YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED

In addition to the help pages on the website, we've listed below some of the frequently asked questions about the HSE Books website:

Disclaimer

Every effort is made to ensure that the information provided on this site is accurate and up to date, but no legal responsibility is accepted for any errors, omissions or misleading statements. It is HSE's policy to obtain permission to link to other websites, and contextual links are provided to such sites where appropriate to HSE's business. HSE is not responsible for, and cannot guarantee the accuracy of, information on sites that it does not manage; nor should the inclusion of a hyperlink be taken to mean endorsement by the HSE of the site to which it points.

First-time visitors

Welcome to the HSE Books website. HSE Bookfinder offers you an easy way of finding and obtaining information published by the Health and Safety Executive. First-time visitors may find it useful to browse through the brief tutorial in the Help Pages.

What is HSE Bookfinder?

HSE Bookfinder is a catalogue of all HSE's publications and multimedia products available from HSE Books. At the moment the site also contains documents available in Portable Document Format (.pdf) and some hypertext links to html versions of free publications. All .pdf documents available on this site are currently monochrome. This feature has been incorporated to save you time and money when downloading. Should you prefer to purchase the paper copy versions you can send your order via fax or post.

How often is the Bookfinder catalogue updated?

The Bookfinder database is updated on a weekly basis to take into account the addition of new publications and the removal of obsolete titles.

How many copies of a free publication can I order?

Subject to the availability of stock, HSE Books will process an order for a single copy of any current free publication for delivery to an address within Great Britain (subject to a maximum of 25 different free publications per order). Additionally HSE produce priced packs of leaflets for which free single copies of the publications will be made available on request. Orders for more than single copies of other free publications which are not in priced packs will be subject to scrutiny by HSE Books before they are processed.

How safe are my credit card details?

All credit card information passed between your browser and the server is encrypted using SSL (Secure Socket Layers). This system is more secure than giving your credit card details over the telephone. Its onward transmission to HSE Books is encrypted in the same manner.

You can tell if your browser is using this facility by checking the key or lock symbol. A closed lock or unbroken key indicates that a secure system is in operation.

However, if you are still unsure, you can order a copy of the publication by phone, fax, etc.

How long will my data remain on the system?

Bookfinder will keep track of your session for 96 hours. The advantage is that should you be called away from your machine or be disconnected whilst compiling your order your details will not be lost.

About HSE Publications

Are HSE's publications translated into other languages?

HSE produces some publications in languages other than English. We have reproduced publications in Welsh. A small number of free publications are available in Bengali, Gujerati, Hindi, Punjabi and Urdu. To find these publications search for the required language in the title field.

Are there any full text electronic versions of HSE publications currently available?

The full text of a small number of free and priced publications are available on this site. Depending upon the file size they are available in either html or .pdf format. We will continue to expand the range of titles where full text versions can be downloaded. Alternatively, the hsedirect subscription service provides full-text versions of HSE priced guidance publications. You can obtain details from the website: www.hsedirect.com

How do I read the .pdf documents?

To read the documents you first need to download Adobe Acrobat Reader software. People with visual difficulties may find it useful to investigate access.adobe.com - services provided to improve the accessibility of Acrobat documents. To download the Adobe Acrobat Reader Software click below:

Additional help and customer feedback

I am not sure which publications I need to order. Where can I get some additional help?

If you are having difficulty finding a publication to meet your needs you can telephone HSE's InfoLine on +44 (0)8701 545500 between 08.30 -17.00 (GMT) Monday-Friday or, if you prefer, write or fax HSE Information Services, Caerphilly Business Park, Caerphilly, United Kingdom, CF83 3GG. Fax: +44 (0)2920 859260.

Alternatively you can click here to email InfoLine. It may be that the information you require is published by an organisation other than HSE, in which case we will endeavour to point you in the right direction.

My order hasn't arrived who shall I contact?

Please remember to allow 10 working days (for normal delivery) before you contact: HSE Books, order enquiries.

We will be able to process your enquiry quickly if you include your order reference number, delivery address, post code and the date you submitted your order.

I have a comment about the HSE Books website. Who do I contact?

If you have a query on your order please click here to contact our help desk. If you prefer you can call the help line on +44 (0)1787 884148 between 09.00 - 17.00 (GMT) Monday - Friday.

What happens if the publication(s) I require have been declared 'out of print' and are no longer available from HSE Books?

HSE Books will offer a refund of any payment you have made. However, the British Library Document Supply Centre (BLDSC) can supply copies of 'out of print' publications. If you are not a registered BLDSC customer you can place orders by telephone, fax or post to the following address:

The Lexicon Office (HSE)
The British Library Document Supply Centre
Boston Spa, Wetherby
West Yorkshire LS23 7BQ

Tel: +44 (0)1937 546599 Fax: +44 (0)1937 546210

The cost for non-registered UK customers is as follows:

* Per document up to 50 pages by first class post £ 8.75 + VAT = £ 10.28

* For each additional 50 pages or part thereof 10p per page

* Per document up to 50 pages by fax £ 10.55 + VAT = £12.40

* For each additional 50 pages or part thereof 10p per page

If you expect to frequently ask for 'out of print' documents, you may find it more cost-effective to register for the BLDSC standard service. To register contact British Library Customer Services at the above address.

I would like to 'link' to HSE Books website, can I do this?

It is HSE policy not to allow the use of material containing the HSE logo if its use in any way suggests HSE endorsement or support for any particular product or service or which implies any association between HSE and manufacturers or suppliers of products and services. However links to both the HSE main website (www.hse.gov.uk) and the HSE Books site are acceptable. If you wish to create a link we are always interested to know which sites are linking through to HSE, so we would be grateful if you could let us know if you decide to link to any of our sites.

Click here to contact the HSE main website.

Click here to contact the HSE Books website.

Copyright information

Is it possible to reproduce any of the information contained in HSE Books publications?

All publications are subject to Crown Copyright. Permission must be sought from HMSO in advance to reproduce any of the contents of priced publications. Applications for reproduction should be made in writing to:

Licensing Division,
Her Majesty's Stationery Office,
St Clements House,
2-16 Colegate,
Norwich NR3 1BQ

or by email: hmsolicensing@cabinet-office.x.gsi.gov.uk

HSE has no objection to the information contained in free publications being reproduced provided that this is not undertaken for advertising, endorsement or other commercial purposes, and HSE is acknowledged as the source.

Printing Help Pages

I would like to have a printed copy of the information given on the Help pages - How do I do this?

To print the help pages click on File. A drop down menu will appear. Click on Print and when the print window appears click OK.

Where do I find Consultative/Discussion Documents?

These documents are available for downloading from the main HSE website, at no charge.

Where do I find European Directives?

Legislation such as EU Directives, Statutory Instruments and Acts of Parliament are not available on this site, However to assist you, here are some useful links:

Acts of the UK Parliament (available from Her Majesty's Stationery Office, HMSO)
EURLEX
The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work

I'm having problems finding form 'F10', where can I get a copy?

The HSE Books website provides access to publications available from HSE Books. Form 'F10' doesn't fall into this category but is available from your local HSE Area Office (free of charge) or for downloading from the Forms section of the main HSE website.

I'm having problems searching by ISBN number, what am I doing wrong?

If you know the ISBN of the publication you want to find, you can search the catalogue using this number. The number must be entered in the search field without any gaps eg 0717615243. At present all ISBN numbers contain 10 digits, if you have more or less digits please recheck your reference.

I would like to browse the entire HSE Books catalogue - can I do this?

To browse the entire catalogue would take rather a long time and be quite costly on-line. You can however browse through various categories of publication, eg free leaflets, a particular industry or health and safety topic.

There is a printed version of the catalogue (CAT34) which you can order on this site or download a version in pdf format on the main HSE website. You should be aware though that this will not have the latest HSE publications. For this you should click on the New Publications link from the Home Page. on the 'Home' button followed by the 'News' button to return to the list.