Health & Safety
Health and Safety has to be an integral and fundamental part
of every organisation. Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974
and the 1992 Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations an
organisation is responsible for anyone affected by its business and
its activities including:
- Employees regardless of whether they are full or part-time,
temporary or permanent, on work placements or apprenticeships, on
or off-site, mobile or working from home
- Visitors to the organisation's premises such as customers,
sub-contractors, learners
- Anybody on sites where the organisation's staff are working
such as members of the public
- Those coming into contact with the products and services that
the organisation designs, produces or supplies
Simply stated, Health and Safety concerns the protection of
all those mentioned above from being harmed or from becoming ill
through the functions and activities of the organisation.
Risk Assessment
All organisations regardless of size must conduct risk
assessments using a 'competent person' with health and safety
responsibilities.
The Health and Safety Executive has produced a five step plan
for conducting a Risk Assessment:
1. Look for Hazards
2. Decide who might be harmed and
how
3. Evaluate the risks and decide whether the existing
precautions are adequate hhor whether more should be
done
4. Record the findings
5. Review the assessment and revise it if
necessary
Health and Safety Policy
All organisations need a policy that details the management of
Health and Safety. Organisations with five or more employees have
to ensure that the policy is a formal written statement.
In addition, it must be communicated to all staff, ensuring
that employees understand and carry out their responsibilities for
Health and Safety, including any safety rules identified by the
risk assessment.
Other Legal Requirements
- All accidents must be recorded
- Certain accidents as defined by Reporting of Injuries, Diseases
and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) need to be reported
to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE)
- All employees or their representatives must be consulted on
health and safety matters
- Some businesses need to be licensed and / orregistered with
their local authority or HSE
- As an employer it is a legal requirement to have Employer's
Liability Insurance. Public and Product liability insurances are
not mandatory but in certain circumstances are a necessity.
Duty of Care
Under the law, employers have a 'Duty of Care' to protect and
look after their employees. This is far reaching and covers many
areas including the less obvious:
- Maintenance of workplace, and of equipment, devices and
systems
- Ventilation
- Temperature in indoor workplaces
- Lighting
- Cleanliness and waste materials
- Room dimensions and space
- Workstations and seating
- Condition of floors and traffic routes
- Falls or falling objects
- Windows, and transparent or translucent doors, gates and
walls
- Windows, skylights and ventilators
- Ability to clean windows etc. safely
- Organisation etc. of traffic routes
- Doors and gates
- Escalators and moving walkways
- Sanitary conveniences
- Washing facilities
- Drinking water
- Accommodation for clothing
- Facilities for changing clothing
- Facilities for rest and to eat meals
Further Information
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