Business and Industry

With only 5 staff working from an ordinary office - do I need a written Health & Safety Policy? Yes: EVERY business (office, factory or site) needs to carry out risk assessments for employees, customers and visitors and then detail how these risks will be eliminated, reduced, isolated or otherwise managed. Businesses of 5 or more employees must do this in a WRITTEN Health & Safety Policy.

Risks where an accident can result in a claim, can vary from placing of stationery on tall cupboards, Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH), use of power equipment and manual handling to the use of mobile phones whilst driving or unaccompanied visits to sites. The costs to UK industry is £6.5Bn pa but it can be reduced - [See The HSE website]

The management of risk is captured in a Health & Safety Policy. This details who is responsible, how and when risks are assessed; how they are dealt with and how defined 'safe working practices' are communicated.

You may need:

Risk Assessments

Risk Assessments. [See Services > Workplace Health and Safety].

Fire Risk Assessments

Fire Risk Assessments. [See Services > Fire Risk Assessment].

Health & Safety Policy

Health & Safety Policy - Risk management and compliance with legal requirement to have a written policy for firms of 5 or more employees. [See Services > Workplace Health and Safety].

Staff hand-books

Staff hand-books for employees. [See Services > Workplace Health and Safety].

Staff Inductions

Staff Inductions - Help to ensure that staff understand why policies apply and what they must do to comply. [See Services > Workplace Health and Safety].

Forms Required

Forms required for notification of accidents and incidents and to manage 'near misses' (RIDDOR). [See Services > Workplace Health and Safety].

Display Screen Equipment

Display Screen Equipment Assessments. [See Services > Computer Health and Safety].

Regulatory obligations

Regulatory obligations - Explanation of how you are affected by regulations such as manual handling, COSHH, Asbestos, Lead, PPE, PUWER, Welfare, DDA. [See Services > Workplace Health and Safety].

Health & Safety Training

Training is a key element of Health & Safety: We offer training from First Aider qualifications and refreshers to Site Inductions, Scaffold Appreciation and Accident Investigation. [See Services > Training].

 

A properly detailed Health & Safety Policy can help when it comes to getting Employers Liability and Public Liability Insurance but the best policy is to regard insurance as a solution of last resort - not the first!

For further information - please call Bernard Sims Associates on 01483 467270 or e-mail bsims@bsims.co.uk