Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the Health and Safety Executive plans to create a dedicated department within the Energy Division of the Hazardous Industries Directorate to take responsibility for battery energy storage system safety.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) deploys its resources to deliver risk based proportionate regulation of workplaces, including battery energy storage system (BESS) facilities. This approach is set out in HSE’s Regulatory approach – (Regulation of health and safety at work) and in HSE's Enforcement Policy Statement (EPS) (Enforcement Policy Statement) . There are no current plans to establish a dedicated department to take responsibility for BESS, however a cross HSE group of inspectors, scientists and policy makers continue to monitor developments in relation to batteries and other new and emerging technologies.

The Health and Safety at Work Act places legal duties on employers to manage risks to employees and anyone else who may be affected. There is a robust regulatory regime in place which addresses the risks associated with battery energy storage systems.