Our environmental health team investigates accidents and complaints and also promotes health and safety in the workplace, including the welfare of employees and safeguarding of others, mainly the public, who may be exposed to risks from work activities.
We are responsible for enforcement at over 6,000 business premises in the Portsmouth area, including warehouses, offices, shops, consumer services and residential care homes.
The primary responsibility for ensuring health and safety in the workplace lies with those who create the risk. Employers in particular need to make suitable and sufficient arrangements for managing health and safety.
Health and safety enforcement in the United Kingdom is split between local authorities and the Health and Safety Executive.
The environmental health business support team also:
- registers and inspects all businesses engaged in cosmetic treatments such as tattooing, acupuncture, ear-piercing, electrolysis, and hairdressing - view skin treatment licence or email specialskintreatments@portsmouthcc.gov.uk for more information
- keeps a register of wet cooling towers and evaporative condensers within the city, to assist inspectors in investigating outbreaks of legionella when there are two or more related cases
- investigates cases of legionella in partnership with the NHS, Public Health England and the Health and Safety Executive
For more advice, visit the Health and Safety Executive website.
Documents
Contact Health and Safety Executive
Byelaws
- Acupuncture (PDF)
- Cosmetic Piercing (PDF)
- Electrolysis (PDF)
- Semi-Permanent Skin-Colouring (PDF)
- Tattooing (PDF)
Report problems
- Report an accident or dangerous occurrence (business or employees only)
- Report a complaint about workplace health and safety
Apply
To register a cooling tower or a business conducting acupuncture, piercing, tattooing or electrolysis, use the links below:
- Apply to change a cooling tower notification - GOV.UK
- Apply for a skin treatment licence
- Notification of cooling towers and evaporative condensers - GOV.UK
Information and guidance
- Asbestos HSE website
- Cooling towers and legionella
- Hazardous substances - control of substances hazardous to health
- Pressure systems - the law on pressure systems including coffee machines
- Skin treatment licences
- Sunbeds - the law on sunbeds
- Temperature - maximum and minimum workplace temperatures
- Toilets - how many toilets a workplace should have