Health & Safety

If you employ five or more people, you must have a written health and safety policy. Make sure all your employees are aware of it. Even if you have fewer than five employees, you may want to have some written documents.

 The policy should at least contain your general approach to health and safety.

The safety policy should include how you organise for health and safety:

• Appoint ‘competent persons’ to assist with the organisation of health and safety matters.
• You may need to use an outside consultancy such as Corporate and Public Safety Ltd for help.
• The core business of Corporate & Public Safety Ltd is to provide ‘Competent Person’ for organisations that require health and safety support under the Management Regulations. This can be for short periods during transition and change within organisations, following sudden departure of competent staff or on a longer term basis. Your company will have access to email and telephone contact in accordance with written terms and conditions agreed between us.
• The directors of your company still retain ultimate responsibility. They could face civil or criminal legal proceedings if health and safety failures lead to an accident.
• See http://www.hse.gov.uk/business/competent-advice.htm

The policy should also include or refer to the specific procedures you have for managing health and safety.
For example:

• Your evacuation procedure in the event of a fire.
• The arrangements for staff safety and welfare.