|
Health and Safety Policy
1.0
Introduction
1.1
The Health and Safety at Work Act, 1974, requires employers
to ensure that employees and non-employees are not exposed
to risk as far is as reasonably practicable whether at the
organisation’s premises or at any site or temporary
workplace.
1.2 Under
the Management of Health and Safety Regulations 1992, Rights
and Equality West Midlands must:
a)
assess risks to the health and safety of employees and
anyone else that may be affected by its work activity.
b)
make
arrangements for putting into practice the health and safety
measures that follow from the risk assessment.
c) provide
appropriate health surveillance and monitoring for employees
where the risk assessment shows it to be necessary.
d) appoint
competent people to help devise and apply measures needed to
enable Rights and Equality West Midlands to comply with its
duties under the health and safety law.
e) provide
employees with information and instruction they can
understand about health and safety matters.
f)
make
sure its employees have adequate health and safety guidance
and training and are capable at their jobs to avoid
foreseeable risks.
g) provide
temporary employees with sufficient health and safety
information to meet their special needs.
1.3 This
policy statement sets out how Rights and Equality West
Midlands will meet these obligations.
2.0
Responsibilities
2.1
The principal officer is the delegated officer responsible
for all health, safety and welfare maters for Rights and
Equality West Midlands employees in accordance with the
Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and any other relevant
act, plus regulations made under them, or any relevant EU
regulations.
2.2
As the delegated responsible officer, the principal officer
will take all reasonably practical steps to meet his/her
obligations to ensure that:
a) health
and safety maters are properly managed and co-ordinated.
b) a
system of health and safety audits and inspections of areas
of work is established and maintained.
c) He
or she received summaries of regular health and safety
audits and safety inspections.
d) He
or she implements, as far as is practicable, recommendations
contained with health and safety inspections.
e) He
or she is informed of and agrees appropriate and practicable
policy amendments for ensuring the health and safety of
employees and visitors of Rights and Equality West Midlands
premises.
f) Sufficient
information, instructions, training and supervision are
provided to enable all employees to work safely, avoid
foreseeable risks and hazards and contribute positively to
their own and others safety and health at work.
2.3 The
Principal Officer has responsibilities for the
implementation of Rights and Equality West Midlands health
and safety policy:
a) to
be aware of all health and safety legislation relating to
the Rights and Equality West Midland’s area of work.
b) to
undertake health and safety audits and inspections,
including the investigation of accidents and ‘near misses’.
c)
to
implement the required revisions to ensure a safe and
healthy work environment.
d) ensure
that contractors and consultants are made aware of and work
in accordance with this policy and any relevant codes of
practice and guidelines adopted by Rights and Equality West
Midlands.
2.4 Staff
with management responsibilities will:
a) ensure
the effective implementation of this health and safety
policy as it effects the staff and areas under their
control.
b) devise,
implement and maintain safe systems of work and monitor new
and existing systems to ensure they are complied with by all
employees.
c)
co-operate in arranging health and safety audits and safety
inspections of the areas under their control.
d) co-operate
in the training, instructions and dissemination of
information to employees associated with health and safety
at work.
2.5
All
employees will be expected to:
a) have
due regard to the safety of themselves, other employees and
visitors.
b) keep
themselves aware of current policies and codes of practice
relating to health and safety at work.
c)
observe all safety procedures as they affect work being
undertaken.
d) use
the safety equipment provided.
e) report to their manager any hazard, accident of dangerous
occurrence during work, whether personal injury is involved
or not and whether it occurred on Rights and Equality West
Midlands premises or elsewhere.
f) co-operate with management in inspections and in creating
and maintaining a safe working environment.
g) attend health and safety training as instructed.
h) co-operate with fire and security drill arrangements.
2.6 No
employee shall intentionally or recklessly interfere with or
misuse anything provided in the interests of health, safety
and welfare.
3.0
Consultation
3.1 Consultation on the implementation of this
policy, and codes of safe working practice and other aspect
of health, safety and welfare shall be through existing
Rights and Equality West Midlands supervisory, management
and operational procedures.
4.0
Review
4.1
This policy will be reviewed regularly and/or augmented when
necessary.
4.2
A
copy of this policy will be made available to all employees
and will be displayed in the workplace.
4.3
This document was approved by Race Equality West Midlands
Forum on 7 February 2002, amended October 2007 and reviewed
on an annual basis by the Chief Executive with the next date
of review scheduled for January 2009.
|
