Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what criteria are used by the Health and Safety Executive to trigger on-site inspections of businesses accused or suspected of breaking covid-19 workplace safety regulations.

Physical inspections of premises, whilst an important part of the Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) work, are one part of a much wider approach taken by HSE. Members of the public and employees can submit a concern to HSE in relation to unsatisfactory conditions or risk control measures in the workplace; concerns come into the organisation in a variety of ways, with most arriving either via telephone or the online form on HSE’s website.

Concerns received are triaged and classified either red, amber or green; those classified green are largely dealt with remotely by HSE’s Concerns and Advice Team, whilst amber and red concerns are passed to HSE’s field teams for further investigation