| 12. Policy Document Service: | | Application Service Provision (ASP) includes knowledge of the law and regulation to help corporations comply with their obligations. Human Resource Management, Health, Safety and Environmental Management are topics where the ASP may be able to provide a simple auditable solution. | | FIRST DRAFT TO BE EXPANDED. |
| Health and Safety Policy: | | Directors and Senior Managers are personally responsible for the (documented) company Health and Safety Policy. | | The Policy must include: | | 1. Commitment statement. | | 2. Roles and Responsibility. | | 3. Arrangements. | | The Director appointed to be responsible for Health and Safety must be provided with adequate resources to do the job, may take on specialist advisers and must ensure that all staff receive adequate training. This is an on-going task where evidence of continual activity is required with access to current best practice information and retaining as needed. Each Manager needs a checklist prepared for their own workplace that is periodically reviewed and revised as needed - the audit trail is critical as evidence of activity. |
| Accident Book: | | Mandatory in every workplace - follow up must be within 10 days. Reporting of Injuries, Diseases ad Dangerous Occurrence Regulations 1995 (RIDDOR) must be available for inspection by HSE. | | Slips and Trips should also be added - good practice to discover any common place or circumstance such as wet or dark. |
| Thermal Comfort: | | Too hot and too cold are a common complaint that must be acted upon if 10% of the staff make the same complaint. Check and record; air temperature; radiant temperature; floor temperature; air movement; metabolic rate; personal protective equipment and what people have reported (in detail). | | Slips and Trips should also be added - good practice to discover any common place or circumstance such as wet or dark. |
| Fire Extinguishers: | | Maintenance records are mandated. Training is mandated. Document where they are and when they are stolen-moved. |
| Forklift (Vehicles): | | Where a company have plant and equipment, that plant and equipment must be free from damage and safe to use. This demands that adequate records are maintained to prove that daily/weekly checks are undertaken by a trained person. A simple online form can be used to record the findings in real-time with a clear audit trail that proves that the notes were made contemporary with regular inspections and not 6 months in arrears. | | Executives and Managers have a duty of care to have vehicles of any kind checked daily and/or weekly. Inspection of oil levels, tyre pressures and other factors must be recorded, together with repairs and maintenance work. |
| Energy Usage: | | Every company must have an energy policy or environmental statement as demanded by the Climate Change Levy and Carbon Reduction Commitment Order 2010 (see Environmental Agency). New buildings and maintenance to existing buildings may be subject to Building Regulations Part 1, Energy Performance of Buildings ( Certificates and Inspections) Regulation 2007 and Town and Country Planning Act 1990.. As a minimum, it is worth having a written policy that a building has considered these regulations and plan to make improvements that comply. |
| Manual Handling of Boxes: | | Wincanton were sued for injury by an employee for having to pick up empty wooden pallets. The case was dismissed because Wincanton could prove that the person had been trained to only lift 50% of the pallet at a time. Risk assessment had been documented and it was well established practice for one person to stack pallets in the way specified. Wincanton had training videos showing how the pallets should be moved and stacked - videos proved consistency of training and duty of care. | | Take note - videos provide compelling evidence that adequate training has been provided. |
| Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992: | | Computer screens are dangerous equipment where risks must be documented and procedure laid out to ensure they are professionally set up and maintained. |
| | | Lighting Policy: | | Every place of work must have a lighting checklist available for audit - the position of lights can create a health and safety hazard. Workplace Health, Safety and Welfare Regulations 1992 provide the requirement, but this also has environmental considerations. | | Is suitable lighting provided for the range of tasks to be carried out and to move around in all areas? | | Has provision of emergency lighting been provided? | | Are arrangements for cleaning and repair satisfactory? | | Are (computer) screens free from glare with curtains or blinds provided where needed? | | Has desk laps been provided to staff who need them? | | Are staff trained and encouraged to switch lights off when not in use? |
| Fire Alarm: | | Record every test and outcome. |
| HSE Inspection: | | Health and Safety Executive are now charging for their time and advice - if a material breach of the law is uncovered. |
| PAT: | | Portable Appliance Tests (PAT) are mandatory - Executives have a duty of care that must be formally documented. |
| Risk Assessment Training: | | Maintenance records are mandated and will reduce the liabilities. |
| Protecting Young workers: | | Young workers policy applies to people on part time work experience who cannot be trusted to go near any machinery. |
| Strategy: | | * Training and evidence of that training is critical. | | * Policy documents and evidence of regular review is critical. |
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