Health and Safety Policy

Statement of Policy

The Company fully accepts the obligations placed upon it by the various Acts of Parliament covering health and safety. The Company requires its Managing Director to ensure that the following policy is implemented and to report annually on its effectiveness.

Management organisation and arrangements

This policy has been prepared and implemented under the requirements of Health & Safety at Work legislation. The purpose of the policy is to establish general standards for health and safety at work and to distribute responsibility for their achievement to all managers, supervisors, and other employees through the normal line management processes.

 Management Responsibilities

Managing Director

  • The Managing Director has overall responsibility for the implementation of the Company’s policy. Responsibility for ensuring that the policy is widely communicated and that its effectiveness is monitored.

Senior Managers 

  • Senior managers are wholly accountable to the Managing Director for the implementation and monitoring of the policy within the area of their specified responsibility.

Safety Officer

  • The Safety Officer is a nominated manager responsible for co-ordinating effective health and safety policies and controls across the organisation.
  • The Safety Officer is responsible for:
  • the production and maintenance of the Company’s policy and ensuring that Department Guidelines are consistent with policy;
  • its application;
  • monitoring and reporting on the effectiveness of the policy;
  • the provision of general advice about the implication of the law;
  • the identification of health and safety training needs. The safety officer also acts on behalf of the Managing Director, as the Company’s formal link with the Health and Safety Executive, Environment Health Departments and other external agencies;
  • the production and maintenance of Health and Safety Codes of Practice for each aspect of the services within the Company.

Health & Safety Management process

  • The Company believes that consideration of the health, safety and welfare of staff and its learners is an integral part of the management process. The provision of the Health and Safety at Work Act, associated Codes of Practice and E.C. Directives will be adopted as required standards within the Company.
  • The Company requires managers to approach health and safety in a systematic way, by identifying hazards and problems, planning improvements, taking executive action and monitoring results so that the majority of health and safety needs will be met from locally held budgets as part of day-to-day management, although many health and safety problems can be rectified at little additional cost.
  • For major additional expenditure, cases of need will be submitted by Directors to the Managing Director.
  • If unpredictable health and safety issues arise during the year, the Managing Director must assess the degree of risk, in deciding the necessary resources and actions to commit to addressing these issues.

Health, Safety and welfare guidelines

  • It is the policy of the Company to require departmental managers to produce appropriate health and safety policies or guidelines. These should embody the minimum standards for health and safety for the department and the work organised within it.
  • It shall be the responsibility of the manager to bring to the attention of all members of their staff, the provisions of the guidelines, and to consult with appropriate Health and Safety Representatives about the updating of these guidelines. The model contents of a guideline are:
  • a clear statement of the role of the department;
  • regulations governing the work of the department;
  • clear reference to safe methods of working, for example desk assessments, manufacturers’ manuals;
  • information about immediate matters of health and safety concern, such as fire drills, fire exits, first aid;
  • training standards;
  • the role and identity of the Health and Safety Representative;
  • accident reporting procedures;
  • departmental safety rules;
  • fire procedures;
    • It is the responsibility of the Managing Director to ensure that all learner workplaces have a current signed Health and Safety Plan (HASP) and valid Employer Liability Insurance (ELI). For new employers, a HASP is to be completed before the learner’s enrolment, including placed apprentices.  Copies of the HASPs and ELIs are to be held by Lewtay administration.

The completed HASP covers:

  • Details of the Employer’s H&S policy and Insurance
  • Their Risk Assessment & Controls
  • Their arrangements for accidents, incidents and first aid
  • Information on instruction, training and supervision provided
  • Information on Work equipment and machinery
  • Information on Personal protective equipment and clothing
  • Information on Fire emergencies
  • Information on Safe and healthy working environment
  • Details of what tasks/duties will the learner undertake
  • Details of arrangements for people with special needs
  • Details of any prohibitions/restrictions from certain areas, using specific machinery or equipment regarding the learner

The HASP is risk rated High, Medium or Low with recommendations to Accept, Accept Conditionally or Reject.  In circumstances other than Accept, the learner’s enrolment is to be postponed until a safe working environment is established and the original HASP updated to reflect this.

  • It is the responsibility of all Assessors on their first visit to ensure that their learner is aware of and understands the Health & Safety policy & procedures for their workplace e.g. RIDDOR, COSHH etc. Assessors are to monitor and record details of Health & Safety with respect to their learners during the 3 monthly reviews.  Any issues identified are to be bought to the attention of the employer for rectification.  Assessors are to subsequently check that issue has been effectively addressed.  Where any non-compliance with Health and Safety is observed, the Assessors is to report this to the employer and to Lewtay’s Managing Director.
  • Where learners have been involved in Health & Safety related incidents, the assessors at the earliest opportunity is to ensure that the appropriate and correct procedures were followed, i.e the incident was appropriately documented in accordance with the workplace policy & procedures. The Assessor is also to document the incident in their Visit Report and inform Lewtay’s Managing Director, who is to take any follow up action as deemed necessary.

Identification of Health & Safety Hazards Annual Audit & Regular Risk Assessments

  • It is the policy of the Company to require a thorough examination of health and safety performance against established standards in each department, at least The technique to be adopted for such examinations will be the ‘Safety Audit’. The Audit requires review of:
  • standards laid down in the policy;
  • departmental guidelines;
  • relevant regulations;
  • environmental factors;
  • staff attitudes;
  • staff instructions;
  • methods of work;
  • contingency plans;
  • recording and provision of information about accidents and hazards and the assessment of risk.
    • The information obtained by the Audit will be used to form the basis of the plan for the department for the following year. Audits must be completed by July of each year.
    • The responsibility for ensuring that audit activity is carried out as part of this policy rests with the Managing Director and will be carried out by the Safety Officer. Although the Audit remains a management responsibility, managers are required as part of this policy to seek the involvement of the appropriate Health and Safety Representative in the conduct of the Audit.
    • It is the management’s responsibility to ensure that any deficiencies highlighted in the Audit are dealt with as speedily as possible.
    • In addition to carrying out Safety Audits, it is the responsibility of the department manager to check, all portable equipment, including electrical appliances, in their area, and to ensure that all problems are immediately dealt with.
    • Managers have a continual responsibility for the elimination of hazards in order to maintain a safe working environment and will also be expected to carry out risk assessments in line with the Health and Safety Executive Guidelines; that is follow the 5 steps:
      1. Identify the hazards
      2. Decide who might be harmed and how
      3. Evaluate the Risks and decide on precautions
      4. Record the findings and implement the precautions
      5. Review the assessment and update when necessary

TRAINING

  • Health and Safety training shall be incorporated within annual training programmes, as part of the development of a systematic training plan. Health and Safety training needs will, therefore, be identified and planned for in the same manner as other training needs.
  • The following areas of need shall be given special priority:
  • training for managers, to equip them with an understanding of the manager’s responsibilities under this policy, and the role and purpose of safety representatives;
  • training for all members of staff to acquaint them with the main provisions of the law and its practical implication, the main features of this policy and key safety rules;
  • induction and in-service training for staff at all levels to acquaint them fully with new requirements and hazards.

Reports to the Health & Safety Executive

  • The responsibility for meeting the requirements of the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1985 to the Health and Safety Executive, shall rest with the Managing Director as delegated to the Safety Officer.

Specialist advisory bodies

  • Certain bodies and the individual members of those bodies, have always had a Health and Safety role, most notably, the Health & Safety executive, or local Environmental Health Departments. If further specialist advice is required, this may be obtained by Managers from expert individuals or bodies outside the Company.

Occupational Health

  • It is the policy of the Company to provide Occupational Health Services. Such services are provided confidentially to the individual employee and include counselling on health and associated matters, investigation of hazards and accidents, environment studies, health interviews and employment medicals.

FIRST AID

  • It is the policy of the Company to make provision for First Aid and the training of ‘First Aiders’ in accordance with the First Aid Regulations (1982). The Safety Officer is responsible for ensuring the Regulations are implemented and for identifying training needs.

FIRE

  • The Managing Director is responsible for ensuring that the staff receive adequate fire training, and that nominated fire officers are designated in all Company premises. The Managing Director delegates these responsibilities to the managers
  • Nominated Fire Officer Stephen Harris
  • report and advise on the standard of fire safety in the Company’s premises and the standard of fire training of its staff;
  • undertake overall responsibility for fire training;
  • assist in the investigation of all fires in the Company’s premises and to submit reports of such incidents.

Disposal of equipment

  • Disposal of all equipment should be conducted inline with the manufacturers guidance.

Moving & Handing

  • Managers are responsible for informing staff of safe lifting techniques. The Safety Officer will identify specific training needs. The HR Office / Head Office will ensure training in lifting and handling is provided to staff who require it.

Smoking on company property

  • It is against the law to smoke in the building or in any company vehicle.. The overall aim is to reduce smoking and so save life, reduce risk of fire, prevent unnecessary illness and chronic disability. The rules relating to smoking on Company premises are available from the HR Department / Head Office.

Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (COSHH) 

  • The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (COSHH) require the Company to identify those substances which are in use and which are hazardous to health (as legally defined) and to assess the risk of those substances. The Company must also provide and use controls to prevent exposure to substances hazardous to health; maintain controls by monitoring exposure, or by health surveillance of employees; and provide information, instruction and training for employees on all these matters. The Safety Officer is responsible for implementing these Regulations.

Computer installations and display equipment 

  • All new computer installations must adhere to the British Standard Specifications and comply with the Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992. All new employees operating VDUs are issued with a copy of the Health and Safety Executive Booklet entitled ‘Working with VDUs’. All employees are to complete a DSE Workstation Assessment and raise any issues identified with their Line Manager, who is to take the necessary action to address.

Control of working time

  • The Company is committed to the principles of the Working Time Regulations. No member of staff is expected to work more than 48 hours per week (including overtime) unless there are exceptional circumstances. Similarly, all other requirements of the regulations e.g. in relation to breaks, night workers etc. will be complied with.

Health & Safety and the employee 

  • The Health and Safety at Work Act requires each employee ‘to take reasonable care for the Health and Safety of himself and of other persons who may be affected by their acts and omissions’ and co-operate with management to enable management to carry out their responsibilities under the Act. Employees have equal responsibility with the Company for Health and Safety at Work.
  • The refusal of any employee to meet their obligations will be regarded as a matter to be dealt with under the Disciplinary Procedure. In normal circumstances counselling of the employee should be sufficient. With a continuing problem, or where an employee leaves themself or other employees open to risk or injury, it may be necessary to implement the formal stages of the Disciplinary Procedure.

Visitors and members of the public

  • The Company wishes to ensure that as far as is reasonably practicable, the Health, Safety and Welfare of visitors to Company establishments will be of the highest standard.
  • Any member of staff who notices persons acting in a way which would endanger other staff, should normally inform their Head of Department. If the danger is immediate, common sense must be used to give warning, call for assistance or give aid as necessary. It is equally important not to over-react to a situation.

Websites for further information:

http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg36.pdf

http://www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/basics.htm

http://www.hse.gov.uk/riddor/

http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/ck1.pdf