Health and Safety at Work

As a Borough Council, Ribble Valley is responsible for the enforcement of health, safety and welfare standards in a wide range of premises. The enforcement of health and safety legislation is split between the local authority and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Generally speaking the HSE are responsible for the more complex and larger operations requiring high specialisation e.g. mines, factories, chemical works, local authority operations and agricultural activities.

Premises for which we are responsible for include, shops, warehouses, offices, catering services, residential accommodation (including caravan sites, care homes etc), coin operated launderettes, cosmetic services, undertakers (except embalmers), care/treatment/accommodation or exhibition of animals, birds or other creatures (except a horse stud, agricultural activity or veterinary surgery), church worship and childcare, playgroup or nursery facilities.

We currently have in the order of 3,565 businesses registered with this authority.

Inspections are programmed and undertaken in accordance with HSE Codes of Practice and guidelines based on 'risk management principles, and national and local priorities.

Notification of cooling towers and evaporative condensers

Local authorities are required to keep a register of notifiable cooling towers and evaporative condensers located within their areas. The purpose is to be properly informed of where these appliances are located, and for rapid reference purposes with regard to the control of Legionnaires Disease, a serious respiratory disease in humans, linked to the poor maintenance of such plant.

The Notification of Cooling Towers and Evaporative Condensers Regulations 1992 requires a person in control of non-domestic premises to ensure that any 'notifiable' device be notified in writing to the local authority in whose area the premises are situated. Download the Cooling Tower registration form.

A "notifiable device" means a cooling tower or an evaporative condenser except;

• Where it contains no water that is exposed to air; and
• Where its water supply is not connected; and
• Where its electrical supply is not connected.

In addition, any changes to the information notified, must be notified within 1 month after their occurrence. Where a device is removed, this must also be notified to the local authority to enable the register to be amended accordingly. 

Service planning

The Environmental Health Service is delivered in accordance with the service levels and priorities set out in the Environmental Health Plan. In addition, a Health and Safety Service Plan is produced annually which sets out how this council intends to fulfil its statutory obligations with regard to health and safety regulation. This document contains specific service details and improvements to be implemented within the current year.

Health and safety enforcement policy

This Authority formally adopted the Enforcement Concordat in March 1998. A service specific enforcement policy has been produced setting out how the Council and its inspectors will approach and implement enforcement in a consistent way.

Reporting of injuries disease and dangerous occurrence regulations 2013

Reporting accidents and ill health at work is a legal requirement. On the Health and Safety Executive website is where you can find out when an accident needs to be reported and you can also complete a report online. 

Only call the Contact Centre for reporting fatal/specified and major incidents only - 0345 3009923.