Appendix - Health and Safety Obligations

1. Introduction

To ensure compliance with its duties under health and safety law, we have devised the following organisational structure.

2.The Board

2.1 Appointed members of the Board should:

  • Understand upon whom as an employer the responsibility for compliance with health and safety law falls within their undertaking

  • Understand who within their undertaking is tasked with handling health and safety matters.

  • Be aware of the existing health and safety policy, practices and procedures that apply to their undertaking.

  • Ensure appropriate levels of health and safety management exist in the organisation.

  • Inquire of the Chief Executive (CE) and Executive Management Team (EMT) and the Health and Safety Steering Group (HSSG) regularly as to whether or not health and safety policy, practices and procedures are in place and working satisfactorily.

  • Where they are not working satisfactorily, ensure they address their concerns to the CE and EMT and the HSSG and require appropriate action.

  • Seek and gain assurances that the process is working effectively within their undertaking and is legally compliant. 

2.2 The Board requires that the HSSG monitors the management of health and safety and reports to the Board.

2.3 The Board requires that engaging our workforce via the relevant Committees in the promotion and achievement of safe and healthy conditions is considered to be a priority.

3. The Health and Safety Steering Group

3.1 The HSSG will be the body primarily tasked with developing the health and safety practices and procedures required for putting this Policy into place, and to advise on revisions to the Policy as they are required.

3.2 The HSSG will be chaired by the Assistant Director (Corporate) and will meet at least quarterly. 

3.3 Membership of the HSSG will include a Head of Service or Assistant Director from each Directorate, and the Board lead for Health and Safety.

3.4 Our Health, Safety and Compliance Manager shall provide substantive advice as an advisor to the HSSG on all respects of health and safety practice and procedure.

3.5 Our Health, Safety and Compliance Manager should be sufficiently competent in health and safety matters in order to carry out this role. The advice of our Compliance Manager shall be the basis of the HSSG’s proposals to the CE, the EMT and the Board.   

3.6 The Chair of the HSSG will report the proceedings of the Group directly to the CE and EMT following each meeting and the board will be provided with the draft minutes of each HSSG meetings together with a key issue summary. Members of the HSSG, both individually and collectively, therefore have responsibility for:

  • Providing practical advice and guidance to the CE, EMT and Board in the preparation and design of our health and safety policy

  • Providing practical advice and guidance to the CE, EMT and Board in the implementation of the our health and safety policy via the preparation and design of specific health and safety practices and procedures.

  • Providing policy documents, practices and procedures which the Board, the CE and EMT can consider and, if acceptable, approve and which would then be implemented across the whole organisation.

  • Continually reviewing the health and safety policy, practices and procedures to ensure that we comply with its legal requirements, guidance and best practice on an ongoing basis.

  • Reporting on health and safety progress and areas of non-compliance across the entire organisation to the CE and EMT (and the Board if appropriate).

  • Auditing and inspecting all departments within the organisation to ensure continual improvement with regard to health and safety compliance.

  • Review statistical reports (accidents, fire, property damage etc.) from the Assistant Director and Heads of Services and making recommendations where appropriate. (This includes ensuring that our departmental accident data and relevant details are recorded and provided by Directors and their respective management teams. Ensuring that the information is provided in appropriate form to the EMT, to enable safety performance to be measured and monitored and that relevant practical KHSPIs are in place).

  • Being a source of help, support and training for managers and employees.

  • In conjunction with the Supervisory Managers, ensuring that appropriate health and safety training programmes are provided to all managers and staff for which they are responsible.

  • In conjunction with the Supervisory Managers, ensuring that induction programmes include appropriate training on health and safety for all new employees and temporary/agency employees.

  • Maintaining liaison with the Health and Safety Executive, Environmental Health Officers and other enforcers/organisations and persons possessing specialised knowledge as required and ensuring that good practice is disseminated.

  • Setting a good personal example at all times.

4. Chief Executive

4.1 The CE has overall responsibility for the effective planning and implementation of the health and safety policy and ensuring that adequate resources are made available to achieve them.

4.2       The CE should:

  • Understand upon whom as an employer the responsibility for compliance with health and safety law falls within their undertaking.

  • Know who within their undertaking is tasked with handling health and safety matters.

  • Be aware of the existing health and safety policy, practice and procedures that apply to their undertaking.

4.3 Along with the HSSG, the Chief Executive will:

  • Ensure that the health and safety policy is implemented throughout the organisation.

  • Ensure that the practices and procedures are implemented throughout by ensuring that the appropriate officers put into place the appropriate practices and procedures described in this Policy.

  • Ensure in conjunction with the EMT that our Policy, practices and procedures are regularly reviewed and developed where appropriate.

  • In conjunction with the EMT ensure adequate resources are available for the implementation of health and safety measures

  • Ensure that the health and safety management system is kept up to date and effective.

  • Ensure in conjunction with the EMT that the HSSG is undertaking its work effectively and require its improvement if it is not.

  • Ensure that, following information and guidance received from the HSSG or elsewhere, adequate provision is made for the planning, organising, monitoring and reviewing of health and safety.

  • Ensure that the on-site utilisation of relevant committees to discuss safety

  • related details, information and guidance is promoted and implemented.

4.1 The CE will also ensure as far as practical and in accordance with good corporate governance procedures, that our yearly report contains a statement on the risk mitigation programmes instituted including relevant details of any losses sustained due to any incident related to this policy.

5. Executive Management Team

5.1      The EMT:

  • Is responsible for supporting, driving and ensuring the implementation of this Policy and health and safety practices and procedures within their areas of responsibility.

  • Shall in conjunction with the CE ensure adequate resources are available for the implementation of health and safety measures.

  • Shall in conjunction with the CE take part in discussions and the decision making process on the management of health and safety, including setting the strategic direction of policy.

  • Shall in conjunction with the CE ensure that the HSSG is undertaking its work effectively and require its improvement if it is not.

  • Shall ensure systematic reporting on ongoing health and safety compliance and any perceived new risks or failures of existing controls.

6. Supervisory Management

6.1 Every person recognised as being in a supervisory position:

  • Should understand upon whom as an employer the responsibility for compliance with health and safety law falls within their undertaking.

  • Should be aware of the health and safety policy, practice and procedures that apply to the areas of our undertaking for which they are responsible.

  • Should take all necessary steps to implement that policy, practice and procedure in the areas of our undertaking for which they are responsible.

  • Should monitor the policy, practice and procedures to ensure they are effective in the areas of our undertaking for which they are responsible.

  • Should ensure adequate resources are available for the implementation of health and safety measures.

  • Should ensure that employees or their representatives are involved in decisions that affect their health and safety.

  • Should report systematically any perceived new risks or failures of existing controls to ensure, where necessary, that a full investigation is carried out and appropriate remedial action taken.

7. The Managers

7.1 Managers are responsible for:

  • Implementing the health and safety policy, practices and procedures in their areas of responsibility.

  • Should report systematically on ongoing health and safety compliance and any perceived new risks or failures of existing controls to their respective Assistant Director.

  • Managers should be aware of their own accountability for individual health and safety risks.

8. Individual Responsibilities

8.1 All employees must:

  • Co-operate in implementing the requirements of this Policy and all health and safety practices and procedures.

  • Refrain from doing anything, which constitutes a danger to themselves or others.

  • Immediately bring to the attention of their line management any situations or practises that are noted which might lead to injuries or ill health.

  • Ensure that any equipment issued to them or for which they are responsible, is correctly used and properly stored.

  • Be responsible for good housekeeping in the area in which they are working.

9. Contractors

9.1 We understand that it can be liable for a breach of health and safety law resulting from acts or omissions by one of its Contractors.

9.2 Therefore, we require that all Contractors working in our premises or sites for and/or on behalf of us comply with all relevant health and safety law.

9.3 Whilst Contractors are legally responsible for their own workforce and for ensuring that their work is carried out in a safe manner and without risk to our employees and others who may be affected, we will ensure that it provides all relevant health and safety information available to us to the Contractors.

9.4 We will ensure that the ability of the Contractor to comply with its health and safety obligations will be at the forefront of procuring any work for that contract.

10. Communication

10.1 The HSSG will nominate an appropriate person with specific responsibility for health and safety on each of our sites or work premises. Details of the nominated person will be prominently displayed/notified to employees or alternatively, and if applicable, entered into any premises Safety Procedures Manual.

11. Internal Operatives Teams

11.1 We recognise and accept our responsibility as a good employer for ensuring the health, safety and welfare at work of all employees and to ensure that the health and safety of tenants, visitors to our premises, contractors and that the general public are not affected as a result of operative activities.

11.2 The operative teams therefore need to report to the relevant competent person what works they have done so the competent person can ascertain whether or not a new risk assessment should be undertaken due to a material change in the risk profile. However, we believe that such reporting only needs to be done where the works are substantial enough to warrant consideration as a material change.  

12. Arrangements - Consultation, Training and Advice

12.1 We are committed to actively involving employees in the maintenance and discussion of health and safety standards, and to provide them with adequate information, instruction and training. 

12.2 Training needs of employees will be periodically reviewed to ensure appropriate skills and knowledge of individuals is consistent with personal development within our and the commercial benefit of the organisation.

12.3 All employees must ensure they perform tasks requiring training only if they have been adequately trained and have received all relevant information to perform such task in a manner that will not create injury to themselves or others who may be affected by their activity.

13. Accident Reporting

13.1 We will comply with its requirements under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 (as amended).

13.2 Employees must report accidents to their managers.

13.3 Managers must report accidents to their supervisory managers.

13.4 Supervisory managers must report accidents to the Health, Safety and Compliance Manager and if required the EMT and HSSG.

13.5 The EMT, in conjunction with the CE and the Board, are to take appropriate action in respect of avoiding in future such accidents having considered the advice of the Health, Safety and Facilities Manager and the HSSG.

14. Competent Advice and Support

14.1 The EMT are committed to ensure adequate and competent advice on health and safety matters is readily available to all employees and have therefore appointed suitable and nationally recognised (by qualification) employees to perform that task