How do you ensure others complete records and reports to comply with health, safety and risk management requirements?
The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 is the main piece of the health and safety legislation in Great Britain. It provides the legal framework to promote and encourage high standards in the workplace.
The Act, when first introduced, provided an integrated system dealing with workplace health and safety and the protection of the public from work activities. By placing duties upon employees, employers, the self-employed, manufacturers, designers and importers of work equipment and materials, the protection of the law, rights and responsibilities are available and given to all at work. An employer has a general duty to, as far as is reasonably practicable, safeguard the health, safety and welfare of employees by ensuring that plant and equipment are safe; safe handling, storage, maintenance and transport of articles and substances; provision for employees of information, instruction, training and supervision; a safe working environment and adequate welfare facilities; safe access and a safe system of work.
In explaining the legislative framework for health and safety, My company has its own, clearly written policies and procedures, which are stored within the The policies and procedures folder in order to meet requirements by being evaluated on an ongoing basis, with updates as and when required.
The policies contain information for employees in relation to health and safety practice within the work setting and also risk assessment and management procedures.
Information being implemented and explained to all employees with clear procedures in place to follow and adhere to. We have a designated individual within the workplace, who is responsible for ensuring that any updates to health and safety requirements or risk management is implemented without delay and this is then communicated across the entire staff team during staff meetings, daily handovers and formal supervision. We a also have a maintenance team who are responsible for attending to any health and safety issues and we have a clear system in place for reporting any areas of concern.
Demonstrate compliance with health, safety and risk management
procedures.
The law states that you have a legal duty to put in place suitable arrangements to manage for health and safety. The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 require employers to put in place arrangements to control health and safety risks. As a minimum, you should have the processes and procedures required to meet the legal requirements, including: A written health and safety policy (if you employ five or more people): Assessments of the risks to employees, contractors, customers, partners, and any other people who could be affected by your activities – and record the significant findings in writing (if you employ five or more people).
Any risk assessment must be suitable and sufficient: Arrangements for the effective planning, organisation, control, monitoring and review of the preventive and protective measures that come from risk assessment: Access to competent health and safety advice, providing employees with information about the risks in your workplace and how they are protected through the instruction and training for employees in how to deal with the risks, ensuring there is adequate and appropriate supervision in place.
The Health and Safety Executive is responsible for making adequate arrangements for the enforcement of health and safety legislation in the UK. In fulfilment of its duty, the Executive provides guidance to its regulatory staff. who have to judge whether measures put in place, or proposed, by those who are under a duty to control and reduce risks “as low as reasonably practicable” are acceptable.
Support others to comply with legislative and organisational health, safety and risk management policies, procedures and practices relevant to their work.
As mentioned above, we have our own, clearly written policies and procedures, which are stored in
the main staff office and online and are available to all employees. Compliance is demonstrated by adhering
to the policies in place and ensuring they are updated as and when required. All health and safety risk assessments are reviewed on an annual basis, or before if required, and regular communication with the staff team and maintenance team takes place, to ensure that procedures are being followed correctly.
Information is shared across the whole company, which in turn supports others to comply with legislative
As mentioned above, we have our own, clearly written policies and procedures, which are stored in
and organisational health, safety and risk management policies, procedures and practices relevant to their
work.
If there is ever any doubt that health and safety/risk management procedures and practices are not
being adhered to, then immediate action is required. Within my workplace we have a responsible individual
who ensures that risk assessments are up to date and factual, however, the staff and management team as a whole have an overall responsibility for reporting any areas or issues, which may jeopardise the safety and
well being of individuals. This takes the format of a weekly audit, every Monday morning morning to identify any issues.
The usual course of action taken when a health and safety issue is highlighted is to
contact the company maintenance team who will address any issues without delay and ensure that
necessary steps are taken to amend the problem. There are however at times, instances whereby a staff
member may not be following basic procedures or may be taking unnecessary risks in relation to health and
safety issues: This again is dealt with swiftly and without delay. usually through formal supervision or
immediate action by the management team.
At times, simple refresher training is all that is required to
ensure that a repeat of the same action does not occur again. If non-compliance is down to a service user
then advice and support is offered and clear expectations and guidelines are explained, to prevent further
occurrences and information is logged and recorded and shared with any necessary third parties
Complete records and reports on health, safety and risk management
issues according to legislative and organisational requirements
To ensure we complete records and reports on health, safety and risk management issues
according to legislative and organisational requirements, the following systems are in place
1. Safety Policy Statement A written policy statement is prepared, covering the e mployer’s
organisation and arrangements in force for ensuring health and safety. It is brought to the attention of all employees.
2. Competent Persons An adequate number of competent persons are appointed, with sufficient
time and resources at their disposal, to assist the employer to comply with their legal duties and to
implement emergency arrangements. Competent health and safety advisers are either employees
with appropriate training and qualifications or professionally qualified consultants.
3. Risk Assessment Suitable risk assessments are carried out by the employer. The purpose is to
identify hazards, assess the probability that harm may arise from them and evaluate the effectiveness of control measures.
4. Tackling Risks at Source The workplace is made safe without risks to health. So far as is reasonably
practicable, accidents and work related health damage are prevented by tackling risks at source.
5. Information, Instruction, Training and Supervision Employees are given comprehensible
information, instruction, training and supervision necessary to ensure their health and safety and that of others.
6. We ensure that we display the health and safety law poster, or provide each worker with a copy of the equivalent pocket card. 7.Cooperation and Co- ordination Our
8. Hazardous Agents – Exposure to hazardous agents such as dust, fumes, noise, vibration, radiation or
9. Arrangements are made for any necessary health surveillance of employees and appropriate records
10. Work Equipment – All work equipment meets essential safety requirements and safe systems of
harmful micro-organisms are eliminated or adequately controlled are kept
work are established. Risks from work with Display Screen Equipment are assessed and controlled.
11. Personal Protective Equipment – Where risks cannot be controlled at source appropriate personal
protective clothing and equipment is provided free of charge
Risk management needs to be carefully considered in order to apply a balanced approach. Young people have many requests and their views and opinions on risk taking can vary considerably, with some believing that certain behaviours are not risky or dangerous. It is down to myself as a manager in the workplace, to ensure that my staff team apply a balanced approach to managing risk and that young people are adequately consulted in the process.
Young people’s rights are to be promoted at all times, however there are occasions when requests made are inappropriate and the risks out way the safety and welfare of the individual. An example of this is a young person requesting to smoke, which is damaging to health.
Although the views of the child are considered, it may be necessary to explain the dangers of smoking and
attempt to get some help and advice from a specialist service in order to assist in dealing with the situation.
solution may be that the young person refuses to stop smoking, but there is a plan in place which only permits the young person to smoke an allocated number of cigarettes and it is fully explained that staff members will not provide or purchase cigarettes for the young person. The risk is still present, however steps and precautions are taken to help manage and minimise any further risks, whilst also considering the rights and views of the young person.
Work with individuals and others to develop a balanced approach to risk management that takes into account the benefits for individuals of risk taking.
Risk management needs to be managed carefully and appropriately. There are at times, calculated risks, which must be taken in order to allow for the natural development of service users. This may be encouraging a young person to use electrical appliances, or use public transport for example. Young people Helping others to understand the balance between risk and rights greatly improves practice, as it shows that you are not just making decisions, but you are consulting people about why a certain decision may have to have been made and explaining the reasons for this.
Direct work with young people or formal supervision with staff members, creates a forum for discussion and allows for reasoning, explanations and understanding to take place. Once somebody understands the reason why a decision may have to have been made, they then begin to understand that it is for the benefit of themselves and in the best interests of all concerned. This in turn greatly improves practice as it creates a more open environment for future discussion to take place and compromisation to be achieved.
Obtain feedback on health, safety and risk management policies, procedures an practices from individuals and others.
As a service, we constantly updated and evaluate our health, safety and risk management policies,
procedures and practices from individuals and others. We do this by requesting periodic feedback from our
service users and partner agencies. Consultation is key to formulating ongoing good practice and we find our periodic surveys provide us with valuable information, which we then implement at the workplace. The views and opinions of others are crucial to the service we provide. Young people are directly consulted in relation to their risk assessments and are involved in the development of these. Social workers and parents are also asked to read and sign the documents and provide any feedback they desire, which will then be acted upon by the home.
An example was the decision to cut the Willer tress from the grounds of the back garden that where preventing sunlight from coming into the premises, following consultation with our neighbours. The tree was causing concerns for the neighbours and after speaking to the senior management team and maintenance team, a decision was made to remove it.
A recommendation I have, which is to ensure safety and protection in the workplace is to keep lock, the downstairs toilet doors during at all times with access using a key. The reason for this recommendation is to prevent the young people from accessing the electrical and Gas controls. I have discussed this issue with my manager, maintenance team and the designated health and safety officer and we have now installed a door lock and staff now has a key to accessing the toilet.
