Inspections by local authorities are in decline

Health and safety enforcement by local councils is stagnating, according to new figures released in July.

The number of workplace visits by local authority inspectors fell again in 2003-04 to 242,000 visits, compared with 260,000 in 2002-03. This fall occurred in spite of an increase in the number of inspectors (full-time-equivalent), from 1,060 in 2001-02 to 1,150 in 2003-04.

Local authorities - which are supposed to enforce the law in over 1.1 million workplaces - issued 6,080 enforcement notices in 2003-04, up from 5,780 a year earlier. But the average fine was just £4,375.

The figures are published in the HELA health and safety activity bulletin 2005, available at www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/industry/iebltn05.pdf