Last reviewed: 05 October 2026. Figures and rules can change – always confirm on the official links.

HSE enforcement notices topped 4,400 in 2024/25, including approximately 3,200 improvement notices and 1,200 prohibition notices. 246 criminal prosecutions were completed with a 96% conviction rate, and over £33 million was awarded in fines. For businesses in Wymondham, Norwich, Attleborough, Thetford and Dereham, that means one thing: the regulator is active, the courts are consistent, and the cost of non-compliance is steep.

The core legal framework for HSE enforcement notices under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 remains unchanged, but the sheer volume of enforcement activity—and the severity of recent penalties—underlines how critical it is to get risk assessments, training and documentation right before an inspector arrives.

What Are the Different Types of HSE Enforcement Notices?

The HSE has three principal enforcement tools, all of which carry legal force and public consequences:

Improvement Notice (Section 21, HSWA): Requires you to remedy a contravention of health and safety law. It takes effect a minimum of 21 days after issue—HSE policy is to set the compliance period “as short as possible consistent with practicalities”—and is suspended during any appeal. If you fail to comply, you commit a criminal offence under Section 21 of the Health and Safety at Work Act. In January 2026, one company was fined £27,200 plus £30,000 costs for failing to comply with improvement notices.

Immediate Prohibition Notice (Section 22, HSWA): Served where the inspector believes there is a risk of serious personal injury. It takes effect immediately, and crucially, it is not suspended during appeal unless an employment tribunal specifically orders otherwise. Your operation stops until the risk is removed.

Deferred Prohibition Notice (Section 22, HSWA): Also addresses risk of serious personal injury, but takes effect at a specified time, giving you a narrow window to act.

All notices are published on the HSE’s public register five weeks after being served, and they remain visible for five years. That means clients, insurers, competitors and prospective employees can all see your enforcement history.

What Are the Penalties for Breaching an Enforcement Notice?

Breaching an improvement or prohibition notice is a criminal offence, and the courts take it seriously. The fines are not trivial, and directors can face personal liability.

• In August 2026, a Cornwall sawmill was fined £20,000 plus £5,000 costs for breaching improvement notice requirements under Section 33(1)(g) of the Health and Safety at Work Act. The company director was personally fined £5,000 plus £2,500 costs and was disqualified from acting as a director for five years.
• In June 2026, a company found guilty of failing to comply with two improvement notices was fined £30,000 plus £4,571 costs and a £2,000 victim surcharge.
• In January 2026, an engineering firm was fined £27,200 plus £30,000 costs for endangering workers after failing to comply with improvement notices.

Would your risk assessments, training records and control measures survive scrutiny if an inspector arrived tomorrow? The burden of proof shifts quickly once a notice is served: you must demonstrate compliance, and the timescales are tight.

How Quickly Must You Comply—and What Happens Next?

Improvement notices specify the minimum compliance period—at least 21 days—but HSE internal guidance states that follow-up visits should be paid “as soon after expiry date as possible—always within 10 working days.” That means you have a narrow window to act, and the inspector will return to verify.

If you fail to comply, you commit a criminal offence. The case is referred for prosecution, and the conviction rate is 96%. The fine will be unlimited in the Crown Court, and even in the magistrates’ court, you face up to £20,000 per offence.

For immediate prohibition notices, the position is starker still: the activity must cease immediately. There is no grace period, and the notice is not suspended during appeal unless a tribunal specifically orders it.

Recent HSE Enforcement Activity: What’s Being Targeted?

HSE enforcement is not random. Inspectors are running targeted campaigns in sectors where risks are well understood but poorly controlled:

• Engineered stone and silica dust: HSE launched a programme of over 1,000 inspections beginning in May/June 2026, running through the 2026/27 period. Silica enforcement activity is a priority.
• Large bakeries: HSE began a series of inspections at large bakeries across Great Britain from January 2026.
• Occupational health providers: In July 2026, HSE issued its first-ever prohibition notice against an occupational health service provider, marking a significant milestone in occupational health regulation.

If your sector is under scrutiny, your systems must be inspection-ready.

What Does This Mean for Businesses in Wymondham, Norwich, Attleborough, Thetford and Dereham?

The message is unambiguous: HSE is inspecting, prosecuting and securing convictions at a consistent rate. Over 4,400 notices in a single year means enforcement is routine, not exceptional. A five-year public record means reputational damage is long-lasting. And fines in the tens of thousands—plus costs, plus victim surcharges, plus director disqualification—mean the financial and personal consequences are severe.

Prevention is not complicated, but it must be systematic:

• Ensure your risk assessments are current, specific to your operation, and signed off by a competent person.
• Deliver regular, accredited training to all operatives—particularly in high-risk areas such as forklift operation, working at height, COSHH and manual handling.
• Commission health surveillance where required: lung function testing, audiometry, skin surveillance and face fit testing are all part of demonstrating control.
• Maintain clear, dated records of training, assessments and equipment inspections. If it’s not documented, it didn’t happen.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I appeal an HSE enforcement notice?

Yes, you can appeal an improvement notice or prohibition notice to an employment tribunal. An improvement notice is suspended during appeal, but an immediate prohibition notice is not suspended unless the tribunal specifically orders it. That means your operation must stop until the tribunal rules or the prohibition is lifted.

How long do HSE enforcement notices stay on the public register?

Enforcement notices are published on the HSE public register five weeks after being served, and they remain visible for five years. Clients, insurers, competitors and employees can all access the register.

What happens if I don’t comply with an improvement notice?

Failure to comply with an improvement notice is a criminal offence under Section 21 of the Health and Safety at Work Act, and HSE will visit within ten working days of the expiry date to verify compliance. If you have not complied, the case will be referred for prosecution. The conviction rate is 96%, and fines are unlimited in the Crown Court.

Can a company director be personally prosecuted?

Yes. Directors can be prosecuted individually under Section 37 of the Health and Safety at Work Act if an offence is committed with their consent, connivance or neglect. In August 2026, a company director was fined £5,000 plus £2,500 costs and disqualified from acting as a director for five years following a breach of improvement notice requirements.

How Milne Safety Can Help

Since 1978, we have provided health and safety consultancy, accredited training and occupational health services to businesses across Norfolk. Our senior staff—David Field (MD, CMIOSH MIIRSM RSP) and Alec Rodwell (Director, CMIOSH MIIRSM Dip RSA)—are Chartered Members of IOSH and deliver the practical, commercially focused support that keeps you compliant and your operation running.

We deliver training at our purpose-built centre in Wymondham or on your site, and we hold AITT accreditation for forklift training, IOSH accreditation for Managing Safely and Working Safely, and Safety Pass Alliance (SPA) accreditation for Petrol Retail and Food & Drink passports.

If you have received an enforcement notice, or you want to ensure your systems are inspection-ready, call us on 01953 607093 or visit our contact page. We are based at Unit 9, Philip Ford Way, Silfield Road, Wymondham, Norfolk NR18 9AQ, and we serve Wymondham, Norwich, Attleborough, Thetford, Dereham and the surrounding area.