Company Health and Safety Policy and Procedures
Why do I need a policy?
Under Section 2(3) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 written safety policy statements must be created by all employers, except for the smallest organizations, those with fewer than five employees.
They are simply a reflection in the law of what has been known for many years and forms the centerpiece of safety management as they should insist, persuade, explain and assign responsibilities.
What is usually referred to as 'the safety policy' will contain three separate parts: a statement of the policy, the details of the organisation, and the arrangement - (how, in detail, health and safety will be managed).
As it is intended as a living document, it must be reviewed on a regular basis, and be revised to account for any changes in the law or in working procedures.
What should a policy contain?
A well constructed health and safety policy sets the direction for the organisation by demonstrating senior management commitment, setting health and safety in context with the business objectives and by making a commitment to continuous improvement of health and safety performance.
The document should identify key responsibilities for health and safety within the organisation for both managers and staff, and identify the Director or Senior Manager with overall responsibility for formulating and implementing the policy.
The general arrangements for health and safety within the organisation, including planning, organisation, control, monitoring and review should be outlined in the policy.
How can we establish the current status of a business?
To establish the current health and safety status of a business and to define the various personnel who will hold responsibility under the policy a business review is usually required.
As this is undertake at the beginning of the process this is called an initial status review - (ISR).
The ISR is carried out using a series of questions and set out to provide an information gathering process which determines:
Where are we now?
Using an auditing tool we will verify the current status of the business against legislative requirements.Where do we what to be?
By establishing where the gaps are in the policy, and examining the implementation processes already in place within the business.How are we going to get there?
By providing an implementation plan and setting performance standards.
Need more information on Health and Safety Policies?
Please phone 020 8875 2832 or fill out the quick contact form below. One of our expert advisors will be happy to assist you.