Health and Safety
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Health and Safety work within the District is aimed at ensuring the health, safety and welfare of persons at work, and other people that may be affected by work activities. The Council’s health and safety role covers advice, training, and enforcement.
To assist businesses in complying with the law, advice and information is offered on health and safety matters by the Council’s Environmental Health Officers through.
- Visiting businesses and discussing specific areas that are of interest.
- Providing guidance and information packs to assist in understanding and complying with the law.
- Running training workshops, in conjunction with the Eastern Group Environmental Health Committee, where advice and guidance is given in a more detailed and structured way. All training courses include practical sessions to ensure that the advice both useful and interesting.
Enforcement
The Council is also responsible for seeing that health and safety laws are complied with by businesses within its District, and this is achieved in a number of ways:
- Businesses are routinely inspected and standards checked.
- The company's approach to managing health and safety risks is assessed.
- Complaints and accident reports are investigated to identify causes and establish ways to prevent a recurrence.
- Where more formal action is warranted Improvement and Prohibition Notices can be issued.
- Where contraventions are not remedied the Council has power to prosecute and fines of up to £20,000 per offence and / or a jail sentence can be awarded by magistrates.
Contacts
Environmental Health
Downshire Civic Centre
Downshire Estate
Ardglass Road
Downpatrick
BT30 6RA
T: 0 28 4461 0823