Is it needed?

If any company employs five or more members of staff then a health and safety policy is a legal requirement. The health and safety policy of a company should also contain three main areas:

The Health and Safety Policy Statement

This is where the company would outline its intents with regard to its management of Health and Safety in the workplace. It’s usually quite a brief document of a page or so and points to the company targets and goals and the details that are contained in the main body of the Health and Safety Policy document. It’s also a requirement to have this document prominently displayed in the workplace

Organisational Responsibilities

This second area relates to how the company will organise itself to manage its Health and Safety profile and who is responsible for ensuring that the policy will be undertaken in your company. In other words it outlines the managerial and employees duties in ensuring the policy is managed.

Arrangements for Implementation

The third area is where the company outlines what measures it will take to achieve their aims. Its a business specific document and would include any and all Health and Safety issues, hazards or higher risk areas that there might be in the company

Why Bother

Well as stated previously it’s a legal requirement for the vast majority of businesses in the country, and, as stated in the Health and Safety at Work Act your Health and Safety Policy must be frequently reviewed and assessed and all employees must be informed as to any changes that are made. The truth of the matter though is that it goes a lot further than that. In today’s world your health and safety policy documentation is the document that has the ability to set your company out from the crowd and to let the world know the importance that is put on the management of safety in your company. It’s also the document that we see as being asked for by companies’ prospective clients so that they can make an evaluation of how you manage safety. Its also seen as a requirement for all who might be looking to gain accreditation to one of the Safety Schemes in Procurement (SSIP) So if you employ just one person or if you’re a multinational, the Health and Safety Policy documentation is the starting point for all.

How We Can Help

At A&S Safety we can help in devising new health and safety policies for your company, or renew an existing one. Our health and safety policy statement provides you with easy-to-read, concise documents that cut through the red tape. With our professional experience and expertise, we can identify the specific health and safety procedures your company requires to adhere to each section of the policy. To find out more information about our services, or to arrange a free consultation with one of health and safety professionals, please get in touch.