HEALTH & SAFETY POLICY

 

General

 

Up ‘N’ At’Em Cleaning Co Ltd recognises its responsibilities to ensure, as far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of its employees.  The company attaches the greatest importance to health & safety considering it to be a management responsibility ranking equally with other management functions within the organisation.

 

Policy

 

It is the policy of the company to do all that is reasonable to prevent personal injury and damage to property and to protect everyone, including the general public in so far as they may come into contact with the company or its products, from foreseeable work hazards.

 

Company’s responsibility

 

The company will take action to:

• Provide adequate control of the health and safety risks arising from our work activities

• Consult with our employees and seek their co-operation on matters affecting their health & safety

• Provide safe plant and equipment

• Ensure safe handling and use of substances

• Provide information, instruction and supervision for employees

• Ensure all employees are competent to do their tasks and to give them adequate training

• Prevent accidents and cases of work-related ill health, so far as is reasonably practicable

• Maintain safe and healthy working conditions

• Review and revise this policy as necessary at regular intervals

Employee’s responsibility

 

All employees, regardless of position in the company, have a responsibility to co-operate with the company by:

• Working safely and efficiently – this includes work carried out on company premises/venues and client’s premises

• Take responsible care for the health and safety of themselves or other persons

• Reporting incidents that have led, or may lead to injury or damage

• Reporting equipment faults without delay to ensure that faulty equipment is taken out of service and faults rectified

• Adhering to company procedures and practises with regard to health & safety

• Assisting in the investigation of accidents with the object of introducing measures to prevent a re-occurrence

• Undertaking such training as may be required to comply with safety regulations

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It should be noted that disciplinary action may be taken against employees who persistently and deliberately flout the requirements placed upon them by statutory provisions and company safety regulations.

 

Conclusion

 

This is a general statement of company policy relative to the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974. As part of the company’s commitment to health and safe work practices, this policy will be regularly reviewed and updated as changes of work practices occur.

           

          

Mr Darren Bonner

Managing Director

 

 

Date: 01/01/2020

 

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Organisation and Responsibilities

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Darren Bonner - Managing Director has overall responsibility for health and safety in the Company, and will:

 

• Ensure suitable financial provision is made for health & safety obligations;

• Provide a safe working environment for employers and others who may be affected by the work activities;

• Ensure that the health and safety policy is effectively implemented throughout the company;

• Provide appropriate training, information, supervision and instruction to employees

• Ensure work is planned to take into account health & safety issues

• Provide adequate welfare facilities for their employees in accordance to the Workplace, (Health, Safety and Welfare) regulations 1992

 

All employees shall at all times take reasonable care of themselves and have due regard for the health and safety of others who may affect by their work activities.

 

 

 

Responsibilities for Organisation

 

Job title: Managing Director                     Name: Darren Bonner

 

Responsibilities: - To prevent accidents and cases of work-related ill health and provide adequate control of health and safety risks arising from work activities

 

Job title: Managing Director                     Name: Darren Bonner

 

Responsibilities: - To provide adequate training to ensure employees are competent to do their work

 

Job title: Managing Director                     Name: Darren Bonner

 

Responsibilities: - To engage and consult with employees on day-to-day health and safety conditions and provide advice and supervision on occupational health

 

Job title: Managing Director                     Name: Darren Bonner

 

Responsibilities: - To implement emergency procedures – evacuation in the case of fire or other significant incident.

 

Job title: Managing Director                     Name: Darren Bonner

 

Responsibilities: - To maintain safe and healthy working conditions, provide and maintain plant, equipment and machinery, and ensure safe storage / use of substances

 

 

 

Action / Arrangements

 

 

Health and safety is considered in all aspects of our work.  The following, outlines the principal ways in which we implement health and safety:

 

Communication

 

The contents of this policy are brought to the attention of all employees.  Employees are directly consulted on any matters that may affect their health and safety.

 

Training

 

Training needs will be identified, and employees will be given training appropriate to their responsibilities.  Training is specifically provided for work with hazardous substances, use of equipment, use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and manual handling.

Additional training required because of new work activities and the use of new equipment or substances will be provided when needed.  Training achievement of all employees will be recorded on employee training cards.

 

Risk Assessments

 

Risk assessments are a legal duty under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999.  Regulation 3 States: -

 

1. Every employer shall make suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks to health and safety of his employees to which they are exposed whilst they are at work;

2. Every employer shall make suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks to health and safety of persons not in his employment arising out of, or in connection with the conduct by him of his undertaking.

 

The objective is to examine all work areas and procedures to assess or determine if a risk or potential risk exist, categorise the severity of the risk with a view to elimination, substitution, reduction or control of the risk to help create a safe working environment.

 

Darren Bonner ensures operators are provided with appropriate instruction and training on risk assessments.

Assessments are reviewed annually or when the work activity changes, whichever comes first.

 

Emergencies

 

Employees always familiarise themselves with client procedures and fire exits when first attending other sites and co-operates and participate in any drills.

 

 

 

 

Equipment

 

All equipment is subject to routine maintenance, taking into account various factors, including:

 

• Statutory testing

• Type of equipment

• Amount of use

• Consequences of failure

 

Personal Protective Equipment

 

The Personal Protective Equipment Regulations 1992 requires employers to supply suitable and sufficient PPE to their employees wherever there are risks to health and safety that cannot be adequately controlled in other ways.  PPE is provided as appropriate for the work activities.  It should always be considered as the last resort and used only where other precautions cannot adequately reduce the risk of injury.  Every employee has a duty to use the PPE provided and to report any loss of or obvious defect in the equipment.

 

Hazardous substances

 

The law requires employers to control exposure to hazardous substances to prevent ill health.  They have to protect both employees and others who may be exposed by complying with the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH).

The risks associated with hazardous substances are considered for all work activities by obtaining information from the relevant Safety Data sheets where possible.  Alternative, less harmful substances are used if available.  In case of risks to health, PPE is provided and used by employees.  Unidentified potential hazardous substances, such as asbestos, encountered during the course of a work activity are referred to the client and/or advice taken from the H&S adviser, as appropriate.

 

Any substances hazardous to health that are encountered by employees e.g. cleaning agents such as bleach are assessed using appropriate COSHH assessment forms.

 

First aid & accident reporting

 

A basic first aid kit containing recommended minimum materials is kept on the premises.  An appointed person is selected from within the office to maintain the contents of the first aid kit and to phone for emergency assistance if required.

 

All accidents are reported to the office and those defined in the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 (RIDDOR) are reported to the appropriate enforcing authority via HSE’s website: http://www.hse.gov.uk/riddor/report.htm .  A telephone services remains for reporting fatal and major injuries only – call the Incident Contact Centre on 0845 300 9923 (Opening hours Monday to Friday 8.30am to 5pm).

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Manual handling

 

The Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 state:

 

1. Each employer shall –

1. So far as is reasonably practicable, avoid the need for his employees to undertake any manual handling operations at work which involve a risk to their being injured.

Each employer shall:

1. Where it is not reasonably practicable to avoid the need for his employees to undertake any manual handling operations at work which involve a risk of their being injured:

1. Make a suitable and sufficient assessment of all such manual handling operations to be undertaken by them.

2. Take appropriate steps to reduce the risk of injury to those employees arising out of their undertaking any such manual handling operations to the lowest level reasonably practicable.

3. Take appropriate steps to provide any of those employees who are undertaking any such manual handling operations with general indications and, where it is reasonably practicable to do so, precise information: (a) the weight of each load; and (b) the heaviest side of any load whose centre of gravity is not positioned centrally.

 

If employees are required to use any manual handling equipment they should , as a minimum, be shown how to use it safely and warned of any dangers.  If the equipment is complex or the risks are higher, then such information should also be conveyed in writing.  This could be done, for example, by providing staff with a copy of the suppliers’ operating instructions.

 

The main aim of the Manual Handling Operations Regulations is to avoid injury to employees, this can be achieved by avoiding moving loads altogether, but in most circumstances this will be impracticable.  The second stage in the hierarchy of control is to try and automate or mechanise the manual handling operations i.e. by using forklift trucks, conveyor belts etc.  Lastly if this is not possible the employer will be required to carry out a manual handling assessment, this may be a simple assessment or it may require a more detailed assessment.

 

A detailed assessment needs to take into account of:

 

1. The Task

Is there twisting, stretching, stooping etc involved

 

1. The individuals capability

Does it require unusual height, strength, training etc?

 

1. The Load

Is the load, hot, heavy, sharp, difficult to grasp etc?

 

1. The Environment

Are there slippery floors, stairs, confined spaces etc?

Our employees are advised not to manually handle loads, which they feel incapable of moving safely.

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Fire safety

 

Exposure to fire can result in burns and inhalation of smoke, either of which can be sufficiently serious to be fatal.  Fires can cause massive destruction to the building structure, services, equipment, goods in storage, also information and records can be destroyed or damaged.  We are legally obliged to safeguard our employees against exposure to the hazards associated with fire.

 

For these reasons, we undertake to put in place arrangements for the assessment of risks from fire and appropriate control measures to minimise the risk identified.  These measures will include the following arrangements, procedures and controls:

 

• Inspection of the structure of the premises for fire safety annually

• Fire detection equipment to be installed and inspected regularly

• Any fire alarms will be regularly tested

• Fire suppression apparatus will be inspected regularly

• Emergency lighting will be provided as appropriate

• Fire extinguishers will be placed at clearly labelled fire points

• Emergency exit routes and sings to be kept clear at all times

• We will train staff in the use of extinguishers, procedures for fire drills and evacuation

• Records of training, induction, drills, alarm tests, fire certification to be kept on the premises and up to date in the fire log book.

• Supervision and monitoring of visitors, including contractors will be carried out by Darren Bonner

 

These arrangements will be reviewed at least annually and on any significant change in the business or the premises.

 

Employees are reminded that they have a legal obligation under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 to inform their manager of situations where they see serious and imminent danger to health and safety, OR any matters where they see a shortcoming in our arrangements for health and safety protection.

 

Sub-contractors

 

Sub-contractors are taken through a selection process which includes the assessment of their health and safety policy, procedures and risk assessments.  They are given a copy of the client’s rules and emergency procedures.  Sub-contractors are continuously monitored throughout the term of contract.

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Public safety

 

Members of the public who may visit our site are informed of any specific hazards that may exist on the premises and adequately supervised whilst they are on the premises Procedures for evacuation in the event of a fire are also made know as well as the exits pointed out.

 

Mr Darren Bonner

Managing Director

 

 

Date: 01/01/2020