Health & Safety Advice and Enforcement

Health and Safety at Work

In Northern Ireland, workplace accidents are all too common and result in enormous costs to business in terms of absence, rising insurance premium, civil claims etc. To try to reduce accidents and ill health District Councils' Environmental Health Officers and the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI) Health and Safety Inspectors carry out; its statutory obligations under the Health and Safety at Work (Northern Ireland) Order 1978.

Who does what?

District Council and HSENI, both have enforcement roles in relation to health and safety but within different sectors. Examples of sectors and enforcement responsibility include:

District Council

Health and Safety Executive Northern Ireland

The service aim of Ballymoney Borough Council is to:

Secure the Health, Safety and Welfare of persons at work and the Health and Safety of other persons affected by work activities in the Council enforced sector.

This will be achieved through the following methods:

Providing Health and Safety information and advice to businesses and employees and members of the public.
Carrying out programmed inspections of premises.
Responding to complaints relating to unsafe working conditions.  To make a complaint e-mail healthandsafety@ballymoney.gov.uk
Investigating accidents at work.  Details regarding accidents and emergencies
Contact with employees and representatives during visits 
Policy on contact with representatives and employees during visits and disclosure of information
Specific work to be undertaken this year is further detailed in the Health and Safety Service Plan 2011/12.

Guide to Managing Health and Safety

This guide provides step-by-step advice for all small businesses, including information on risk assessment and writing a safety policy.  General information on managing health and safety should be read along with the information sheets (see below), which give specific advice for the following types of businesses. To assist you in carrying out risk assessments you can download a blank Risk Assessment Form.
Download Accident Reporting Form

Business Type

Bakery
Beauty Salon
Butchers
Catering Establishments
DIY/Builder Suppliers
Electrical Sales
Funeral Director
General Retails
Hairdressers
Hotels
Mobile Catering Units
Motor Show Rooms
Offices
Outdoor Sports Grounds
Petrol Stations
Public Houses
Residential Accommodation
Swimming Pools/Spas
Tool Hire
Tyre & Exhaust Centres
Warehouses

Hazards

Abrasive Wheels
COSHH
Display Screen
Escalators
Fork Lift Trucks
Hoists/Lifts
LPG
Steps/Ladders
Manual Handling
Noise
Pesticides
Play Areas
Pressure Systems
UV Tanning
Welding
Workplace Transport

General Information

Balancing Disability Rights and Health and Safety Requirements
Slips, Trips and Falls
Asbestos
Asbestos in the home

Enforcement Policy

The Enforcement Policy sets out the principles, which will enable the officers of the Council's Borough Services Directorate to provide an effective and fair service, and to ensure consistent and open enforcement. It is written for the guidance of the Council and its Officers and will be made available to any business representatives or members of the public who enquire about our Policies and Procedures. It applies to all dealings whether formal or informal between businesses, members of the public and offices of the Council in regard to matters within the remit of the Borough services Directorate.

Comments and Suggestions on the Health and Safety Service Plan and Enforcement Policy should be forwarded by e-mail to: healthandsafety@ballymoney.gov.uk

Gas Wise

This initiative will focus on work places (within the district council health and safety enforced sector) where gas is used like restaurants and takeaways as well as other premises such as, for example, retail, wholesale, residential homes and offices. The Council will be asking duty holders such as employers, the self-employed and in certain circumstances landlords to be ‘Wise’ about the safety of their gas system.

Further Health and Safety Contacts:

Director of Borough Services
Ballymoney Borough Council
Riada House
14 Charles Street
Ballymoney
BT53 6DZ

Telephone: 028 2766 0257
Fax: 028 2766 0222
Email healthandsafety@ballymoney.gov.uk

The Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland
83 Ladas Drive
BT6 9FR

Tel: 028 9024 3249
Fax: 028 9023 5383
E-mail: hseni@detini.gov.uk
Web-site: http://www.hseni.gov.uk

European Agency for Safety and Health at Work
Web-site: http://osha.europa.eu/en