Health and Safety Policies

Why Have a Health and Safety Policy?

Every firm employing five or more people are required by law to have a written policy and make the policy known to their employees.

Your Health and Safety Policy should influence all your activities, including the selection of people, equipment and materials, the way work is carried out and how you design and provide goods and services. A written statement of your policy, and the organisation and arrangements for implementing and monitoring it, shows your employees that you care for their health and safety, and that hazards have been identified and risks assessed, eliminated or controlled.

In most organisations working conditions are continually changing - new hazards arise; control measures alter. Employers are therefore required to keep their policy up to date. Revisions will be necessary, if for example, the written policy sets out the procedures for fire drills and those procedures are changed, or if the policy names particular individuals as being responsible for certain aspects of health and safety and there are subsequent changes in personnel. All revisions in the policy must also be brought to the notice of employees.

Derwent Safety Centre has considerable experience in the preparation of bespoke health and safety policies. We can review your existing policy and make recommendations; to ensure that it reflect current legislation, good practice and your current organisation to manage health and safety matters.