H&S Policy Service
If your company employs 5 or more employees under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 Section 2(2) you must draw up a Health and Safety Policy and ensure that it is communicated with your employees. A Health and Safety Policy must be made up of three elements:
#1: Statement of intent – This effectively is the promise, which will state your general policy on health and safety at work, including your commitment to managing health and safety and your aim to maintain health and safety compliance. It is expected that a Director or the most Senior person within the company signs and review it regularly. (Rule of thumb is every two years or whenever any changes that affect the business operations take place, including changes or management structure or Health and Safety Legislation)
#2: Roles and responsibilities for health and safety
This element will list the names, positions, and roles of the people/employees in your business who have specific responsibility for health and safety. Ensuring that these responsibilities also form part of their job description or terms of employment.
#3: Arrangements for health and safety
This element will provide details of the practical arrangements you have in place, showing how you will achieve your health and safety policy aims. This in short is the arrangements that allow support and prove your company can meet your Statement of Intent (your promise). This could include, for example, undertaking risk assessments, training employees, provision of first aid, specific procedures, using work equipment, provision of maintenance and servicing of said plant and work equipment and using safety signs.
Where companies do not feel confident to develop their own Health and Safety Policy, PJB Safety Servicescan assist in any part of its development.
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