Complaint to HSE Letter: Free Template and What to Include

If you need to make a formal complaint to the Health and Safety Executive about your employer, a written letter is the recommended first step — it creates a clear record and shows you're pursuing the matter formally. Below is what a strong complaint to hse should include.

What this letter needs to cover

• Identify the employer with full name and address
• Describe the unsafe conditions or breaches in detail with dates
• Confirm the issue has been raised internally without adequate response
• Request HSE investigation and enforcement action under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974

When to go straight to the HSE

The Health and Safety Executive is the enforcement body for workplace safety, and a complaint to them is appropriate when internal reporting hasn't resolved a serious hazard, or when the risk is severe enough that external oversight is genuinely needed. The HSE has real enforcement powers — improvement notices, prohibition notices, and prosecution — that internal complaints simply don't carry.

What to include before you send it

• Your employer's name and the specific workplace location
• A clear, factual description of the hazard or breach
• What internal steps you've already taken, and the response (or lack of one)
• Any evidence — photos, previous written reports, or witness accounts

Your protection for making this complaint

Raising a genuine health and safety concern with the HSE is a protected act — you're protected from being subjected to detriment or dismissal for doing so in good faith, and this protection applies from day one of employment with no minimum qualifying period.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to have raised this internally first?
It's not always a strict requirement, but demonstrating you've tried internally first can strengthen your position, unless the situation is urgent enough that immediate external reporting is clearly justified.

Can I complain to the HSE anonymously?
Yes — you can request that your identity not be disclosed to your employer, though this can sometimes limit how the HSE is able to investigate depending on the nature of the complaint.

[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[Your Postcode]
[Your Telephone Number]
[Your Email Address]
Health and Safety Executive (HSE) [in Northern Ireland: HSENI]
[Address - check hse.gov.uk]
[Date]

Dear Sir / Madam,

Subject: Report of health and safety breaches at my workplace

I am writing to report health and safety breaches at my workplace under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.

The employer is [Name of Employer], at [Full Address of the Workplace]. The problems are in the [e.g. warehouse loading bay / main kitchen].

The hazards are: [choose and edit]
• [No protective equipment: Since [date], the employer has not provided [e.g. gloves / eye protection] needed for [task], which breaches the Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992.]
• [Faulty machinery: [e.g. the forklift truck] is poorly maintained and has no safety guards (since [date]), which breaches the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998.]
• [No risk assessment: Work [e.g. at height / with hazardous chemicals] is being done without an up-to-date risk assessment.]

I raised these hazards with [Name of Manager / Health and Safety Rep] on [Date], but nothing has been done.

[Optional: Please keep my identity confidential, as I am worried about being treated badly for raising these concerns.]

Please investigate and take enforcement action where needed.

Yours sincerely,

[Your Signature]
[Your Printed Name]

[Note for the page: In shops, offices and some other workplaces, the local council enforces health and safety instead of the HSE. In Northern Ireland, contact HSENI.]