses
- Leisure & Entertainment
- Residential Accommodation
- Places of Worship and Undertakers
- Pre-School Childcare
- Mobile Vendors
- Animal Care
- Therapeutic & Beauty Services
We investigate complaints relating to dangerous working practices or unsatisfactory conditions at work.
We also deal with enquiries and provide advice and assistance to employers, employees and members of the public in matters relating to workplace safety.
We will aim to respond within 5 working days.
The response we give will depend on the individual circumstances of each complaint, and may include:
- advice to the complainant on what they can do;
- a telephone call to the company to gain further information;
- requesting written information from the company;
- a visit to the premises.
We ask for as much information as possible e.g. times/dates, location of incident, witnesses, etc. Whilst we request that the person reporting the problem provide their contact details, we will not divulge these details to the company during the normal course of our investigation.
When we consider we have sufficient information from all relevant parties we will make an assessment as to the most appropriate course of action having regard to our enforcement policy.
Accidents & Accident Reporting
If you need to discuss an issue regarding Workplace Safety or want to report an accident then contact us
Employers have a duty to report certain health and safety incidents and accidents to their Local Authority.
Each year, we receive numerous reports from employers relating to accidents, dangerous occurrences or occupational diseases, resulting from work activities.
The types of incidents and accidents which need to be reported are defined in law. For further information view/download our leaflet, 'Do I need to report an accident which happened at work?' 
Once we have been notified about an accident, we will make an assessment as to whether further investigation is appropriate. This will depend upon for example, the seriousness of the incident and how easily it could have been avoided. We may make contact with the injured person or visit the workplace. Where appropriate we may wish to take witness statements, view documents or take photographs.
The purpose of an accident investigation is to:
- establish the cause
- identify the steps an employer could be taking to minimise the possibility of reoccurrence
When we consider we have sufficient information from all relevant parties we will make an assessment as to the most appropriate course of action having regard to our enforcement policy .
We will respond within 3 working days for most incidents/accidents. We will respond to major accidents/fatalities within 1 working day.
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