Health & Safety Policy Development
Compiling a health and safety policy shows that you have been through the process of examining your safety systems. A written health & safety policy is a legal requirement for any company employing 5 or more staff. The policy should consist of three key sections:
- Statement of Intent (What the company intends to achieve with regards to health & safety – it’s objectives targets and goals).
- Organisational Responsibilities (Who is responsible for what, from Managing Director and the Board, down through layers of management right the way down to employees).
- Arrangements for Implementation (How the company is going to achieve its aims – the detailed procedures that will be followed to ensure staff remain safe and healthy). This should be specific to the company, and might include such topics as risk assessment, training procedures, manual handling, work at height, workplace transport, personal protective equipment, consultation with employees etc.
The Health & Safety at Work Etc. Act 1974 also says that the policy must be regularly reviewed and revised, and must be brought to the attention of all employees.
Whatever your current position Effective Safety can help. If you have no current policy at all, we can work with you to develop a brand new policy or perhaps you already have a policy, but feel it is a little outdated and not quite to your needs. Rather than reinvent the wheel, we can review and update the policy – trimming any sections not relevant and adding any required sections.
The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HSWA) section 2(3) requires that anyone employing five or more persons must:
- Prepare a written statement of policy
- Set out organisation and arrangement for implementing policy
- Revise and update as necessary
- Bring the policy and arrangements to the notice of all employees