STATEMENT OF GENERAL POLICY
1. Dr.PAWPAW fully accepts the obligations placed upon it by the various Acts of Parliament covering health and safety. The Company requires its Chief Executive to ensure that the following policy is implemented and to report annually on its effectiveness.
MANAGEMENT ORGANISATION AND ARRANGEMENTS
Introduction
2.This policy has been prepared and published under the requirements of Health & Safety at Work legislation. The purpose of the policy is to establish general standards for health and safety at work and to distribute responsibility for their achievement to all managers, supervisors, and other employees through the normal line management processes.
MANAGEMENT RESPONSIBILITIES
Chief Executive
3. The Chief Executive has overall responsibility for the implementation of the Company & policy. In particular he or she is responsible for ensuring that the policy is widely communicated and that its effectiveness is monitored. Directors and Senior Managers
4. These managers are wholly accountable to the Chief Executive for the implementation and monitoring of the policy within the area of their specified responsibility. Safety Officer
5. The Safety Officer is a nominated manager responsible for coordinating effective health and safety policies and controls across the organisation.
6. The Safety Officer is responsible for: the production and maintenance of the Company & policy and ensuring that Department Guidelines are consistent with policy; its application; monitoring and reporting on the effectiveness of the policy; the provision of general advice about the implication of the law; the identification of health and safety training needs. The safety officer also acts on behalf of the Chief Executive, as the Company& formal link with the Health and Safety Executive, Environment Health Departments and other external agencies; the production and maintenance of any health and safety documents or codes of practice as necessary for any relevant area of the Company services where this is required.
HEALTH AND SAFETY MANAGEMENT PROCESS
7. Dr.PAWPAW believes that consideration of the health, safety and welfare of staff is an integral part of the management process. The provision of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act, associated Codes of Practice and other relevant Directives will be adopted as required standards within the Company. Responsibility for health and safety matters shall be explicitly stated in management job descriptions.
8. The Company requires managers to approach health and safety in a systematic way, by identifying hazards and problems, planning improvements, taking executive action and monitoring results so that the majority of health and safety needs will be met from locally held budgets as part of day-to-day management, although many health and safety problems can be rectified at little additional cost.
9. For major additional expenditure, cases of need will be submitted by Directors to the Chief Executive.
10. If unpredictable health and safety issues arise during the year, the Chief Executive must assess the degree of risk, in deciding the necessary resources and actions to commit to addressing these issues.
HEALTH, SAFETY AND WELFARE GUIDELINES
11. It is the policy of Dr.PAWPAW to require departmental managers to produce appropriate departmental health and safety policies or guidelines. These should embody the minimum standards for health and safety for the department and the work organised within it.
12. It shall be the responsibility of the manager to bring to the attention of all members of his or her staff, the provisions of the guidelines, and to consult with appropriate Health and Safety Representatives about the updating of these guidelines. Suggested model contents of a guideline are:
- a clear statement of the role of the department;
- regulations governing the work of the department;
- clear reference to safe methods of working, for example nursing procedures, manufacturers & manuals;
- information about immediate matters of health and safety concern, such as fire drills, fire exits, first aid; training standards;
- the role and identity of the Health and Safety Representative;
names of specialist advisers who can be approached about the work of the department; - the manager responsible for organisation and control of work;
- accident reporting procedures;
- departmental safety rules;
- fire procedures;
- policies agreed by the Company.
IDENTIFICATION OF HEALTH AND SAFETY HAZARDS ANNUAL AUDIT AND REGULAR RISK ASSESSMENTS
13. It is the policy of Dr.PAWPAW to require a thorough examination of health and safety performance against established standards in each department, at least annually. The technique to be adopted for such examinations will be the &;Safety Audit&;. The Audit requires review of:
- standards laid down in the policy;
- departmental guidelines; relevant regulations;
- environmental factors;
- staff attitudes;
- staff instructions;
- methods of work;
- contingency plans;
- recording and provision of information about accidents and hazards and the assessment of risk.
14. The information obtained by the Audit will be used to form the basis of the plan for the department for the following year.
15. The responsibility for ensuring that audit activity is carried out as part of this policy rests with the Chief Executive and will be carried out by the Safety Officer. Although the Audit remains a management responsibility, managers are required as part of this policy to seek the involvement of the appropriate Health and Safety Representative in the conduct of the Audit.
16. It is the management & responsibility to ensure that any deficiencies highlighted in the Audit are dealt with as speedily as possible.
17. In addition to carrying out Safety Audits, it is the responsibility of the department manager to have checked, at least quarterly, all portable equipment, including electrical appliances, in their area, and to ensure that all problems are immediately dealt with.
18. Managers have a continual responsibility for the elimination of hazards in order to maintain a safe working environment and will also be expected to carry out regular risk assessments in line with the Health and Safety Executive Guidelines; that is follow the 5 steps:
- Identify the hazards
- Decide who might be harmed and how
- Evaluate the Risks and decide on precautions
- Record the findings and implement the precautions
- Review the assessment and update when necessary
SAFETY REPRESENTATIVES
19. Dr.PAWPAW will support Safety Representatives in carrying out their role and give all reasonable assistance. Safety Representatives will be encouraged to discuss specific health and safety issues with the relevant Head of Department. They may also formally report hazardous or unsafe circumstances to the Head of Department and will be formally notified of the remedial action taken or be given a reason why the action cannot be taken.
TRAINING
20. Health and Safety training shall be incorporated within annual training programmes, as part of the development of a systematic training plan. Health and Safety training needs will, therefore, be identified and planned for in the same manner as other training needs.
21. Four areas of need shall be given special priority:
training for managers, to equip them with an understanding of the manager& responsibilities under this policy, and the role and purpose of safety representatives; training for safety representatives to enable them to discharge their function; training for all members of staff to acquaint them with the main provisions of the law and its practical implication, the main features of this policy and key safety rules; induction and in-service; training for staff at all levels to acquaint them fully with new requirements and hazards.