Health & Safety

This page provides information about Wrexham County Borough Council Health and Safety service, which is part of the Public Protection Department.

The aim of the Health and Safety service is to protect the health and safety and welfare of employees and to safeguard others, principally the public, who may be exposed to risks from work activities.


Please also see Health & Safety frequently asked questions.

About Health & Safety

The primary responsibility for ensuring health and safety in the workplace lies with those who create the risk, and in particular employers need to make suitable and sufficient arrangements for managing health and safety.

Officers within the section are responsible for enforcing the provisions of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 in all premises for which the Council has enforcement responsibilities. These premises include warehouses and stores, offices and shops, garden centres and residential care homes. The full range of premises enforced by the Local Authority can be found in the Health and Safety (Enforcing Authority) Regulations 1998.

The range of activities undertaken by the officers are as follows:

  • Investigate accidents and seek to prevent recurrences
  • Inspect premises on a routine basis for compliance with health and safety legislation. These are carried out on a priority based system. The frequency of our visits is determined by factors such as the type and size of premises, the work activity and the health and safety history of the premises.
  • Investigate and resolve complaints relating to workplace conditions.
  • Promote health and safety awareness to employers and employees by providing information, advice and participating in national campaigns.
  • Register and licence skin piercing and tattooist establishments.
  • Provide advice to business. We answer queries from business proprietors who require basic information on health and safety at work. Often we can provide this over the telephone and/or send out explanatory leaflets.
  • Provide advice to workers. Employees who are experiencing health and safety problems at work or who have any concerns or queries, may need to discuss their situation with someone outside their workplace. We can provide advice and/or deal with the query as a complaint. If an Officer makes an investigation the complainants name is not revealed.

Fit 3

"Fit for Work, Fit for Life, Fit for Tomorrow" is the Health and Safety Commission and Health and Safety Executive's (HSE) Strategic Delivery Programme for reducing work related fatal and major injuries and work related ill-health. Wrexham County Borough Council works in partnership with other North Wales Local Authorities and HSE focussing on the key areas of:

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Health & Safety at Work concerns & complaints

The Health and Safety Team receive complaints from a variety of sources which include complaints from employees and members of the public about workplaces and work activities. Complaints can cover a wide range of matters from the failure of an employer to provide suitable personal protective equipment or adequate toilet facilities, to complaints about general working conditions such as poor maintenance of equipment, electrical hazards, slipping and/or tripping hazards etc

If you want some free advice or wish to make a complaint in relation to a health and safety issue then please feel free to contact the team.

If you think an employer is exposing you or others to risks or is not carrying out their legal duties, and you have pointed this out without getting a satisfactory response, you can contact us or the HSE if the place of work is inspected by them.

All complaints regarding health, safety, welfare, or working conditions are investigated in confidence. We will discuss the complaint and can advise as to any action to be taken.

If you'd like us to look into your complaint please contact us.

Independent Regulatory Challenge Panel

The Independent Regulatory Challenge Panel looks into complaints regarding advice given by Local Authority inspectors or Health and Safety Executive about health and safety which you think is incorrect or goes beyond what is required to control the risk adequately.

The panel consists of independent members who will have the competence and experience to assess advice that has been given on regulatory matters.

Before you raise an issue with the panel, you should have first tried to resolve the matter with the relevant LA or HSE inspector and their manager.

What to expect

Your issue will be put before the panel members who will review it thoroughly and inform you of its findings.

The panel will only consider cases from 30 June 2011 onwards and the outcome will be made available on the HSE website (external link).

The panel’s role is advisory. The regulators will respect the independence of the panel and its advice and where appropriate take it onboard.

Further information is available at Independent Regulatory Challenge Panel (external link).

Contact Information

If you want any further information on any of our services please contact us:

Telephone: 01978 298989

Fax: 01978 315701

Email: public_protection_service@wrexham.gov.uk | Online general enquiry form

Address:
Housing and Public Protection Department
Ruthin Road
Wrexham
LL13 7HU

Related Useful Links

Health & Safety Executive website (external link)

Incident Contact Centre website (external link)

For general advice by telephone, the HSE operate a telephone enquiry service offering health and safety advice on 0845 345 0055.

The HSE also provides a number of publications in other languages (external link).

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