I want to make a health and safety complaint

Making a complaint or getting advice

If you think your employer is exposing you to risks or is not carrying out their legal duties, and you have pointed this out without getting a satisfactory answer or think it requires immediate action you can contact the relevant enforcing authority for health and safety in your workplace.

Health and safety inspectors can give advice on how to comply with the law.

They also have powers to enforce it.

Whether you are an employee or a member of the public you can report your concerns if you feel a commercial premises is unsafe or you have been subject to an injury due to a preventable accident.

To ensure your complaint is dealt with as quick as possible please see the section below to find the correct enforcing authority to report to.

Making Contact with the Relevant Enforcing Body

Hastings Borough Council as the responsible Local Authority enforces Health and Safety legislation within its area in the following workplaces:

• Catering, restaurants and pubs;
• Consumer Services;
• Hotels, camps, caravan sites and short stay accommodation;
• Leisure and cultural;
• Offices;
• Common parts, car parks;
• Churches and their graveyards;
• Residential care (but not nursing homes);
• Retail shops, petrol stations;
• Wholesale shops;
• Warehouses

There are exceptions to these categories including all Local Authority premises or where the main site activity is the responsibility of the Health and Safety Executive (that is, canteens in factories).

All other types of work are enforced by the Health and Safety Executive who can be contacted at:

Health and Safety Executive

Priestley House
Priestley Road
Basingstoke
RG24 9NW
 
Telephone:  01342 334200 or Fax:  01342 334222  

East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service

You can get advice on general fire precautions and means of escape, and so on, from:

Safety Advice

For information on Fire Safety please contact as below:

East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service

Headquarters
Church Lane
Lewes
East Sussex
BN7 2DZ

Telephone: 0303 999 1000
Minicom: 01323 462 003 (available during opening hours)
Email: enquiries@esfrs.org

Community Safety

The Community Safety Team can arrange free Home Safety Visits and provide advice and support when you want to make homes safer.

East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service
Community Safety Department
Eastbourne Fire Station
Whitley Road, Eastbourne
East Sussex
BN22 8LA

Freephone: 0800 177 7069
Minicom: 01323 462 002
E-mail: enquiries@esfrs.org
Community Safety: 01323 462435

• Safety at home information and advice

For Fire Safety Advice for businesses, Responsible Persons and organisations

• Business Safety pages
• Business Safety Offices contact details

For Operational (Firefighting) Activities

Hove, Lewes, Barcombe, Newhaven and Seaford areas:
Telephone: 01273 730254

Brighton and Roedean areas:
Telephone: 01273 685152

Forest Row, Eastbourne, Uckfield, Crowborough, Mayfield, Wadhurst, Burwash, Heathfield and Hailsham areas:
Telephone: 01825 745901

Hastings (Bohemia Road and The Ridge), Battle, Broad Oak, Rye, Bexhill, Pevensey and Herstmonceux areas:
Telephone: 01424 440136

You can find a full breakdown of enforcing responsibilities for health and safety on the Health and Safety Executive website.