HSENI Healthier Workplaces campaign for the agri-food sector
A new programme of focused advisory and inspection visits is due to take place over the coming months.
A new programme of focused advisory and inspection visits is due to take place over the coming months
The Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI) has announced a new programme of focused advisory and inspection visits across the agri-food sector as part of its Healthier Workplaces campaign.
Employers have a duty to make sure their workers are safe and healthy, especially when dealing with substances that can damage their lungs, including chemicals and grain or flour dust.
What will be inspected?
Over the next year, inspectors will visit agriculture and food production premises to ensure hazardous substances are being handled properly and that appropriate safety measures are in place.
They will focus on how employers manage hazardous substances in the workplace and comply with their legal duties under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (NI) 2003 (COSHH). They will also be looking more specifically at those substances which have been assigned a workplace exposure limit (WEL), which cause known health effects and where health surveillance may be required.
There will be a mix of announced and unannounced inspections. Duty holders are reminded that they have very specific responsibilities under COSHH, and they must ensure they are familiar with the regulations and complying with them fully.
Checklist for businesses
To help businesses prepare, HSENI has created a that outlines what inspectors will be looking for.
Find out more about the .
First published 27 May 2025