Doc006 - Health and Safety

contents

• This document defines the health and safety policy and procedures and environment policy of GKL
• introduction
• Health and Safety Policy Statement
• responsibilities
• the Director
• Task Leaders
• Safety Adviser
• all staff
• safety organisation
• general safety arrangements
• training
• risk assessments
• COSHH assessments
• VDUs
• updating responsibilities
• internal audit of H&S arrangements
• COSHH Assessment
• Instructions for COSHH Assessment
• First Aid Arrangements
• policy
• trained First-Aiders
• welfare of casualties
• First Aid kits
• Accident Reporting
• RIDDOR
• accident reports
• Fire Precautions
• Environment Protection
• environment protection policy
• waste disposal
• audit of arrangements for environment protection
• references

• document control
• document change history
• document properties

introduction

The GKL Health and Safety Policy defines policy, organisation, responsibilities and arrangements for health and safety throughout the company.

The Environment Policy is important to ensure that the work we do causes minimal damage to our environment.

Health and Safety Policy

The Director is committed to ensuring, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of GKL employees. It is GKL policy that all Task Leaders take responsibility for the safety of all staff working on their Tasks, and of any other person who may be affected by the actions of their staff. A Health and Safety risk assessment is a part of the planning for a contract and a Task.

All staff are to be trained and made aware of their responsibilities for their own and other people's safety.

Where GKL staff are required to occupy the facilities of other companies or organisations, GKL staff will co-operate to ensure the health, safety, and welfare of all.

The Director

The Director has ultimate responsibility for the health and safety of all GKL staff, and for defining the GKL Health and Safety Policy.

There is guidance provided by the HSE for directors:

• "5 steps to information, instruction, and training"
• First Aid at Work
• Consulting Employees on Health and Safety

Task Leaders

Task Leaders are accountable to the Director for:

1. full and effective implementation of the Health and Safety Policy;
2. ensuring compliance with all statutory regulations (Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and associated Codes of Practice);
3. ensuring the workplace is environmentally safe (Environmental Protection Act 1990) ;
4. defining safe working practices and ensuring compliance;
5. where necessary, ensuring risk assessments are conducted and safe systems of work are developed and implemented;
6. ensuring that staff are trained and motivated in safety matters;
7. investigating and reporting accident and dangerous occurrences (RIDDOR Regulations 1985).

These regulations will be met by following the defined GKL procedures.

Safety Adviser

The Safety Advisor is accountable to the Director for:

• advising the Task Leaders on all safety related matters;
• conducting safety audits as necessary in all places where GKL staff are employed;
• ensuring all accidents and dangerous occurrences are reported as required by the RIDDOR Regulations 1985;
• investigating any dangerous occurrence or accident as directed by the Director.

all staff

All staff are responsible for:

• their own safety and that of their fellow workers who might be affected by their actions;
• complying with safety instructions and procedures;
• using safety and protective equipment and clothing where necessary;
• reporting any dangerous or potentially dangerous situation to their Task Leader.

safety organisation

The Director is responsible for ensuring that the health and safety policy is complied with throughout GKL. The Safety Adviser advises the Director, Task Leaders, and staff on health and safety matters.

Safety audits will be conducted by the Safety Adviser or other competent person as required by the Director.

general safety arrangements

The arrangements for health and safety are defined in various instructions and publications. The following is a guide to health and safety requirements but is not exhaustive. Each Task Leader is responsible for complying with the spirit of this procedure and all relevant Health and Safety Regulations so far as is reasonably practicable.

training

The work instructions for a contract and its Tasks shall include any necessary information concerning health and safety that staff may need. Where necessary, the Task Leader shall ensure that all staff are made aware of such information and shall receive any necessary training.

Detail of all training given is to be recorded in s:\data\associates\.

risk assessments

Every contract will be assessed at start up for its potential to cause harm to staff or others. If there is a significant risk either to GKL staff or to anyone affected by their work, efforts must be made to eliminate or reduce the risk. The risk assessment shall be recorded. Guidance in the Essentials of Health and Safety at Work is to be followed when carrying out risk assessments. Risk assessments shall be reviewed at each Safety Audit.

COSHH assessments

Before any process is carried out in which potentially harmful substances are used, a COSHH assessment is to be conducted in accordance with the COSHH approved code of practice and recorded in accordance with the instructions below.

VDUs

The risks of work related upper limb disorder, eyestrain and stress from working with VDUs are an increasing problem. The procedure for safe use of VDUs is defined in the Display Screen Equipment Regulations 1992. Risk assessments of all work positions should be conducted by the Safety Adviser for all GKL employees and appropriate measures taken.

updating responsibilities

The Director is responsible for reviewing and updating this document. This will be done as part of the general review of the management system.

The internal audit of the arrangements for health and safety and for environmental protection are carried out as part of the general internal audit of the management system.

COSHH Assessment

instructions for COSHH Assessment

The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) assessment is to be carried out by a competent person and details recorded on the COSHH assessment form (Doc070). A new form is to be used for each process.

The assessment is to be carried out:

• on the first occasion that a process or substance is used;
• when any feature of a process or use of a substance significantly changes;
• at most every two years.

The assessment involves a review of a process to establish whether any harmful substances are produced or used. The assessment is to be carried out in accordance with the COSHH regulations utilising the HSE publication EH 40 to identify and record exposure limits and carcinogenic substances.

Where the competent person is unsure of the substances produced or their effects and control requirements, appropriate assistance is to be obtained to complete the assessment.

All harmful substances identified are to be assessed for their likelihood to cause harm and a Safety Data Sheet is to be made available in the location where the substance is used. If no Safety Data Sheet is available, the manufacturer should be asked to supply one.

The following information should, where relevant, be included on this form:

• exposure limit of substance
• whether the substance is a carcinogen.
• personal protection required e.g. gloves, goggles, breathing apparatus, local exhaust ventilation (LEVs).

Advice on COSHH Assessment may be obtained from the Safety Adviser.

During the Management Review, there is a review of whether any new COSHH-related risks have arisen which have escaped assessment.

First Aid arrangements

policy

Sufficient, appropriately trained first-aiders shall be appointed to provide adequate emergency medical cover for all work carried out on GKL’s premises. Work on other firm’s premises is assumed to be covered by the other firm’s arrangements.

At all times when work is taking place and there is no trained first-aider available, a responsible person shall be appointed to take charge of emergencies. Where practical, responsible persons should be trained to the standards recommended in the Health and Safety (First Aid at Work) Regulations.

trained First-Aiders

First-aiders are selected from volunteer staff and attend a four-day training course from an HSE approved organisation. The first aid qualification lasts for three years before the end of which time a two-day refresher course may be taken that renews the qualification. If the refresher course is not taken before three years expire, a full four-day course is taken to re-qualify.

Sufficient first-aiders should be appointed to give adequate emergency cover, allowing for the type of work or processes carried out, leave and sickness. As a rule of thumb, where there are fewer than ten people working in a relatively safe environment a trained first-aider is not required. For each additional 50 people a first-aider will be required. Backup first-aiders will be required to cover for sickness and leave.

First-aiders should ensure that in addition to the normal hazards, they are familiar with the emergency treatment associated with any particular risk or process in their area of responsibility.

welfare of casualties

When a person becomes a casualty and is taken to hospital, he or she may experience stress resulting from the injury. To alleviate this stress on the casualty, a member of the casualty's project will accompany the casualty to hospital.

First Aid kits

Adequately stocked first aid kits shall be sited in appropriate locations on GKL's premises and be regularly checked by the qualified first-aiders or Task Leaders.

First Aid Kits should contain as a minimum the items recommended in the Health and Safety (First Aid at Work) Regulations. A list of contents should be kept with the kit.

First Aid Kits shall be located in an accessible place and kept unlocked. The B1 510 accident book should, for convenience, be kept with the first aid kit. Notices should be displayed about the premises and adjacent to the kit advising staff of the kit’s location.

Accident Reporting

RIDDOR

All accidents and significant near misses are to be reported to the Safety Advisor using the F2508 form. Send the form to the Safety Adviser. These will be reported to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) Incident Contact Centre Web Site by the Safety Adviser as required.

Serious accidents and incidents are reported in accordance with the Reporting of Industrial Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (aka RIDDOR).

There is useful guidance on RIDDOR published by the HSE.

accident reports

All accidents however minor are to be reported to the Safety Adviser by e-mail. This record is the means by which an employee injured at work may prove that the injury was work related. If a minor injury subsequently become a serious problem it will be difficult for an employee to prove a work related origin without the accident book entry. The accident records are held in a log in s:\data\GKLrecords\accidents\ by the Safety Adviser.

Fire Precautions

Within the Greenway House premises:

• the fire emergency lighting is to be checked annually to ensure that the batteries and bulbs are working
• whilst the premises are occupied, the doors on all escape routes are to be kept unlocked.

The Director shall review the risks arising from each contract, and if any work is to be undertaken which could present an increased fire risk, the Safety Adviser shall be required to review these fire precautions.

environment protection policy

It is GKL policy to try to protect the environment from harm caused by the business and actions of the company.

GKL will comply with the spirit as well as the letter of environmental, health, and safety legislation and approved codes of practice, co-operating fully with relevant statutory and non-statutory bodies.

waste disposal

The disposal of waste may cause pollution.

Every contract at start up shall review its potential to create polluting waste, and shall define procedures to control polluting waste reflecting industry best practice.

Electronic equipment shall be disposed of at an appropriate waste disposal place.

Batteries shall not be disposed of but shall be stored in the box provided, until such time as there is a suitable place at which to dispose of batteries.

The internal audit of the arrangements for environmental protection are carried out as part of the general internal audit of the management system.

document control

approved by : Gordon Kirk (General Manager)

document control : document-by-document, soft-copy master

distribution list:

1. GKL master in s:/qman/gkl/
2. GKL-SS
3. GKL Web site

the following are uncontrolled copies

document change history

18 February 2002,, version 3

Links to F2508 added, together with other minor changes.

25 January 2002,, version 2

converted to html

7 January 2002,, version 1

initial version