3. The health and safety inspection and enforcement regime

This chapter covers the key agencies that enforce health and safety law in the UK including the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), local authorities and other regulatory bodies. It starts by outlining how the enforcement regime has operated during the Covid-19 pandemic and then covers the main agencies and regulators in more detail, including who they cover, how they inspect, the fees they charge, and the system of penalties and enforcements they can impose. It also offers important examples of enforcement and prosecution in key areas such as work-related deaths and corporate manslaughter.