Event Health and Safety

Who enforces health and safety law at an event?

Local authority environmental health officers are generally responsible for enforcing health and safety legislation at events. Where an event is actually organised by a local authority, Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is normally responsible for enforcement. 

HSE has enforcement responsibility for the following activities at all events:

• the erection and dismantling of temporary demountable structures (TDS) like stages and grandstands (except for small marquees and similar tents which are enforced by local authorities)
• radio and television broadcasting
• fairgrounds

In certain circumstances, arrangements can be made to transfer enforcement responsibilities between HSE and local authorities. 

HSE's Enforcement policy statement (opens in a new tab) sets out the principles which HSE inspectors and local authority environmental health officers should follow when making enforcement decisions