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COMPANIES WARNED TO
BIN MAILSHOT FROM FAKE 'HEALTH AND SAFETY' AGENCIES
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) today urged companies and other
organisations to ignore information they
receive from three firms purporting
to regulate health and safety legislation.
HSE has received hundreds of complaints from companies across the
country that have been sent requests for
payment in return for compliance with
health and safety law.
The three firms, all based in north-west
England
, have written to companies all over
Great Britain
asking for between £125 and £249 to ensure
they comply with health and safety law.
A
Liverpool
firm calling itself the Health and Safety Enforcement Agency
(HSEA) demands £125 for a health and safety compliance pack.
The Manchester-based
Health and Safety Compliance Agency (HSCA) says a
health and safety compliance register will become law on 1 May and
that all businesses should apply for
registration, for a fee of £129.25.
A third company, the
Health and Safety Registration Enforcement
Division (HSRED), which gives a
Rochdale
address, tells recipients to pay up
to £249 for health and safety registration.
Anyone receiving literature from any
of these companies can ignore it;
there is no legal need for anyone to buy literature or services from
these companies.
Justin McCracken, HSE's
Deputy Directory General, said: "None of these
companies is connected to HSE. Organisations should be very wary
of any approach from these firms, or any company 'offering' similar
services. All three firms use wording suggesting they are official
enforcement bodies, but they are not.
"HSE never writes indiscriminately to firms seeking advance payment
for services which it has not provided.
"These companies are asking for significant sums of money, claiming
they will send out information, much of
which HSE provides free of charge,"
added Mr McCracken.
"HSE's legitimate Health and Safety Starter Pack is available to
any business for £30. Not only does
the pack cost a lot less than the information
provided by these companies, but it is also the real thing.
"All organisations are required by law to register - free of charge
- with their enforcing agency, either
HSE or their local authority in the
case of supermarkets, hotels and sports arenas, for example."
HSE is liaising with
trading standards offices and the police, who are
investigating all three companies.
Copies of The Health and Safety Starter Pack: Health and Safety Advice
and Guidance for New and Small Businesses are available from HSE
Books, priced £30. ISBN 0 7176 2738. www.hsebooks.com
PUBLIC ENQUIRIES: Call
HSE's InfoLine, tel: 08701 545500, or write to:
HSE Information Services,
Caerphilly
Business
Park
, Caerphilly CF83 3GG.
Anyone receiving
literature from any of these firms should report it
to HSE's Infoline on 08701 545500, or their local HSE office.
(23/4/04)
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