Hydrant is committed to high standards of health, well being and safety management for its activities and operations. These apply to everyone who we employ.
Hydrant will achieve the requirements of the Health and Safety at Work, Etc., Act 1974 and all related legislation, including the provision of a safe and healthy working environment, safe systems of work and continual development in what it regards as one of the key management functions, by adopting the principles and practices of the Health and Safety Executive Guidance “Successful health and safety management” HSG65. This involves the constant monitoring of the system through bi-annual safety inspections, quarterly checks on the risk assessment generation and recording and monthly reports on data from incident reports, work-related absence, training routines and general communication.
Hydrant will consult with its workforce on all health and safety matters.
Roles and responsibilities
Hydrant recognises that it must depend upon every person involved in its organisation and activities to achieve best practice and good safety performance. Hydrant’s aspirations within the Statement of Intent will be of little value without the co-operation of all Employees. However, the Managing Director holds the main responsibilities for both leading the safety management system and developing a safety minded culture by setting a good example, maintaining standards and being decisive.
Legal obligations
Sections 7 and 8 of the Health and Safety at Work, Etc., Act 1974 (HASAWA) impose a legal obligation upon all Employees to take reasonable care of their own health and safety and for that of others who may be affected by their actions or their omissions. “Others” include colleagues, contractors, visitors, delivery staff, tenants, partners and clients. Instruction, supervision and training will ensure that every person has the skills to make a full contribution, depending upon the situation.
1. The Directors
- lead on all matters regarding resources, strategy and policy development and governance
- delegates health and safety duties and implementation to the Studio Manager
- monitors the effectiveness of the studio manager and the policy as a whole
- ensures that Hydrant has access to competent health and safety advice
- ensures that Hydrant is properly resourced to ensure achievement of all legal obligations
- ensures that adequate health and safety training is provided to all Employees
- ensures proper communication of Hydrant’s health and safety strategy and policy through an Annual Report
2. Studio manager
- ensures the safety of everyone in their team
- ensure they are up to date on all safety and welfare matters relating to their team
- ensure the safe systems of work and procedures are implemented
- ensure anyone else who may be involved in the work activity is safe and that anyone who may be affected by the activity is safe
- promote the health and safety culture of Hydrant both within the team and externally with “others”.
- ensure all Employees are given adequate training at the right time, including refresher training
- identify training needs for themselves and their teams and report this to the Director
- monitor premises, sites and work equipment, ensuring defects are reported promptly
- identify and report all health and safety problems and issues as soon as possible
- undertake all risk assessments or delegate others within the team to carry out risk assessments, as required by the Policy and ensure they are stored as evidence, reported to the Director and can be examined for audit
- carryout return to work interviews to investigate causes of sickness absence
- carry out risk assessments on job design and working areas for pregnancy, ill-health, disability and special requirements and for those under 18 years of age and send these to the Director for collation.
- lead on health and safety by setting a good example
3. All Employees
- comply with all health and safety rules, safe systems, procedures and advice
- avoid altering any equipment without carrying out a risk assessment and reporting this to a line manager
- behave in a responsible manner and avoid horseplay
- identify and reporting any defects and other health and safety concerns as soon as possiblereport accidents, incidents and near misses to line managers and the Director
- contribute to good health and safety performance by suggesting improvements to safety procedures, methods of working and rules
- co-operate with Hydrant’s policies, by attending all health and safety training sessions when requested to do so.
4. Fire wardens and ushers/marshals
- comply with all health and safety rules, safe systems, procedures and advice and do not place themselves in any danger
- only tackle any fire if it is safe to do so and you have adequate training on the use of the extinguishers
- assist with any routine evacuation practice and help with a roll call
- attend any training provided
- recognise that these duties are in addition to those imposed as an “Employee”
5. First Aiders
- comply with all health and safety rules, safe systems, procedures and advice and do not place themselves in any danger
- be on hand to deal with anyone who becomes ill at work or has an accident report when you know you will be absent from work so that other First Aiders can cover
- attend any training provided
- assist in any Fire evacuation exercise arranged at your site
- report any accident, incident or work-related illness by the use of the Incident report form
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recognise that these duties are in addition to those imposed as an “Employee”
The Health and Safety General and Specific Arrangements
The key elements for active safety arrangements are as follows:
1. Control of hazards – e.g. risk assessments
2. Consultation
3. Communication
4. Competence
5. Accident and hazard reporting
6. Monitoring for compliance
In addition Hydrant will set out full details, including policies and procedures for the following:
a. Fire safety
b. Smoking
c. Alcohol and drug abuse
d. Working alone
e. Working with display screen equipment
f. Stress
g. Violence and abuse
h. First Aid
i. Driving for work
j. Office Safety
A programme for the improvement and development of these issues form part of Hydrant’s Health and Safety Action Plan.
The Health and Safety General Arrangements
The key elements for active safety arrangements are as follows:
1. Control of hazards – e.g. risk assessments
The control of safety risks is necessary to secure compliance with the requirements of the HASAW Act and the relevant statutory provisions. There are three basic stages in establishing workplace precautions:
hazard identification - identifying hazards which could cause harm;
risk assessment - assessing the risk which may arise from hazards;
risk control - deciding on suitable measures to eliminate or control risk
This approach applies to the control of health, welfare and safety risks. Health and welfare risks do, however, present distinctive features which require a particular approach to avoid long term occupational ill-health.
Hydrant requires all managers to carry out or supervise the carrying out of risk assessments for all significant operation and in compliance with relevant legislation.
2. Consultation
It is a legal requirement for all employees in Great Britain to be consulted, not just informed, about those health and safety issues in the workplace that affect them. Where trade unions are recognised, consultation must occur via safety representatives appointed under the Safety Representatives and Safety Committees Regulations 1977 and the Health and Safety (Consultation with Employees) Regulations 1996. All representatives must be provided with paid time off to carry out their duties and to undertake appropriate training; they must also be given adequate facilities on site. Hydrant formally consults during staff health and safety meetings.
3. Communication
Communication must include visible leadership and a common appreciation of how and why the organisation is trying to improve health and safety. Hydrant will use every means at its disposal to communicate the safety message, informally through records of meetings and formally through reports and updates.
4. Competence
All employees are required to make a maximum contribution to health and safety and to do this Hydrant will ensure that they are competent. This will be achieved through training, applying skills and knowledge and providing adequate supervision. Managers need to be aware of relevant legislation and how to manage health and safety effectively. All employees need to be able to work in a safe and healthy manner. It is also necessary to examine the abilities of contractors and consultants where they work close to, or in collaboration with, direct employees.
5. Accident and hazard reporting
Hydrant recognises that monitoring incidents is the prime way to reduce injuries and ill health costs but are only one component of financial loss. Accidental damage to property, equipment and the environment and long term sickness absences also impose costs. The total loss approach is based on research into the causes of accidents and building robust policies and procedures which will eliminate all but the unforeseeable and truly accidental incidents.
6. Monitoring for compliance
Hydrant is developing its monitoring routines. In addition Hydrant will continue to ensure legal compliance in the workplace by carrying out regular safety inspections, setting goals and identifying improvements both to the working environment and to procedures in the workplace.
Leo White
Managing Director
Reviewed : July 2010