Making complaints to the Health and Safety Team
Complaints
We become involved with complaints about the following:
- Complaints of poor working conditions
- Working conditions that are likely to result in ill-health or injury
- Concerns regarding practices in skin piercing establishments
- Safety Representative complaints/concerns
- Non-reportable accidents
We use the complaints risk matrix (PDF) [119KB] to screen all complaints and allocate them as Red, Amber or Green, depending on the likelihood of persons receiving serious personal injuries or suffering irreversible health affects. We then decide what action we will take. It is unlikely that inspectors will visits premises for complaints about circumstances that are unlikely to result in serious or significant injury or ill health.
A Health and Safety Inspector may:
- Visit the premises to determine if further action is required
- Contact the business and ask them to deal with the matter themselves
- Give advice to the employee raising the complaint, on how they can deal with the matter themselves (health and safety law requires that employers & employees work together to solve problems, we often find the employer is unaware of the issues)
- Take no action
Request for service or advice
Employers, employees and safety representatives are also able to seek advice and information relating to any aspect of health and safety in the workplace.
Our team of experts will try to answer your questions, tell you where you can find the information on-line or send information out by post.
If you are an employer, or employers representative and you wish to report a RIDDOR incident please see our accident reporting page.
To make a complaint or request a service, contact the health and safety team using the form below.
Report a health, safety or welfare at work issue
You can report a Coronavirus matter using our on-line form
If you do not work in Preston you can use GOV.UK - Find your local council to find the relevant council.
Anonymity
We never tell employers who has made a complaint against them, and many issues can be dealt with when undertaking a general check of the premises. However if the complaint is very specific it is likely employers can guess who has made the complaint.
You will be advised of the course of action that we are going to take when you make the complaint, or shortly afterwards. If you wish to remain anonymous then you will be unable to gain this valuable feedback, and if there is nothing the Inspector can do, you will not be able to be informed of the reasons why.
Complaints about our service
If your are dissatisfied with the outcome of a complaint you have made, or with the conduct of an officer you should contact the Environmental Health Manager (Commercial Regulatory Services) at s.neighbour@preston.gov.uk.
If you have contacted the Environmental Health Manager and you are still unsatisfied, then you may make a formal complaint to the Council.
The Independent Regulatory Challenge Panel
The Independent Regulatory Challenge Panel will look into complaints regarding advice given by the Council's Health and Safety Inspectors about health and safety which you think is incorrect or goes beyond what is required to control the risk adequately.
The panel will consist of independent members who will have the competence and experience to assess advice that has been given on regulatory matters.
Before you raise an issue with the panel, you should have first tried to resolve the matter with the Health and Safety inspector and/or Environmental Health Manager (Commercial Regulatory Services)
Please contact the Independent Regulatory Challenge Panel, if you have tried to resolve the matter with the Heath and Safety Team, but have not been able to reach a satisfactory compromise.
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