If you are on the receiving end of an improvement notice from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) it will be a worrying time for you.
Maybe something bad has already happened in your business or you had a near miss. It may be that an inspector has visited and is not satisfied with your operations. The good news is that an improvement notice is your chance to put things right. In this blog we will look at improvement notices in more detail and outline how we can help.
HSE improvement notices explained
The HSE may issue an improvement notice to any business that it believes contravenes its legal health and safety obligation. This could be a health and safety law that has been previously breached and is expected to either continue or be breached again.
Unlike a prohibition notice (which takes effect immediately) the improvement notice will take effect no earlier than 21 days after being issued. A prohibition notice is issued when there is immediate risk and will stop all activities until the issue has been resolved.
Within the improvement notice there will be a summary of the HSE officers observation and details of the observed breaches. Improvement notices are part of the enforcement process for the HSE and remain on a public register for five years.
Worst case scenario?
Recently the HSE published the successful prosecution of an oil and gas operator following an incident on an offshore North Sea Platform, where the company was fined £300,000 as a result.
In this case, three workers had descended a lift shaft to carry out repair works. Failings of hardware and improper operating procedures resulted in the bottom of the lift shaft filling with water.
Lack of water alarms in the bottom of the lift shaft meant the control room was unaware that water was filling the shaft. The lift was stopped using an emergency button by the workers in the lift and they luckily returned to safety, unharmed.
Following this incident the HSE issued the company with an improvement notice and work in confined spaces was stopped for two months to allow a full review to take place.
In June 2025 the operating company pleaded guilty to breaching The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998, 30 Regulation 4(1) and the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, Section 33(1)(a). The company was fined £300,000.
Whilst this is an extreme example of what can instigate an improvement notice, and a hefty fine as a result, it is an important reminder that health and safety is paramount for any business to run safely and effectively.
Are you at risk of being issued an improvement notice?
Although the above example is severe it does not mean that all improvement notices have to be.
Further examples of recent improvement notices issued include companies who have failed to provide “suitable and sufficient” sanitary conveniences for staff. This could be toilets that are in an unkept condition or a lack of running warm water and provision of soap to wash hands effectively.
Other examples include failing to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety of staff by not taking effective measures to prevent bodily access to dangerous parts of machinery. Also instances where there are insufficient measures in place to prevent a person falling from height. In these two examples a safety barrier and staff training might be all that is needed to comply and resolve the notice.
What to do if you are issued with an improvement notice
Should your business be issued with an improvement notice, then we are here to help. The Health & Safety Dept can offer an impartial review of practices and identify next steps to make the improvements required.
Our expert team are on hand to support your workplace to ensure that your business complies with health and safety law and regulations. We also carry out accident investigations where required, so you know that going forward there is less chance of the same accident reoccurring and your staff are kept safe from harm.
To get started, contact us today and find out how we can help your business now.
