Are you an employee?

You can find help and advice from a variety of sources.

Start with your company's safety representative, your line manager, or your Union. If you have explored these options, they are not available to you or you feel that they would be inappropriate then the resources may help:

General Advice

For general advice and guidance on health and safety at work see Health and Safety Executive (opens in a new window) web site. The HSE website has specific advice for employees: HSE advise for emplyees (opens in a new window)
In addition to their general search engine and highlighted topics the HSE have a useful Health and Safety Executive A-Z (opens in a new window) (please note that not all topics are indexed in the A-Z and you may benefit from using their search engine).

If you don't find what your looking for here or on the HSE website please contact your relevant enforcing authority. To find out who is the enforcing authority/body at your premises (HSE or Local Authority) please see Who Enforces in Dorset (pdf, 27kb) (opens in a new window) .

We only deal with criminal concerns regarding health and safety at work please see the criminal and civil law information sheet.

Health and Safety Publications

Guidance documents for health and safety at work can be downloaded free of charge or copies ordered from HSE Books see Health and Safety Executive Books (opens in a new window) .
For specific legislation look it up on Her Majesty's Stationery Office (HMSO) (opens in a new window) .

Fire Safety

Fire risk assessment guidance can be found on the Fire risk assessments (opens in a new window) and the Dorset Fire and Rescue Service (opens in a new window) website.

Product Safety

Seek out Trading Standards Central (opens in a new window) as Trading Standards deal with complaints regarding services. You can use the postcode search on their website to find your nearest Trading Standards office.

Health Issues

Work Related

The Employment Medical Advisory Service (EMAS) can assist you in finding someone to help fulfil the legal requirements under regulation 7 of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 to "select competent persons to help you in managing health and safety" but they will not normally do the work on behalf of a business
If you are an employee and think a health problem may be work-related you should tell your employer or the company's safety officer, nurse or doctor. You may also ask for help from your trade union or employee representative or family doctor. If you are unable to resolve the problem you can contact the local HSE office below or your Local Environmental Health Officer
Members of the public who believe their health is being affected by nearby work activity may seek advice from EMAS below.
The Employment Medical Advisory Service (EMAS) is based within the HSE and the office below covers Dorset, Bournemouth and Poole: The Pithay, All Saints Street, Bristol, BS1 2ND Tel: 01179 886000

General Health Issues

See NHS Direct Online (opens in a new window) and the World Health Organisation's A-Z (opens in a new window) .

Gas Safety

If you can smell gas, think there is a leak or are worried about carbon monoxide poisoning please call the 24 hour gas emergency service on 0800 111 999 the National Grid (opens in a new window) .
The Health and Safety Executives web site on gas safety: http://www.hse.gov.uk/gas/ (opens in a new window) . is very useful and the HSE also have a gas safety advice line: (0300 to be confirmed, as in a transition period).
The Gas Safe (opens in a new window) website may also be of help if you are looking for a visit by a gas engineer or wish to check a work man is qualified for a specific job.