Health and Safety Executives

A Health and Safety Officer has the important role of ensuring that both workers and workplace are protected as well as ensuring that procedures, practices, equipment and structural engineering are up to governmental requirements. HSE officers can work for a variety of employers like schools, laboratories, and companies but the main ones work as Governmental officials. The main role of a HSE officer is to develop, monitor and implement an organisations health and safety policies; to ensure the organisation is following the strict health and safety legislation the government has put in place to protect people. The officers will inspect workplaces for potential hazards, assess the risks and report on potential health and safety violations that may implement potential dangers for staff.

During a fire investigation the HSE officer will assess the scene so as to advise on whether or not it is safe for police to enter the scene. This doesn't necessarily mean that police officers, firefighters, ambulance crews or anyone entering the scene is legally obligated not to enter the scene however if they do they will not be able to make an insurance claim should they enter. This is primarily due to the fact they have entered the scene even when ill advised to by a government official therefore any health issues obtained will be on them. There is however room for the prosecution of any officer/firefighter who enters the seem blatantly disregarding the risks and in turn putting other officers/firefighters at risk of injury. There haven't been many cases of this happening as the HSE has a clear line between what is essentially heroism and what they view as arrogance. The HSE will view the actions of individual firefighters as heroic when:

• clear that they have decided to act entirely of their own will;
• they have put themselves at risk to protect the public or colleagues; and
• the individuals' actions were not likely to have put other officers or members of the public at serious risk.

When the HSE view a firefighter or officer as acting out of heroism they will not prosecute the individual for their actions however, if an officer is forced to enter a scene against a HSE officers advise then the employer, whether that be the police or fire and rescue service, will be liable for court action. If they enter the scene at a high risk of putting others in danger with them then they are as an individual liable for court action against them.