Health Health and Safety Made Simple PDF
Health Health and Safety Made Simple PDF
Health Health and Safety Made Simple PDF
Health and safety made simple: The basics for your business
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Health and safety made simple: The basics for your business
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You can get more help and ideas on ways to control your risks by going to the risk management pages on our website (www.hse.gov.uk/risk). Few workplaces stay the same and sooner or later you will bring in new equipment, substances or procedures that could lead to new hazards. It makes sense to review your risk assessment on a regular basis. If anything significant changes, check your risk assessment and update it.
Stop check! Dont forget to consider everyone who could be harmed Some workers may have particular requirements, for example new and young workers, new or expectant mothers, and people with disabilities. You can get more help on our diversity pages (www.hse.gov.uk/diversity). Think about homeworkers, and people who might not be in the workplace all the time, such as visitors, contractors and maintenance workers. Take members of the public into account, if they could be hurt by your work activities. If you share a workplace with another business, you will need to consider how your work affects others and how their work affects you and your staff. Talk to each other and work together to make sure controls are in place. Specific risks For some risks there are particular control measures that are required by law. The HSE website homepage (www.hse.gov.uk) has information on topics and industries to help you decide what you need to do about many common types of risk. A few examples of activities that carry a recognised risk of harm are working at height, working with chemicals, machinery, gas, electricity and asbestos. Depending on the type of work you do, there may be other risks that are relevant to your business. If you carry out a high-risk activity, check whether you need to obtain a licence or notify someone before you start work. See our website for further information and all the necessary notification forms (https://www.hse.gov.uk/ forms/notification/).
Health and safety made simple: The basics for your business
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Your employees are often the best people to understand risks in the workplace and involving them in making decisions shows them that you take their health and safety seriously. In a very small business, you might choose to consult your employees directly. Alternatively, you might consult through a health and safety representative, chosen by your employees or selected by a trade union. As an employer, you cannot decide who will be the representative. See the do your bit pages on our website for more information on consulting with your employees (www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/doyourbit). These pages include: advice on what you should be doing; a step-by-step guide; case studies.
Health and safety made simple: The basics for your business
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Stop check! Some of your staff may have particular training needs, for example: new recruits; people changing jobs or taking on extra responsibilities; young employees, who are particularly vulnerable to accidents; health and safety representatives.
Our website provides more information on laws relating to the protection of young people at work (www.hse.gov.uk/youngpeople) and the functions and training of health and safety representatives (www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/ training.htm). Remember that staff will need extra training if you get new equipment or working practices change.
Welfare facilities
For your employees well-being you need to provide: toilets and hand basins, with soap and towels or a hand-dryer; drinking water; a place to store clothing (and somewhere to change if special clothing is worn for work); somewhere to rest and eat meals.
Health issues
To have a healthy working environment, make sure there is: good ventilation a supply of fresh, clean air drawn from outside or a ventilation system; a reasonable working temperature (usually at least 16 C, or 13 C for strenuous work, unless other laws require lower temperatures); lighting suitable for the work being carried out; enough room space and suitable workstations and seating; a clean workplace with appropriate waste containers.
Health and safety made simple: The basics for your business
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Safety issues
To keep your workplace safe you must: properly maintain your premises and work equipment; keep floors and traffic routes free from obstruction; have windows that can be opened and also cleaned safely; make sure that any transparent (eg glass) doors or walls are protected or made of safety material.
Stop check! There are specific laws relating to some higher-risk workplaces, such as construction sites. For more information, select your workplace from HSEs industries page (www.hse.gov.uk/guidance/industries.htm).
Health and safety made simple: The basics for your business
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Health and safety made simple: The basics for your business
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Health and safety made simple: The basics for your business
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Overall and final responsibility for health and safety is that of: Action/Arrangements (customise to meet your own situation)
Day-to-day responsibility for ensuring this policy is put into practice is delegated to: Responsibility of: Statement of general policy Name/Title To prevent accidents and cases of work-related ill health and provide adequate control of health and safety risks arising from work activities. To provide adequate training to ensure employees are competent to do their work. To engage and consult with employees on day-to-day health and safety conditions and provide advice and supervision on occupational health. To implement emergency procedures evacuation in case of fire or other significant incident. You can find help with your fire risk assessment at: www.communities.gov.uk/firesafety.
Health and safety made simple: The basics for your business
To maintain safe and healthy working conditions, provide and maintain plant, equipment and machinery, and ensure safe storage/use of substances.
First-aid box and accident book are located: Accidents and ill health at work reported under RIDDOR: (Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations) www.hse.gov.uk/riddor
Signed: (Employer)
Date: Every:
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Employers with more than five employees must have a written health and safety policy. To get an interactive version of this template go to www.hse.gov.uk/risk/risk-assessment-and-policy-template.doc
Risk assessment
All employers must conduct a risk assessment. Employers with five or more employees have to record the significant findings of their risk assessment.
Company name: What are you already doing? What further action is necessary? Action by who? Action by when? Done
Health and safety made simple: The basics for your business
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Further information
Please tell us what you think of this guide by emailing us at: healthandsafety.madesimple@hse.gsi.gov.uk For information about health and safety, or to report inconsistencies or inaccuracies in this guidance, visit www.hse.gov.uk/.You can view HSEguidance onlineand order priced publications fromthe website. HSE priced publications are also available from bookshops. This guidance is issued by the Health and Safety Executive. Following the guidance is not compulsory, unless specifically stated, and you are free to take other action. But if you do follow the guidance you will normally be doing enough to comply with the law. Health and safety inspectors seek to secure compliance with the law and may refer to this guidance. This leaflet is available at www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg449.htm. Crown copyright If you wish to reuse this information visit www.hse.gov.uk/copyright.htm for details. First published 07/11.
03/13
INDG449
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