9.1 Health and Safety Policy |
Contents
1. Introduction
Ensuring the health and safety of staff and other people affected by the organisations activities is essential.
This document states our policy on health and safety and describes the organisational responsibilities and arrangements for carrying out the policy.
This policy comprises three sections:
- A general statement of intent, which sets out aims and objectives of the policy;
- Organisational responsibilities, which allocates responsibilities for health and safety to specific job roles in the organisation;
- Organisational arrangements, which summarise how the policy aims are to be achieved.
2. General Statement of Intent
We recognises its legal and moral duty to protect the safety, health and welfare of all staff and any other person who could be affected by the actions of the company in its day to day running of the business.
We will ensure that duties required under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Regulation 3 and 5 of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 are met by:
- Providing, so far as is reasonably practicable, a safe working environment without risk, including lighting, heating, ventilation and workspace, together with adequate facilities for staff such as washroom facilities;
- Providing safe access and exits from all places of work;
- Providing suitable equipment and systems of work which are safe and without risk to a persons health;
- Providing information, instruction, training and supervision to enable staff to identify and avoid hazards and to contribute positively to their own health and safety at work;
- Providing safe arrangements for the use, storage and transport of articles and substances;
- Ensuring every member of staff takes reasonable care for their own safety and health and for that of any other person their actions may affect.
We will endeavour to develop and maintain a culture supportive of Health and Safety. By doing so it aims to achieve adequate control over risks and to minimise injury to employees and other situations, which can arise from avoidable unplanned events. Only competent people will be appointed to assist in meeting statutory duties and where appropriate specialists from outside the organisation.
3. Organisational Responsibilities
The objectives of this policy are fundamental to our business and the Directors are responsible for ensuring that the requirements of this policy are achieved. These persons are responsible for ensuring safety is taken seriously across the whole organisation. However, a designated senior Manager has overall responsibility for Health & Safety for the company, see Section 5: Health and Safety Roles within the Company.
The Registered Manager has responsibility for implementing the specific arrangements made under this policy throughout the Home. All staff are expected to read the relevant sections of the policy, familiarise themselves with its provisions and carry out their defined responsibilities.
Staff are expected and encouraged to be proactive on health and safety issues as part of the continued development of the health and safety culture of the organisation and the manual describes the arrangements for staff consultation and feedback.
All staff have a statutory duty to take reasonable care for the health and safety of themselves and of other persons who may be affected by their acts or omissions. They must also co-operate so far as is necessary to enable the us to comply with its duties or requirements imposed by law. All members of staff are reminded that a breach of this duty could constitute a disciplinary offence. Specifically members of staff are expected to:
- Ensure their own health and safety and that of others who may be affected by actions that they do or not do;
- Observe the health and safety policy and procedures;
- Make correct use of protective clothing and safety equipment provided by Protecting Rights In a Caring Environment for the safe completion of work related tasks;
- Report to line Managers any shortcomings, defects or hazards in working practices, equipment or processes that may be a risk to the health and safety of themselves or others in the course of their job;
- Report any incident or accident, including near misses however slight to their line Manager immediately to enable any necessary action to be taken;
- Assist at all times, in maintaining good housekeeping standards within the workplace;
- Co-operate and assist in the effective completion of risk assessments with their line Manager, and carry out any actions that may be required under the risk assessment process.
4. Organisational Arrangements
4.1 Information, Instruction and Training
Responsibility for staff to be informed on health and safety issues will lie with the Home's Manager.
4.2 Risk Assessment and Safe Systems of Work
Home’s Managers must ensure that any activities or leisure pursuits in which children participate are, so far as reasonably practicable, free from avoidable risks and, on a day to day basis, staff should take reasonable precautions and make informed judgements about when to allow children to participate in an activity. Excessive caution is unnecessary and children should be provided with the opportunity to take risks proportionate to their age, level of understanding and in the light of assessments, historical knowledge and plans/strategies that are in place e.g. where the behaviour or choices that have already been made by a child are poor or have placed them or others at risk, caused injury, harm or damage to property, staff must take this into consideration when planning activities. For additional guidance regarding risk assessments for activities, see Leisure and Activities Procedures (Section 10, Guidance re Risk Assessments).
The same principles apply to risks in the Home. Home’s Managers should exercise sensible precautions about the home that a parent would, ensuring the there is a homely environment that allows a certain degree of freedom. Where children demonstrate or are assessed as being able to undertake everyday activities e.g. preparing of meals or looking after their own medication, they should be encouraged to do so rules regarding a safe environment are adhered to safely, taking account of the purpose of the Home, age, understanding and known history of the children
The Home's Manager, in consultation with Designated Manager (Health and Safety) will be responsible for completing specific risk assessments on new or expectant mothers as laid down by the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations.
4.3 Accident Reporting and Investigation
Also see Recording and Reporting Accidents Procedure
All accidents, which occur to children or members of staff, must be reported to Home's Manager. In all cases, the accident book must be completed no matter how minor including any investigation documentation.
The Home's Manager shall be responsible for the completion of RIDDOR (Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrence Regulations) reports.
Accidents occurring to other visitors or contractors employed by the company will also require reporting in the same way as mentioned above.
Where an accident has resulted in a fatality, major injury or dangerous occurrence as laid down in the Recording and Reporting Accidents Procedure
4.4 Health and Safety Monitoring
The Designated Manager (Health and Safety) shall monitor health and safety. Performance shall be measured on accident statistics and relevant health and safety work related absences, risk assessment review and completion, and enforcement action taken against the company.
5. Health and Safety Roles within the Company
The Designated Manager (Health and Safety) has overall responsibility for Health & Safety in the Company.
Other competent people have been appointed to assist in meeting Health and Safety objectives. These person's have sufficient knowledge and expertise to insure that statutory requirements are met and that the Health and Safety policy is being adhered to.
Post |
|
| Health and Safety Officer | In each Home there will be a designated Health and Safety Officer. |
| Fire Safety | In each Home there will be a designated Fire Safety Officer. |
| Employee Safety Representative | In each Home there will be a designated Employee Safety Representative. |
The company recognises that there may be occasions when specialist advice is necessary. In these circumstances, the services of competent external advisors will be obtained.
6. First Aid
In each Home, there will always be a suitable numbers of first aid staff on duty to deal with minor accidents and emergencies at the workplace. These personnel will have sufficient training and qualifications in accordance with statutory requirements.
See First Aid, Home Remedies and Medication Procedure
7. Emergency Procedures
Emergency procedures are designed to give warning of imminent danger and to allow all personnel to move to a place of safety. The Home's Manager is responsible for ensuring that all children and young people, staff and visitors within the Home are informed of, and are fully conversant with, emergency procedures.
Fire wardens will be appointed for each area to assist with an evacuation. They will be given adequate instruction and training to ensure effectiveness.
8. Information and Communication
The Company will ensure that suitable and relevant information relating to health, safety and welfare at the workplace is disseminated to staff and non-employees.
Statutory notices will be displayed throughout the workplace.
Health and Safety matters are discussed regularly at Senior Management meetings and are an agenda item for a staff meeting.
9. Employee Involvement in Policy Making
The Health and Safety Commission has stated in the Statement on Worker Involvement and Consultation that "an organisation's greatest asset is its workforce. Employees are often best able to spot issues and bring about real improvements. We need to expand the base of employee involvement in health and safety management to cover the whole workforce". Where a policy has the approval of the workforce, it is more likely to be adhered to.
The Health and Safety (Consultation with Employees) Regulations 1996 (HSCER) require employers to consult their employees on matters that affect their health and safety, where all employees are not already covered by the provisions of the Safety Representatives and Safety Committees Regulations 1977 (SRSCR). Employees will be consulted directly.
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