Labour Department Announces First Workplace Inspection Programme

The Labour Department of the Velocity Interoperability Network today announced its first workplace inspection programme. Between Monday 14 September and Friday 18 December 2026 the Department's inspectors will carry out 96 inspections of workplaces operated by member organisations at the six principal sites of the Network.

The programme gives priority to the sectors in which the risk of injury is highest. Twenty-four inspections will be made of distribution and warehousing premises, 18 of construction and maintenance work, 14 of engineering workshops, 20 of offices and data halls, 12 of transport depots and 8 of laboratories. Every member organisation will be inspected at least once in the first year of the Department's operation.

Inspections are normally announced to the employer five working days in advance. An inspection may be made without notice where the Department has received a report of a serious concern. An inspector may enter any workplace of a member organisation, examine equipment and records, take samples and photographs, and interview staff in private. The outcome of every inspection is recorded in the register of inspections and, where the inspector finds a breach, an improvement or prohibition notice may be served.

During the transition period the Department carried out 23 inspections under interim arrangements, of which 12 resulted in advice or a notice. The register of those inspections, and the full programme for the first cycle, are set out on the Inspections page of this site.