Please note – this is an example health and safety policy which may contain sections that are not relevant to your organisation. You may also need to include additional sections that are not in this example.
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Statement of intent
We will ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety of everyone involved in, or affected by, our work activities.
Furthermore, we recognise that most of our activities, whether carried out by the company or an individual, have some impact on the environment. Our aim is to reduce the impact of our own activities through a structured programme of continuous improvement.
In managing health and safety and environmental practice, we will create a culture that ensures that sound health and safety management is afforded the same priority as other business objectives and becomes an integral part of everything we do.
Whilst every employee, visitor and contractor have a personal responsibility to control and minimise risks present in their own activities; we recognise that responsibility for the organisation of health and safety issues rests with our management team.
We have therefore adopted a risk assessment approach to the management of health and safety issues, ensuring that hazards arising from our work activities are identified and addressed as a part of ‘business as usual’.
In generating and maintaining our culture for health and safety, we will enrol the support and commitment of all stakeholders by:
- Allocating formal responsibilities in health and safety to our employees, suppliers and business partners;
- Providing adequate budget for health and safety management;
- Appointing competent health and safety resource for deployment across the company;
- Providing health and safety information, instruction, training and supervision at all levels necessary to ensure that staff are competent to supervise or undertake their work activities and are aware of any related hazards and the measures to be taken to protect against them, and giving adequate information on relevant hazards to any persons whose health and safety might be affected by them;
- Monitoring, measuring, auditing and reporting on our health and safety performance;
- Monitoring the safety performance of contractors who work for us;
- Working closely with appropriate external agencies, and within our industry, to ensure our continued adoption of best-practice solutions in health and safety management.
We will promote a positive health and safety culture.
We will publish and maintain a series of supporting policies and procedures detailing our Organisation and Arrangements for health and safety and setting out our approved safe systems of work. These supporting policies and procedures represent an integral part of our Health and Safety Policy.
Name of most senior manager
Role
Date
Overall Responsibility
The overall responsibility for health and safety in the Company belongs to:
| Name | Insert name: This should be the most senior person in the organisation |
| Position | Insert position: e.g. MD, Owner, Partner etc. |
It is the responsibility of the above person to ensure that sufficient resources are available to ensure that the arrangements within this health and safety policy are carried out. This includes access to a competent source for health and safety advice and guidance.
Delegated Responsibility for Implementation and Monitoring
Delegated responsibility for ensuring this policy is implemented and monitored belongs to:
| Name | Insert name: This could be ‘general manager’, ‘works manager’, ‘area supervisor’, etc. |
| Position | Insert position: e.g. Works Manager |
It is the responsibility of the above person to ensure that the arrangements within this health and safety policy are carried out and monitored to ensure that they are operating effectively.
Named Responsibilities
The following persons have been named as having responsibilities to assist in the delivery of this health and safety policy:
(Add or delete boxes as appropriate)
| Name | Insert name 1: This could be a person who has specialist skills required for the implementation of the health and safety policy |
| Position | Insert position: e.g. workshop supervisor, account manager, operations manager, etc…. |
| Area of responsibility | Insert the area of responsibility: e.g. supervising the workshop, maintaining a ladder log, taking water temperature measurements, inspecting the office for slip and trip hazards etc… |
| Name | Insert name 2: This could be a person who has specialist skills required for the implementation of the health and safety policy |
| Position | Insert position: e.g. workshop supervisor, accounts manager, electrician, etc…. |
| Area of responsibility | Insert the area of responsibility: e.g. supervising the workshop, maintaining a ladder log, taking water temperature measurements, inspecting the office for slip and trip hazards. |
It is the responsibility of the above person/people to ensure that their named duties are carried out diligently in support of this health and safety policy.
Management of Health and Safety
Health and safety management in the Company will be the responsibility of [Named person/role] who will:
- Develop a clear policy.
- Allocate responsibilities at the appropriate levels.
- Develop and implement a health and safety plan.
- Check the implementation and effectiveness of the plan.
- Review the whole process from time to time.
Risk Assessments
All hazards will be identified, and risk assessments carried out in order to design systems of work that minimise risk. The following responsibilities have been assigned:
| Risk Assessment Component | Responsibility |
| The person responsible for ensuring that risk assessments are carried out by people competent to do so is: | [named person / role]. |
| Risk assessments will be carried out by: | [named trained risk assessor 1] [named trained risk assessor 2] [named trained risk assessor 3] etc. |
| The findings of risk assessments will be reported to: | [named person / role]. |
| The action to be taken to remove the risk (or if the risk cannot be removed, control the risk) will be designed by: | [named person / role]. |
| The action to be taken to remove the risk (or if the risk cannot be removed, control the risk) will be approved by: | [named person / role]. |
| The implementation of actions to reduce risk is the responsibility of: | [named person / role]. |
| Re-assessment following the implementation of actions is the responsibility of: | [named person / role]. |
| Risk assessments will be reviewed every (or if sooner when the activity or conditions change that effect the risk): | [enter frequency]. |
Training
The Company training process is the responsibility of [named person / role] who will be responsible for keeping training matrix, training records and the prompting of refresher training.
The Company has identified the following activities as requiring training:
| Activity | Training Description | Delivery Mechanism |
| e.g. warehouse work | Manual handling | Instructor led training |
| e.g. warehouse work | Operation of forklift trucks | Instructor led training |
Supervision
Where required by a risk assessment, supervision will be provided for persons where there is a shortfall in experience or competence.
The supervision of young people and trainees will be the responsibility of [named person / role].
Information, Communications and Consultation
The statutory Health and Safety Law poster is displayed at [specify location].
Statutory information on Health and Safety Law has been issued in leaflet form to all employees by [named person / role].
Health and safety information and support is available from [name of in-house competent resource] or [name and contact details of external competent resource].
Where persons are working at sites owned or controlled by others, information relating to the hazards present, risk assessments, safe systems of work and any emergency procedures will be given to them by their immediate Manager.
Monitoring and Auditing
Monitoring and auditing will be the responsibility of [named person / role], [contact details].
Accidents, First Aid and Emergencies
All accidents and near misses will be reported to [named person / role], [contact details].
First Aid provision has been made by the Company and the following first aiders may be contacted if first aid is required:
| First Aider | Location | Contact Details |
When required by a risk assessment, health surveillance will be provided for employees as part of the risk management process. Health surveillance records will be kept by [named person / role].
The following action is to be taken in the event of the following emergencies:
| Emergency | Action |
| Fire Alarm | Evacuate the building by the stairs (do not use lifts) and assemble at [describe assembly point] |
| [Other emergency 1] e.g. gas release – delete or amend | Add action |
| [Other emergency 2]e.g. risks from neighbours’ premises of process – delete or amend | Add action |
Plant and Equipment
It is the responsibility of [named person / role] to select work equipment and ensure that it is fit for purpose and ensure that it conforms to any required safety standards.
The maintenance procedure and programme is the responsibility of [named person / role] who will identify all equipment that requires maintenance, arrange for the maintenance and then check that is has been completed. This responsibility includes the liaison with outside organisations such as insurers or others who may carry out periodic inspections.
If defects are found with any plant or work equipment these should be reported to [named person / role] for action.
Hazardous Substances
All hazardous substances will be identified and assessed for risk. This is the responsibility of [named person / role] who will also check that substances are safe to use prior to purchase.
All hazardous substances used that have a significant risk will either be substituted with a less harmful alternative or controlled by designing safe systems of work. The person responsible for this task is [named person / role].
The implementation of safe systems of work during use with substances will be the responsibility of [named person / role].
Assessments of hazardous substances will be reviewed every [insert frequency], or whenever changes occur that might alter the level of risk.
Storage and Handling
Storage will be designed so that items are stable in storage and that shelving, or racking will be suitable in terms of strength and position to allow safe storage. This will be the responsibility of [named person / role].
Where items require handling the appropriate means of handling whether manual or mechanical will be designed and risk assessed prior to the start of the activity. Handling risk assessments and the design of safe systems will be the responsibility of [named person / role].
[Add or delete as appropriate a number of additional risks using the style within this document]
[Additional Specific Hazard 1]
[Additional Specific Hazard 1] will be identified and assessed for risk. Where possible the hazard will be eliminated. Where the risk is significant control measures will be designed and implemented to reduce the risk. This will be the responsibility of [named person / role].
[Additional Specific Hazard 2]
[Additional Specific Hazard 2] will be identified and assessed for risk. Where possible the hazard will be eliminated. Where the risk is significant control measures will be designed and implemented to reduce the risk. This will be the responsibility of [named person / role].
Add other specific hazards as required.
