Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974

18 Authorities responsible for enforcement of the relevant statutory provisions. U.K.

(1) It shall be the duty of the Executive to make adequate arrangements for the enforcement of the relevant statutory provisions except to the extent that some other authority or class of authorities is by any of those provisions or by regulations under subsection (2) below made responsible for their enforcement.

(2) The Secretary of State may by regulations—

(a) make local authorities responsible for the enforcement of the relevant statutory provisions to such extent as may be prescribed;

(b) make provision for enabling responsibility for enforcing any of the relevant statutory provisions to be, to such extent as may be determined under the regulations—

(i) transferred from the Executive to local authorities or from local authorities to the Executive; or

(ii) assigned to the Executive or to local authorities for the purpose of removing any uncertainty as to what are by virtue of this subsection their respective responsibilities for the enforcement of those provisions;

and any regulations made in pursuance of paragraph (b) above shall include provision for securing that any transfer or assignment effected under the regulations is brought to the notice of persons affected by it.

(3) Any provision made by regulations under the preceding subsection shall have effect subject to any provision made by health and safety regulations F1 . . . in pursuance of section 15(3)(c).

(4) It shall be the duty of every local authority—

(a) to make adequate arrangements for the enforcement within their area of the relevant statutory provisions to the extent that they are by any of those provisions or by regulations under subsection (2) above made responsible for their enforcement; and

(b) to perform the duty imposed on them by the preceding paragraph and any other functions conferred on them by any of the relevant statutory provisions in accordance with such guidance as [F2 the Executive] may give them.

[F3 (4A) Before the Executive gives guidance under subsection (4)(b) it shall consult the local authorities.

(4B) It shall be the duty of the Executive and the local authorities—

(a) to work together to establish best practice and consistency in the enforcement of the relevant statutory provisions;

(b) to enter into arrangements with each other for securing cooperation and the exchange of information in connection with the carrying out of their functions with regard to the relevant statutory provisions; and

(c) from time to time to review those arrangements and to revise them when they consider it appropriate to do so.]

(5) Where any authority other than F1 . . ., the Executive or a local authority is by any of the relevant statutory provisions F4 . . . made responsible for the enforcement of any of those provisions to any extent, it shall be the duty of that authority—

(a) to make adequate arrangements for the enforcement of those provisions to that extent; and

(b) [F5 except where that authority is the Office of Rail Regulation,]to perform the duty imposed on the authority by the preceding paragraph and any other functions conferred on the authority by any of the relevant statutory provisions in accordance with such guidance as [F6 the Executive] may give to the authority.

(6) Nothing in the provisions of this Act or of any regulations made thereunder charging any person in Scotland with the enforcement of any of the relevant statutory provisions shall be construed as authorising that person to institute proceedings for any offence.

(7) In this Part—

(a) “enforcing authority” means the Executive or any other authority which is by any of the relevant statutory provisions or by regulations under subsection (2) above made responsible for the enforcement of any of those provisions to any extent; and

(b) any reference to an enforcing authority’s field of responsibility is a reference to the field over which that authority’s responsibility for the enforcement of those provisions extends for the time being;

but where by virtue of [F7 subsection (3) of section 13] the performance of any function of F8 . . . the Executive is delegated to a government department or person, references to F8 . . . the Executive (or to an enforcing authority where that authority is the Executive) in any provision of this Part which relates to that function shall, so far as may be necessary to give effect to any agreement under [F9 that subsection] , be construed as references to that department or person; and accordingly any reference to the field of responsibility of an enforcing authority shall be construed as a reference to the field over which that department or person for the time being performs such a function.

Textual Amendments

F1 Words repealed by Employment Protection Act 1975 (c. 71), Sch. 18

F2 Words in s. 18(4)(b) substituted (1.4.2008) by The Legislative Reform (Health and Safety Executive) Order 2008 (S.I. 2008/960), art. 10(2) (with art. 21, Sch. 2)

F3 S. 18(4A)(4B) inserted (1.4.2008) by The Legislative Reform (Health and Safety Executive) Order 2008 (S.I. 2008/960), art. 10(3) (with art. 21, Sch. 2)

F4 Words in s. 18(5) repealed (8.6.2005) by Railways Act 2005 (c. 14), ss. 59, 60, Sch. 13 Pt. 1 (with s. 14(4)(5), Sch. 11 para. 11(2)); S.I. 2005/1444, art. 2, Sch. 1

F5 Words in s. 18(5)(b) inserted (1.4.2006) by Railways Act 2005 (c. 14), ss. 2, 60, Sch. 3 para. 10(3); S.I. 2006/266, art. 2(2), Sch.

F6 Words in s. 18(5)(b) substituted (1.4.2008) by The Legislative Reform (Health and Safety Executive) Order 2008 (S.I. 2008/960), art. 10(4) (with art. 21, Sch. 2)

F7 Words in s. 18(7) substituted (1.4.2008) by The Legislative Reform (Health and Safety Executive) Order 2008 (S.I. 2008/960), art. 10(5)(a) (with art. 21, Sch. 2)

F8 Words in s. 18(7) omitted (1.4.2008) by virtue of The Legislative Reform (Health and Safety Executive) Order 2008 (S.I. 2008/960), art. 10(5)(c) (with art. 21, Sch. 2)

F9 Words in s. 18(7) substituted (1.4.2008) by The Legislative Reform (Health and Safety Executive) Order 2008 (S.I. 2008/960), art. 10(5)(b) (with art. 21, Sch. 2)

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 Ss. 1–25, 26, 27, 28, 30, 33, 34–59, 80, 81 and 82 applied by S.I. 1989/840, arts. 2–10

Ss. 16-21, 23, 24, 26, 28, 33, 34, 36-39, 42(1)-(3), 46 extended (E.W.S.) (1.10.1996) by S.I. 1996/1513, reg. 10

Ss. 16-24, 26, 28, 33-40, 42, 46, 47 excluded (with saving) (E.W.S.) (1.12.1997) by S.I. 1997/1840, regs. 7, 9

Ss. 18-20: power to apply conferred (E.W.S.) (28.8.1995) by 1995 c. 15, ss. 2(4)(b), 5 (with s. 3(5))

Ss. 18-27, 33(1)(e)-(i)(n)(o)(2)-(4), 34(2)-(6), 36(1), 37-42, 46 applied (with modifications) (E.W.S.) (16.4.1996) by S.I. 1996/772, reg. 17

Ss. 16-26, 33-42, 47 applied (15.11.2000) by S.I. 2000/2831, reg. 26(1)(a)

C2 S. 18 extended (with modifications) (1.4.1999) by S.I. 1999/743, reg. 20(1)-(3)

S. 18 applied (E.W.S.) (20.9.2001) by S.I. 2001/2975, reg. 19(a)

S. 18 applied (E.W.S.) (24.7.2002) by S.I. 2002/1689, reg. 14(1)(a)

S. 18 applied (31.3.2002) by S.I. 2002/528, reg. 10

C3 Ss. 18-26 applied (with modifications) (19.11.1999) by S.I. 1999/2892, reg. 16(1)

C4 Ss. 1-59, 80-82 applied (11.7.2001) by S.I. 2001/2127, arts. 4(1), 5(1)(2), 6(1), 7(1), 8(1), 10 (with art. 11) (as amended by S.I. 2009/1750, art. 2(2)(4))

C5 S. 18 applied (with modifications) (E.W.S.) (9.6.2004) by S.I. 2004/1309, reg. 17

C6 Ss. 1-59, 80-82 applied (temp.) (5.8.2009) by The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (Application outside Great Britain) Order 2001 (S.I. 2001/2127), arts. 8A, 8B (as inserted by S.I. 2009/1750, art. 2(3))

C7 Ss. 1-59 applied by S.I. 2001/2127 art. 8A 8B (as inserted (E.W.S.) (6.4.2011) by The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (Application outside Great Britain) (Variation) Order 2011 (S.I. 2011/745), arts. 1(1), 3(2))

C8 S. 18(1) applied (with modifications) (1.4.1999) (with savings) by S.I. 1999/743, reg. 20(3)(4)

C9 S. 18(6) modified (6.4.1992) by S.I. 1992/711, regs. 1(2), 28(3)(b)(5)(a)

C10 Ss. 18(6)(7)(b), 19-22, 23(1)(2)(5), 24-26, 33(1)(e)-(h)(o)(2)(2A)(3)(4)(e), 34(3)-(5), 35, 36(1)(2), 37-39, 42 applied (with modifications) (9.1.1995) by S.I. 1994/3260, reg. 17(3)(5)

C11 S. 18(7) applied by Fire Precautions Act 1971 (c. 40, SIF 50), s. 21(3) as inserted by Fire Safety and Safety of Places of Sport Act 1987 (c. 27, SIF 50), s. 11

C12 S. 18(7)(b) modified (6.4.1992) by S.I. 1992/711, regs. 1(2), 28(3)(b)(5)(a)