Health and safety policy
Version: 1.1 Date: 20 May 2022 Next review: 20 May 2023
This policy is effective from 20 May 2022, and explains how As It Should Be Ltd ensures the highest reasonably practicable standards of health and safety.
Jon Gibbins, Managing Director
Summary
As It Should Be Ltd is committed to ensuring the health and safety of our workers and members of the public who may be affected by our work as much as is reasonably practicable. We regularly assess and adjust our work conditions, systems and equipment as necessary to meet our duties under health and safety laws.
Introduction
Where this policy refers to “health and safety laws”, it implies the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and secondary health and safety legislation. The terms “workers” and “staff” refer to people who work on behalf of the company, whether as an employee or contractor. The terms “As It Should Be”, “us” or “we” refer to As It Should Be Ltd. Our company is registered in England and Wales, company number 07251721.
We genuinely care about our staff and others affected by our work. We design our processes carefully, and actively encourage all our staff and contractors to engage and cooperate on workplace matters, particularly health and safety.
We commit to take all reasonably practicable steps to:
- Prevent accidents and cases of work-related health issues
- Manage health and safety risks in our workplace
- Provide workers with information, instruction, training and supervision necessary to ensure that they are competent to undertake their work safely
- Consult with workers on matters of health and safety
- Encourage all workers to engage in maintaining safe working practices
- Maintain safe and healthy working conditions
- Provide and maintain safe work equipment
- Provide all necessary Personal Protective Equipment when needed
- Ensure that all substances are used, stored and handled safely
- Implement all necessary emergency procedures, including evacuation procedures in the event of fire or other significant incident
- Ensure that adequate provision is made for welfare facilities and that adequate first aid provisions are made
- Review this policy annually and revise whenever there is a change in circumstances, in work practices or the introduction of new legislation affecting the policy, so as to ensure that these standards of health and safety are maintained
Responsibility
The following person has overall responsibility for health and safety at As It Should Be Ltd, including putting this policy into practice on a day-to-day basis.
Person responsible: Jon Gibbins, Managing Director Contact: healthandsafety@digitalasitshouldbe.com
Workers
All workers must:
- Co-operate with supervisors and managers on health and safety matters
- Take reasonable care of their own health and safety
- Report all health and safety concerns to an appropriate person
Consultation with workers on health and safety matters will take place routinely as they arise and following any review of health and safety matters where changes are required.
Training
Training shall be provided on induction and on exposure to new or increased risks, for example following the introduction of new equipment, technology or systems of work. Refresher training shall be repeated periodically. Records of all training shall be kept.
Risk assessments
Appropriate risk assessments will be completed, kept under review and their findings implemented. We have completed the following risk assessments:
- Remote working
- On-site working
- Travel
Risk assessment templates are available in the team guidebook.
Remote working
Remote workers must complete a self-assessment of their workspace.
Where workers choose to work from a co-working space, a fire risk assessment must be carried out by the site management and kept under review. Adequately stocked first aid kits must be kept on site.
On-site working
Workers must complete a risk assessment when they begin working at a new location.
Travel
When traveling on behalf of the company, workers must complete an assessment of their travel arrangements and any overnight accommodation.
Work equipment
All work equipment provided by the employer for use at work shall be:
- Suitable for the intended use
- Safe for use, maintained in a safe condition and regularly inspected (as appropriate)
- Used only by people who have received adequate information, instruction and training
- Accompanied by suitable safety measures, e.g. protective devices, markings, warnings
All equipment used must be maintained in a safe condition and in good repair. Where necessary, equipment shall be inspected to ensure that it is safe for use without risk of injury or damage and appropriate records shall be kept up to date.
The use of any equipment that is not owned by the company must be authorised in advance.
Display screens
The work area of anyone who uses display screens for a significant amount of time (two or more hours per day) will be assessed and adapted as necessary to ensure that its design and layout will avoid visual fatigue and back, shoulder, neck, arms, legs and wrist aches. Screens must be well positioned and properly adjusted, and work areas must have suitable lighting. Workers must have adequate chairs, work surfaces and equipment. The company will provide reasonable support to ensure these are in place for employees only.
Where necessary, training on the safe use of display screens shall be made available.
Periodic breaks from using the equipment are encouraged.
Once a year, employees may request a voucher (or reimbursement of cost on production of a receipt) for an eye and eyesight test by an optician will be provided. If an employee is found to need special glasses for display screen work only, and an ordinary prescription is not suitable, the company will pay reasonable costs for basic frames and lenses.
Manual handling
Manual handling instructions must be followed in accordance with our manual handing procedure and training when carrying any load.
Public safety
A risk assessment must be carried out for members of the public at a worker's site, and will be kept under review. All visitors shall be given any relevant safety information, instruction and training, protective clothing or safety equipment as may be necessary when undertaking work-related activities.
Accident and investigation procedures
Where there is an accident or incident at work, an accident or incident report must be completed. Any accident at work or in connection with work (whether involving an employee, visitor or other person), must be reported immediately to the appropriate person who shall arrange for the accident to be investigated and an accident report prepared, recommending means of preventing re-occurrence where appropriate.
Where the accident or incident is of a type that needs to be reported under Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR), the person with overall responsibility for health and safety should submit a RIDDOR report to the Health and Safety Executive.
Contacting us about your health and safety
If you have any questions about this privacy policy, please contact us via our website, or email us at healthandsafety@digitalasitshouldbe.com.