To ask the Minister for the Economy (i) to confirm how many businesses have sought help from the Health and Safety Executive Northern Ireland to ensure their post COVID-19 return risk assessments are being completed correctly; and (ii) how many businesses has the HSENI visited to check that post COVID-19 return risk assessments are in place.

HSENI and Local Councils are responsible for the enforcement of Health and Safety at Work Legislation for workplaces in Northern Ireland. Local Councils enforce in offices, retail premises, hospitality and leisure / entertainment activities. HSENI enforces in most other workplaces.

Many of the businesses that HSENI enforce upon have continued to operate throughout the pandemic. HSENI has supported Northern Ireland’s public health response in the workplace by adopting a risk-based approach, providing advice to employers and employees and ensuring employers have carried out an appropriate assessment of the risk from COVID-19 in their workplace and put appropriate measures in place in line with Public Health Agency guidance.

HSENI has completed in excess of 1270 site visits in relation to Covid-19 since July 2020. HSENI has also completed 8979 remote interactions directly attributed to Covid-19 issues from July 2020 to the start of July 2021.

HSENI continues to play a very important role in ensuring appropriate COVID-19 mitigations have been implemented in the businesses it has enforcement responsibility for and will continue to work closely with those industry sectors to enable businesses to put practical measures in place to manage and control workplace risks including protecting workers and others from the risk of COVID-19 infection in the workplace.