The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has urged companies to ignore information from three companies claiming to regulate health and safety.
The HSE said it had received hundreds of complaints about the three North West-based companies asking for between £125 and £249 to ensure they are compliant with health and safety law:
· Liverpool-based Health and Safety Enforcement Agency (HSEA) has contacted companies asking for £125 for a health and safety compliance pack.
· Manchester-based Health and Safety Compliance Agency (HSCA) has told companies that a health and safety compliance register will become law on 1 May and that all business should apply for registration, for a fee of £129.25.
· A third company, the Health and Safety Registration Enforcement Division (HSRED), based at a Rochdale address, has asked companies to pay £249 for health and safety registration.
Anyone receiving documentation from these companies can ignore it, said the HSE, adding that there is no legal need for anyone to buy literature from these companies.
HSE deputy director general Justin McCracken 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.”
He added: “The 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.”
The HSE said it is liaising with trading standards offices and the police, who are investigating all three companies.
