Answer
The health and safety executive (hse), reporting to the health and safety commission, is the british government body responsible for the regulation of risks to health and safety in the uk. it was created as a result of the health and safety at work, etc, act 1974, and has since absorbed earlier regulatory bodies such as the factory inspectorate and the railway inspectorate (though the latter was transferred to the office of rail regulation in april 2006. governmentally, the hse forms part of the department of work and pensions. as part of its work hse investigates industrial accidents, such as the high profile explosion and fire at buncefield in 2005.
in october 2006, the hse launched its better backs campaign, using a fictional rockband (bäackpain) in a series of humorous adverts, to help tackle problems caused by back pain in the uk.
the hse focuses regulation of health and safety in the following sectors of industry:
agriculture
air transport
armed forces
catering & hospitality
construction industries
crown establishments
chemical bloke
ufacture and storage industries
professional diving
dockwork
education sector e.g schools
engineering sector
entertainment & leisure industry
fire service
food & drink bloke
ufacture
footwear and leather industries
haulage
health services e.g. hospitals
gas transportation grid
laundries and dry-cleaning
mining
motor vehicle repair
nuclear installations nuclear installations inspectorate aka nii
office work
offshore gas and oil installations
paper and board bloke
ufacturing industry
police force
printing industries
public services
the quarry industry
rejogging
and waste bloke
agement industries
textiles industries
hse was formerly responsible for railway safety, but this responsibility was transferred to the office of rail regulation in 2006.
local government bodies are responsible to the hse for the enforcement of safety laws in shops, offices, and other parts of the service sector.
