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Health and safety legislation is enforced by the HSE and by local authorities. The main areas of local authority enforcement are the retail and wholesale sectors, hotels and catering, offices, residential care homes, and the consumer/leisure service industry. The HSE is responsible for the remainder of workplaces. The HSE also works closely with the Environment Agency (EA). Two memorandums of understanding between the HSE and EA cover each organisation's regulatory responsibilities for licensed nuclear sites and radioactive substances at non-nuclear sites.

Local authority and HSE inspectors are entitled to carry out inspections of premises, to issue Improvement Notices which oblige employers to modify processes or work methods, to issue Prohibition Notices which oblige employers to cease carrying out dangerous activities, and to bring prosecutions. Inspectors are encouraged to liaise with trade unions and safety reps, e.g. by notifying them of the intention to visit premises. The extent to which this occurs in practice varies widely from inspector to inspector. However, safety reps should identify the inspectors responsible for their premises and make their acquaintance.

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