HSE Enforcement Trends: A Relaxation In Regulatory Enforcement?

As the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) publishes its interim statistics for fatal injuries arising from accidents at work^1., alongside its annual enforcement statistics for 2018/19^2., we look at how the figures compare to previous years and what they can tell us about the regulator's approach to enforcement for businesses and individuals. With the impact of the current pandemic requiring a flexible approach to ongoing regulation, we also consider what effect this may have on future enforcement action.

What are the headlines?

Indisputably, the UK's record of controlling the risk of workplace injury and ill-health stands well in comparison with other EU member states. The UK consistently has one of the lowest standardised rates of fatal injury across the EU, lower than other large economies and the EU average. Indeed, the number of UK fatalities has remained broadly consistent in recent times.