An HSE visit is not the time to “get ready”. It’s a test of what’s normal on a Tuesday morning: how work is actually done, what people know, and whether your controls exist beyond paperwork. HSE inspectors visit workplaces to check compliance and to prevent harm. They can arrive without warning and they can turn up at any reasonable time.
This article covers what typically happens during an inspection, what inspectors can do, what you should have ready, and how to handle outcomes professionally.
Why HSE might visit you
Typical triggers include planned inspection programmes, sector campaigns, incident/complaint follow-up, intelligence from previous history, or concern about risk controls. Expect focus on higher-risk activities, repeat issues, and whether leadership knows what’s happening on the floor. HSE’s own “when an inspector calls” guidance is aimed at setting expectations for dutyholders and workers.
What usually happens in an HSE inspection
Arrival, introduction, identification
They should introduce themselves, show identification, explain why they’re there, and set expectations for the visit.
Opening discussion
They’ll confirm what your organisation does, what the key risks are, recent changes (processes, people, kit, substances), and who is responsible for managing safety.
Walkaround and observation
They will look at work as it happens: plant, work areas, access/egress, housekeeping, guarding, isolation arrangements, traffic management, welfare, fire precautions, and supervision. They may take photos/notes and ask people to demonstrate how controls work in practice.
Interviews and conversations
They may speak to managers, supervisors, safety reps, and workers doing the task to check competence, training, supervision, and whether safe systems match reality.
Document and record checks
Expect requests for risk assessments, SSOW/RAMS, COSHH assessments and SDS access, maintenance/inspection records, competence/training records, accident/near-miss records, contractor controls, audits, and evidence of review.
Sampling or measurements (where relevant)
They can take samples/measurements or require things to be tested where risk demands it (noise, dust, LEV, exposure evidence), including collecting evidence under their legal powers.
Closing discussion and next steps
They should summarise what they’ve found, what needs to change, and what they expect next (timescales, follow-up, written confirmation).
What inspectors can do (and what you must enable)
Under section 20 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, inspectors have wide powers, including entering premises, carrying out examinations/investigations, requiring documents, taking samples, taking photographs/recordings, and asking people questions as part of their investigation activity.
Your job during the visit is to cooperate, provide reasonable assistance, and keep the process controlled and factual. Don’t obstruct; don’t improvise; don’t guess.
Your inspection-day operating model (simple, repeatable)
Assign roles before you need them:
Inspection lead – Owns the timetable, escorts the inspector, controls access to documents, keeps an evidence log, and ensures actions are captured.
Subject matter owners – Operations, engineering, HR/training, facilities, procurement/chemicals, contractor manager. They answer within their lane only.
Scribe – Writes verbatim notes: what was asked, what was shown, what was said, and any stated concerns. This becomes your action tracker and legal hygiene.
Runner – Pulls documents fast, prints/site plans, gets maintenance logs, arranges access, finds the right person.
Build an “inspection-ready evidence pack”
Keep it current. Keep it accessible. Keep it consistent with what’s happening on site.
Organisational snapshot – Site overview, process map, headcount/shift patterns, high-risk activities, key contractors.
Risk control set – Risk assessment register with review dates, SSOW/RAMS for high-risk tasks, isolation/LOTO procedures, permit-to-work rules where used, emergency arrangements.
Competence proof – Training matrix for key roles, high-risk licences/certificates, induction records, supervision checks, toolbox talk evidence.
Asset assurance – PUWER-style inspection regimes where relevant, planned maintenance logs, statutory inspection reports, defect reporting and close-out.
Health risks – COSHH inventory and access to SDS, exposure monitoring evidence where needed, LEV examinations, health surveillance where required, skin/respiratory controls.
Events and learning – Accident/incident log, investigations, corrective actions, trend reviews, evidence that you learn and prevent recurrence.
Consultation and governance – Safety committee minutes, worker consultation evidence, internal audits/inspections, leadership walkabouts.
What inspectors tend to test
Inspectors test whether your safety management works under normal operating pressure.
Reality vs paperwork
- Controls written in risk assessments match what’s happening on the floor
- Safe systems are followed when time is tight, staffing is stretched, or overtime is in play
Leadership control
- Managers can describe top risks, current issues, and active controls
- Ownership is clear so it is clear who approves, who checks, who enforces, who verifies
Competence at point of work
- Workers can explain hazards, controls, and stop-work expectations
- Training is current, role-specific, and evidenced (not just attendance)
- Supervision is visible and effective
High-risk activities and critical controls
Common focus areas:
- Work at height, lifting operations, confined spaces, hot work
- Machinery safety, guarding, interlocks, bypassing behaviours
- Isolation/LOTO effectiveness
- Workplace transport and forklift controls
- Contractor work control, permits, supervision, coordination
Equipment assurance and maintenance
- Guarding/interlocks intact and not routinely defeated
- Planned maintenance and statutory inspections current
- Defects reported, assessed, and closed with evidence
Change management
- New kit, layout changes, new substances, agency labour, process changes trigger risk review
- Temporary changes are controlled, not improvised
Occupational health controls
- CoSHH assessments reflect actual use, not generic templates
- SDS access works at point of use
- Exposure controls evidenced (LEV checks, RPE selection/fit where required)
- Health surveillance in place where needed and acted on
- Noise/dust/fume/dermatitis controls are demonstrable, not assumed
Incident learning and action closure
- Investigations address root causes, not blame
- Actions have owners, dates, and verification evidence
- Repeat findings reduce over time
Contractor management
- Pre-qualification, inductions, RAMS review, permits, supervision are evidenced
- You can show control of contractor activity on site, not just contracts
Consultation and communication
- Worker consultation exists and is recorded
- Safety communication reaches the floor and changes behaviour
Record integrity and retrieval speed
- You can produce the right evidence quickly
- Version control is clear and approvals are traceable
- Records are consistent across departments and sites
Outcomes after the visit: what they mean in plain terms
HSE can respond proportionately, from guidance through to formal enforcement. HSE’s enforcement approach includes advice and written requirements, and formal notices where needed.
Verbal advice / written confirmation – You’ll be told what to improve and why. Treat it as a tracked action set.
Notification of Contravention (NoC) and Fee for Intervention (FFI) – If HSE considers you in “material breach”, they can issue a written notification and recover their time costs for identifying the breach and helping you put it right. If there is no material breach, you should not be charged.
Improvement Notice – Used where there is a contravention that must be remedied within a stated period. Guidance on drafting/serving notices sits in HSE operational guidance.
Prohibition Notice – Used where there is risk of serious personal injury; it stops the activity until controlled (sometimes immediately). Distinctions between notice types are set out in HSE guidance.
Prosecution – Reserved for serious breaches, significant risk, or where warnings/notices are ignored, among other factors in enforcement decision-making. HSE’s policy statement describes the principle of proportionate enforcement and consistent decision-making.
What to do in the first 48 hours after a visit
- Write up your inspection log immediately – Timeline, areas visited, documents provided, people interviewed, photos taken (where known), and every stated concern.
- Confirm what you understood in writing – If the inspector gave verbal requirements or timescales, summarise and confirm back to avoid drift.
- Convert findings into an action plan – Owner, deadline, required evidence, verification method. No vague actions.
- Prioritise anything that could become a prohibition scenario – If there’s potential serious risk, stop and control first, then document.
How AssessNET reduces common HSE inspection issues
Most HSE findings come from fragmentation: outdated documents, missing evidence, unclear ownership, and actions that aren’t properly closed. A digital system like AssessNET removes those weak points by keeping records controlled, tasks tracked, and proof easy to retrieve.
Single source of truth
- One place for risk assessments, SSOW/RAMS, policies, permits, inspections and incident reports
- Version control, approvals and review dates so “current” is always clear
Evidence in seconds
- Fast search by site, activity, asset, contractor and date
- Quick export of an “inspection pack” for the area or topic being reviewed
Actions that don’t drift
- Corrective actions with owners, due dates, priority and escalation
- Close-out evidence attached (photos, sign-off, documents), not just a status change
Clear governance and consistency
- Scheduled reviews and reminders so documents don’t go stale
- Standard templates and workflows across sites to reduce quality variation
- Dashboards to surface overdue actions, missing reviews and repeat issues early
Contractor, training and COSHH proof in one place
- Contractor onboarding, induction, RAMS reviews and permit records kept together
- Training matrices showing gaps and expiries at a glance
- COSHH assessments and SDS access linked to real task use and controls
Inspections are stressful when you’re rebuilding evidence from emails, folders and spreadsheets. With AssessNET, the evidence trail is already there: current documents, clear ownership, live actions and a defensible audit trail. That turns an inspection into a controlled walk-through of how you manage risk, not a scramble to prove it.
