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      Policy Writing

      What is a Safety Policy and Why Do You Need One?

      A safety policy is a written document that outlines an organisation’s commitments and objectives for health and safety management. It also identifies the key individuals responsible for managing or implementing specific functions to meet these objectives and describes the procedures in place to do so.

      Legal Requirements for a Safety Policy

      Under s.2 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, any employer with five or more employees must produce a written safety policy. This policy must be signed and dated by a senior executive, regularly reviewed, and revised to account for any changes in the law or working procedures. Smaller organisations may also be required to produce a statement of intent for health and safety to meet client requirements.

      Buying an off-the-shelf policy to meet a compliance requirement does not ensure legal compliance on its own unless it is implemented. Therefore it is essential that your policy reflects how you work, i.e. the processes and systems that you have in place in practice.

      Contents of a Health and Safety Policy

      A health and safety policy should contain a statement of commitment, signed and dated by the senior person in charge. It should also identify the responsibilities of key role-holders in the organisation for ensuring these commitments are met, and the arrangements (procedures and systems) in place to ensure the everyday processes meet the overarching objectives.

      Topics that should be included are:

      • Accident reporting and and accident investigation
      • Communication and consultation with staff
      • Housekeeping and cleaning arrangements
      • Risk assessment processes, including specialist assessment needs (e.g. COVID-19 risk assessment)
      • Occupational stress
      • Fire safety, including evacuation and emergency response
      • Lone work
      • Work at height

      How We Can Help You With Your Safety Policy?

      Writing a safety policy can become complex when balancing it with other business priorities and processes. With over 30 years of experience, we can help you develop a concise, practical, and effective safety policy that reflects how you work and integrates safety management with your working processes.

      We provide free guidance and solutions to ensure your policy is understandable and practical. Whether you need policies for your HR department, IT department, or overall organisation, our team can provide customised solutions to meet your specific needs.

      Currently, we are working with many clients on developing home working / remote working and agile working policies so if this is something you are doing yourself please feel free to call us for some impartial and free guidance.

      Appointed Safety Advisor Service for Safety Policies

      Our Appointed Safety Advisor Service can undertake all work related to safety policies for your organisation. 

      Need impartial advice and solutions to your Safety Policy needs?

      Speak to a PHSC Specialist now! 

      Contact us on 01622 717700

      Contact Us

      Need some help?

      Speak to one of our experts today.

      01622 717700

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