What happens after you raise a concern?

First, we will check that the concern relates to a work activity where HSE is responsible for enforcing the health and safety legislation. Then we will seek to identify from the information you provided:

• Who is responsible for health and safety at the location?
• Who is at risk of injury or ill health or has no adequate welfare facilities?
• What injury or ill health could result and how likely is this?

A concerns officer will then assess the information you provided and place it into one of the following categories:

• Red = Serious Risk and a concerns officer will start to follow it up as a high priority within 24 hours of receipt (or it will be passed to an inspector for an on-site investigation)
• Amber = Significant Risk and a concerns officer will start to follow it up within 5 days of receipt
• Green = Low Risk and it will not be followed-up by HSE

However, if your concern relates to an industry classed by HSE as a major hazard industry - such as offshore, nuclear or a major chemical site - then it will be assessed by an inspector and assigned a priority appropriate to the circumstances.

What we will do

We may ask the employer to investigate your concern or we may look into it ourselves. However, we cannot successfully follow up your 'red' or 'amber' concern if, from the information you provided, we are not able to identify or establish who is responsible for the work activity. In such situations, your concern will be reviewed by an inspector.

The other situations where HSE will not investigate are:

• when you raise a concern anonymously to HSE or withhold contact details. This is because we are not able to substantiate or discuss the information with you or ensure that it is not a malicious complaint
• when you have not raised the issue with the person responsible for health and safety or your trade union - unless, of course, you have good reason to believe you would be placed in a vulnerable position if you did raise your concerns with this person
• when there are no reasonably practicable precautions to deal with the matters that you raised
• when it is impracticable to pursue your concerns

HSE cannot help you get compensation or resolve problems of civil law.

What happens if you request feedback?

If you have requested feedback when you raised your concern, we will aim to contact you and let you know what we have done.

The appeals process

If you are dissatisfied with HSE’s decision in relation to your concerns please email or write to:

Health and Safety Executive
Concerns and Advisory Team
Redgrave Court
Bootle
L20 7HS