Management of Health & Safety at Work
Did you know ...
- employers with 5 or more employees need a written health and safety policy?
- all employers and self- employed people have to assess the risks from their work activities?
- employers with 5 or more employees have to record the significant findings of their risk assessment?
- employers have to provide health and safety training for employees?
But what does this actually mean in practice?
Health & Safety Policies
The proper and effective management of health and safety in your business can really reduce the risk of accidents to, and occupational ill health of, your employees and the associated costs that go with them.
Good health and safety management at work will involve the following:
- Planning - setting out a programme to tackle the identified hazards
- Organising - who will deal with each identified area and in what time scale
- Controlling - deciding what control measures would be appropriate and suitable
- Monitoring - checking that those controls are operating effectively
- Reviewing - setting a date for future reviews of your control measures and systems
By incorporating the above into a written 'Health & Safety Policy' you can comply with the prime duty contained in the 1974 Act.
The document should also contain:
- a general statement of health & safety policy;
- a definition of the business organisation and the responsibilities of particular individuals;
- details of the arrangements for securing a safe and healthy workplace and activities.
Each business operator should appoint a 'competent person' to assist in complying with health and safety legal requirements. They should have sufficient training, expertise and knowledge to carry out their functions and may be appointed from within the business itself.
Risk Assessment
This process is legally required for all your work activities and operations and involves:
- Identifying any hazards within the business
- Deciding who might be harmed by them
- Evaluating those risks, the existing control measures and if any changes need to be made
- Recording your findings (for 5 or more employees only)
- Reviewing and revising the assessment as changes in the business occur.
Training
Good training of your staff in the safe ways of performing their jobs is essential. There will always be informal 'on-the-job' training, but some key areas needs to be done in a more structured way, for example:
- company safety set up/reporting procedures
- fire and evacuation procedures
- first aid provision and location
- specific safety procedures for equipment/machinery
- special processes and activities
- any hazardous locations or operations
- general safety rules, housekeeping procedures, etc
- accident/ill health/defect reporting procedures
- use of any personal protective or safety equipment
These are just examples. Priorities for training will depend upon the type and extent of your business.
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