Just read about this in the HSE weekly newsletter.

http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/newsletter.htm .

A bit concerning: enforced consultancy at £133 per hour.

Obviously if you are not breaking any laws then you will be OK.

I would welcome any other views on this new "service".

Many thanks Leadbelly, I searched under "intervention" and didn't see anything relevant.

The £133 hourly rate is intended to cover all costs, e.g. officec costs, e.g. for office based personnel involved, cost of producing letters, etc. not just the HSE inspector's time.

Incidentally, the estimated cost for an Improvement Notice is shown in the consultative document as £1500 and the associated documentation to the consultative document states that the HSE expects to recover £43.6 million in the first year. You can work it out. That represents an awful lot of INs!

I also wonder what the effect on the relationship between employers and the HSE will be. The HSE may claim that this will not result in a drive to ensure they meet the financial target by looking for reasons to charge, but will it be seen in the same light by employers. Or will employers now start to see the HSE more in the light of "the enemy" in the same way that many perceive the taxs authorities?

Chris