Health and Safety

Policy Statement

Our policy is to provide safe and healthy working conditions, equipment and systems of work for our employees and provide adequate information, training and supervision to ensure this. We also undertake, where reasonably practicable, to operate with due regard to the health and safety of persons who are not our employees.

This policy will be reviewed yearly and employees advised of any changes.

Responsibility Charter

As part of our OH SAS18001:2007 acredditation, we take the Health and Safety of all employees and visitors very seriously. As such we would like every member of staff to share the responsibilities in keeping up and improving the standards of Health and Safety that we have within the company.

The Board is responsible for leadership on health and safety matters and in particular for:

• Appointing a "Health and Safety Director" to oversee health and safety on behalf of the Board
• Providing sufficient resources to implement the health and safety policy
• Reviewing the health and safety policy at least annually, with the assistance of a H&S advisor
• Reviewing health and safety performance from reports arising from inspections, audits, accident investigations, ill-health etc
• Agreeing a health and safety action plan and monitoring its implementation
• When introducing changes to the business, e.g. new processes, machinery, premises or structure, taking into account the health and safety implications, providing suitable resources, and monitoring to ensure risk is adequately controlled
• Ensuring that employees are consulted on health and safety matters and that safety needs are taken into account in the selection and appointment of staff
• Ensuring that the company has access to competent health and safety advice on health, safety and fire safety matters
• Keeping themselves up-to-date on health and safety requirements and developments, by arranging for regular briefings as necessary

The Managing Director has overall responsibility for implementing the Health and Safety Policy and in particular for:

• Ensuring that the Board implements their responsibilities as detailed above
• Appointing a suitably qualified Health and Safety Officer and keeping them informed of incidents, proposed changes to the business, contact from enforcing authorities etc
• Investigating, or ensuring that others investigate, accidents and work-related ill-health and ensuring that statutory reports are made for serious incidents in accordance with the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations
• Continuously reviewing health and safety practices
• Ensuring that appropriate training is provided
• Ensuring that staff are consulted on health and safety matters through team meetings etc
• Ensuring that staff performance objectives include health and safety
• Making sure that safety information and data sheets are being received as part of the purchasing process, and that the contents are taken into account within risk assessments
• Ensuring that when articles are purchased from outside the EU, that EU product safety legislation and material labelling requirements are met
• Ensuring that Employers' Liability insurance is maintained and that the details are publicised to employees
• Purchasing other insurance as required, including insurance for company vehicles
• Ensuring that statutory requirements are met in relation to working hours, employment of children, young persons, pregnant employees, and new mothers at work

Directors and Senior Managers lead by example in matters of health and safety and are responsible for:

• Ensuring that managers and supervisors reporting to them understand their health and safety responsibilities
• Monitoring the health and safety performance of direct reports
• Ensuring adequate manpower and compliance with working time legislation
• Ensuring that risk assessments cover all employee activities, that any actions arising from them are implemented and that the findings are shared with employees
• Consulting employees on health and safety matters via the health and safety committee
• Providing appropriate training for employees, including induction training and training in job skills, general health and safety matters and other specific safety issues, as required
• Ensuring that work equipment is suitable for purpose
• Providing suitable personal protective equipment and ensuring it's properly maintained
• Reporting to the Managing Director any health and safety concerns which they are not able to resolve

Managers and supervisors are responsible for implementing health and safety standards as part of the day-to-day activities of the business including:

• Instructing staff in health and safety requirements and supervising to ensure that rules are followed
• Contributing to risk assessments as required by Senior Managers/Directors
• Keeping themselves up-to-date with health and safety requirements and asking for assistance from Senior Managers or the company Health and Safety Advisor as appropriate
• Carrying out periodic inspections of the workplace, work vehicles and work activities and ensuring that high standards of health and safety are achieved
• Ensuring that employees are suitably competent and have any necessary licences and qualifications for carrying out the work instructed
• Making staff aware of arrangements for the provision of eyesight tests for those using computers
• Taking disciplinary action against staff who fail to follow company rules, as appropriate
• Reporting to an appropriate senior manager or director any health and safety concerns which they are not able to resolve

The Health and Safety Officer is responsible for:

• Maintaining their knowledge of health and safety matters
• Carrying out monitoring as agreed with the Managing Director
• Providing advice as requested and in response to observations
• Maintaining the health and safety manual

The Site Manager is responsible for ensuring general maintenance of the premises and in particular for:

• Arranging for a periodic test and inspection of the electrical installation and portable appliances
• Implementing the findings of the fire safety risk assessment including the provision, maintenance and testing of fire extinguishers, the fire alarm system and emergency lighting, the provision of signage, drills etc. and the appointment and training of fire marshals
• Monitoring that high standards of housekeeping are maintained, with emergency escape routes kept clear and all parts of the workplace maintained in a clean condition
• Ensuring that appropriate first aid arrangements are implemented including a sufficient number of first aiders and carrying out regular checks of the contents of first aid kits
• Ensuring compliance with the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007; construction and maintenance contractors should demonstrate that they are competent to work safely and that they receive, and are requested to provide, adequate information to enable safe working
• Maintaining a log of all premises checks, testing, maintenance and repairs

All employees must take care of themselves and others affected by their work and in particular are expected to:

• Behave in a professional manner, follow health and safety rules and not act in a way which would deliberately endanger others
• Familiarise themselves with the health and safety policy, risk assessments and any other instructions relating to their work and comply with the requirements set out
• Report unsafe working practices, shortcomings in safety procedures, accidents and near-misses to their manager
• Stop work and liaise with their manager in the event that a procedure appears unsafe
• Know the emergency procedures for the location at which they are working
• Use vehicles, equipment, materials or substances in accordance with information, instruction and training provided
• Make proper use of safety devices and guards and only carry out such maintenance, repair or adjustment to work equipment as they are authorised to do so
• Ensure that equipment and materials are stored safely when not in use
• Keep their work area clean and tidy, avoid the creation of tripping hazards and clean up any spillages immediately
• Wear personal protective equipment as instructed, store it so as to avoid damage, keep it cleaned and maintained and report loss or damage
• Dispose of waste materials in the manner instructed so that they do not create a hazard to other workers
• Not work under the influence of alcohol or drugs

No employee of the company may carry out or authorise practices which place staff or others in danger or which are in direct breach of legal requirements.

Alan Styles (Managing Director)
Jane Boulton (Health & Safety Director)
Mitch Hopkins (Site Manager / Health & Safety Officer)