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Health and Safety Health and Safety PolicyPolicy

ByBy

John Johnston AIIRSMJohn Johnston AIIRSM

Health and Safety for Health and Safety for BeginnersBeginners

www.healthandsafetytips.co.uk

The Health & Safety PolicyThe Health & Safety Policy

► Section 2 of the HSWA '74 requires all Section 2 of the HSWA '74 requires all employers of employers of five or more five or more people to prepare people to prepare a written statement of policy. It provides the a written statement of policy. It provides the framework of general health and safety framework of general health and safety responsibilities for staff and of general responsibilities for staff and of general operational arrangements. There is no one operational arrangements. There is no one specified approach or format to the specified approach or format to the development and content of the policy, rather development and content of the policy, rather it needs to be a reflection of the particular it needs to be a reflection of the particular circumstances of the individual organisation.circumstances of the individual organisation.


Aims, Objectives and Key Aims, Objectives and Key ElementsElements

►General terms:General terms:► identify the roles and responsibilities of identify the roles and responsibilities of

managers, specialist health and safety managers, specialist health and safety personnel and other employees personnel and other employees

► co-ordinate activities to identify, analyse co-ordinate activities to identify, analyse andand implement implement solutions to potential safety solutions to potential safety problemsproblems

► define arrangements for promoting, define arrangements for promoting, planning and controlling all aspects of planning and controlling all aspects of health and safety in the workplacehealth and safety in the workplace


Aims, Objectives and Key Aims, Objectives and Key ElementsElements

► Essentially, the policy to achieve this will consist of Essentially, the policy to achieve this will consist of three parts:three parts:

► General statement of intentGeneral statement of intent - will set targets, will outline in - will set targets, will outline in broad terms the overall health and safety culture of the broad terms the overall health and safety culture of the organisation and will re-state legislation principles in respect organisation and will re-state legislation principles in respect of that organisations undertakingof that organisations undertaking

► OrganisationOrganisation - roles and responsibilities of individuals - - roles and responsibilities of individuals - deals with people and their operational duties in respect of deals with people and their operational duties in respect of health and safety. Outline the chain of command for health health and safety. Outline the chain of command for health and safety management and will identify individual roles and and safety management and will identify individual roles and responsibilities and the scheme of delegationresponsibilities and the scheme of delegation

► Arrangements, systems and procedures - Arrangements, systems and procedures - this deals with this deals with the practical arrangements - for example: safety training, the practical arrangements - for example: safety training, safe systems of work, environmental control, guarding, safe systems of work, environmental control, guarding, housekeeping, safe plant and equipment, noise and dust housekeeping, safe plant and equipment, noise and dust control, fire safety, maintenance or records, emergency control, fire safety, maintenance or records, emergency procedures, etc.procedures, etc.


Setting TargetsSetting Targets

►The first part of the policy will be The first part of the policy will be concerned with its general objectives.concerned with its general objectives.


General Statement of IntentGeneral Statement of Intent

►This spells out the organisations overall This spells out the organisations overall approach to health and safety and its approach to health and safety and its aims. It should commit theaims. It should commit the organisation organisation to the minimum specifications in to the minimum specifications in legislation. The general statement of legislation. The general statement of intent will identify the main Directors or intent will identify the main Directors or Chief Officer who has prime responsibility Chief Officer who has prime responsibility for health and safety at the highest level. for health and safety at the highest level. The statement will be signed and dated The statement will be signed and dated to embody that commitment.to embody that commitment.


General ObjectivesGeneral Objectives► The main objectives of the policy should be The main objectives of the policy should be

clearly set out in the general statement of clearly set out in the general statement of intentintent

► the recognition that management is responsible for the recognition that management is responsible for the effective and efficient management of health, the effective and efficient management of health, safety and welfare safety and welfare

► the recognition that the company will comply with the recognition that the company will comply with health and safety lawhealth and safety law

► the duty of management to ensure that so far as is the duty of management to ensure that so far as is reasonably practicable, everything is done to reasonably practicable, everything is done to prevent injury. Including, production, design, prevent injury. Including, production, design, construction, operation of all plant, machinery and construction, operation of all plant, machinery and equipment, and to a safe place of workequipment, and to a safe place of work

► the duties imposed on employeesthe duties imposed on employees ► the commitment to monitor and review objectives the commitment to monitor and review objectives

in light of significant changesin light of significant changes


TargetsTargets

►accident and incident rates - objective accident and incident rates - objective is to reduce these continuously. This is to reduce these continuously. This process is known as "benchmarking"process is known as "benchmarking"

►monitoringmonitoring ►regularity of review - the policy shouldregularity of review - the policy should

specifyspecify how often how often


Organising for Health and Organising for Health and SafetySafety

► This is concerned with the distribution of This is concerned with the distribution of responsibilities throughout the organisation, responsibilities throughout the organisation, from Managing Director or Chief Executive from Managing Director or Chief Executive Officer right down to the shop floor Officer right down to the shop floor personnel. These roles need to be co-personnel. These roles need to be co-ordinated and controlled by lines of ordinated and controlled by lines of accountability. accountability.

► The organisations section of the policy The organisations section of the policy should demonstrate, in written form andshould demonstrate, in written form and diagrammaticdiagrammatic form, how all this is done form, how all this is done



►Everybody has a part to play:Everybody has a part to play:►management at management at ALLALL levels levels ►ALL ALL employeesemployees ►specialist health and safety specialist health and safety

practitioners - full time/part time or practitioners - full time/part time or brought in for that purposebrought in for that purpose



► The general roles and responsibilities which The general roles and responsibilities which need to be allocated relate to:need to be allocated relate to:

► key personnel (identified by name and/or job title) key personnel (identified by name and/or job title) who are accountable to senior managementwho are accountable to senior management

► the roles of both line and functional management in the roles of both line and functional management in respect of compliance with such arrangementsrespect of compliance with such arrangements

► the provision of support for managers and key the provision of support for managers and key personnel throughout the company by functional personnel throughout the company by functional expertsexperts

► the need to measure, monitor and reviewthe need to measure, monitor and review ► MANAGEMENT SHOULD NOT BE A ONE-WAY MANAGEMENT SHOULD NOT BE A ONE-WAY

PROCESS.PROCESS.


Roles of ManagersRoles of Managers► Three main tiers of management or levels:Three main tiers of management or levels: ► Senior Management - Senior Management - concerned with strategy as a concerned with strategy as a

whole, setting policies and broad objectives, allocating whole, setting policies and broad objectives, allocating resources and approving plansresources and approving plans

► Middle or departmental/section management - Middle or departmental/section management - concerned with the detailed plans to achieve the broad concerned with the detailed plans to achieve the broad objectives and the organisation and direction of objectives and the organisation and direction of resourcesresources

► This includes:This includes: ► ensuring safe systems of work viaensuring safe systems of work via programmes programmes and and

proceduresprocedures ► communicating with supervisors and employees to communicating with supervisors and employees to

provide clear information of what is required. provide clear information of what is required. FeedbackFeedback

► maintaining recordsmaintaining records


Roles of ManagersRoles of Managers

►First-line management or First-line management or supervisors - supervisors - concerned with the concerned with the technical operation of worktechnical operation of work activities activities. . Work closely with operatives to ensureWork closely with operatives to ensure programmesprogrammes and procedures are and procedures are carried out properly. Involves, carried out properly. Involves, instruction monitoring, inspecting and instruction monitoring, inspecting and information and providing equipment information and providing equipment to ensure compliance.to ensure compliance.


Health and Safety Health and Safety ArrangementsArrangements

►These are the systems, procedures These are the systems, procedures and other measures which are and other measures which are required in order to put the policy into required in order to put the policy into effect. Clear explanation of effect. Clear explanation of implementation, maintenance, implementation, maintenance, monitoring and review of preventative monitoring and review of preventative and protective measures.and protective measures.


Planning and OrganisingPlanning and Organising

►The basis of planning health and The basis of planning health and safety measures in risk assessment. safety measures in risk assessment. The policy statement will identify the The policy statement will identify the need for, and responsibility for, risk need for, and responsibility for, risk assessment. i.e., who does this. assessment. i.e., who does this.


Planning and OrganisingPlanning and Organising

► Other aspects to planning and organising Other aspects to planning and organising which the policy needs to cover are:which the policy needs to cover are:

► systems for monitoring compliance, including systems for monitoring compliance, including supervisory responsibilities and inspectionsupervisory responsibilities and inspection

► systems of routine maintenance of safety plant and systems of routine maintenance of safety plant and equipmentequipment

► systems for reporting accidents and other incidents, systems for reporting accidents and other incidents, and their detailand their detail

► systems for recording and documenting actions systems for recording and documenting actions taken taken

► systems for distributing information, including systems for distributing information, including training programmestraining programmes


Controlling HazardsControlling Hazards

► This section will detail the arrangements. These This section will detail the arrangements. These will includewill include technical technical, procedural or, procedural or behavioural behavioural controls such as:controls such as:

► safe systems of work or permit to work systemssafe systems of work or permit to work systems ► fire safety and preventionfire safety and prevention ► control of contractors and visitorscontrol of contractors and visitors ► use of DSE, including eye tests and provision of use of DSE, including eye tests and provision of

glassesglasses ► cleanliness and waste disposalcleanliness and waste disposal ► use and maintenance of machineryuse and maintenance of machinery ► PPEPPE► handling of hazardous substanceshandling of hazardous substances ► The detail will be separate within manuals, The detail will be separate within manuals,

instructions and guidesinstructions and guides


ConsultationConsultation

►There is a legal requirement to consult There is a legal requirement to consult with employees. with employees. Two approaches Two approaches to this:to this:

►trade union safety representatives and trade union safety representatives and the appointed safety committeethe appointed safety committee

►ALL other employees not within the ALL other employees not within the unionunion


ConsultationConsultation

►Everyone in the organisation should be Everyone in the organisation should be encouraged to participate in health encouraged to participate in health and safety to help:and safety to help:

►set safety standardsset safety standards ►devise safe systems of workdevise safe systems of work ►participate in risk assessment and participate in risk assessment and

inspectioninspection


CommunicationCommunication

►The means of communicating The means of communicating health and safety information to health and safety information to staff must be spelt outstaff must be spelt out

►use of written proceduresuse of written procedures ►provision of instructionsprovision of instructions ►provision of appropriate trainingprovision of appropriate training


Monitoring, Compliance and Monitoring, Compliance and Assessing EffectivenessAssessing Effectiveness

► All arrangements need to be monitored to All arrangements need to be monitored to ensure they are operating and being ensure they are operating and being operated and are achieving objectivesoperated and are achieving objectives

► Proactive Systems - Proactive Systems - identifying failure to identifying failure to meet own standards, risk assessment, meet own standards, risk assessment, inspection records, audit reports, number of inspection records, audit reports, number of completedcompleted assessments assessments, assessment , assessment training daystraining days

►Reactive Systems – Reactive Systems – statistics, numbers of statistics, numbers of employee complaints, amount of employee complaints, amount of enforcement action taken etc.enforcement action taken etc.

www.healthandsafetytips.co.ukwww.healthandsafetytips.co.uk

Health and Safety Health and Safety PolicyPolicy

ByBy

John Johnston AIIRSMJohn Johnston AIIRSM

Health and Safety for Health and Safety for BeginnersBeginners

www.healthandsafetytips.co.uk health and safety policy by john johnston aiirsm health and safety for...

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