Smart Safety Ltd can help you write a policy for your business. Every policy is different in how it is laid out, what it covers, and who it involves.

A health and safety policy statement sets out how you manage health and safety within your workplace. It demonstrates the company's attitude towards health and safety and the steps, arrangements and systems the company has in place to ensure compliance with health and safety legislation. It is important that it is specific to your company and the activities that you undertake.

When is a health and safety policy statement required?

There is a requirement under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 to have a written health and safety policy if five or more people are employed in a business.

What is required by a health and safety policy?

Writing a health and safety policy is more than just a legal requirement. It demonstrates a company's commitment to achieving good health and safety standards. It should also clearly set out what is required by the employer and employee of a company and show that you strive to reduce accidents and ill health within the workplace. The statement is important because it is your basic action plan for health and safety, which all your employees should read, understand and follow. It should ensure good health and safety standards within your workplace, if it is well thought out, has your backing, commands respect and it is thoroughly put into practice.

A health and safety policy statement should:

• Be in writing
• Contain a general statement of intent
• Show who within the organisation has responsibilities for health and safety and state , what they are, e.g. advice, first aid, accident reporting
• Describe the companies arrangements (systems and procedures) that are in place for ensuring employees health and safety
• Be brought to the attention of all employees
• Be revised whenever appropriate, and every revision must be brought to your employee's attention

How should the statement be set out?

There is no general rule. However, your general policy, organisation and arrangements must all be included in your policy. Splitting the policy up into these three main categories makes it logical and easy to understand. It is generally more effective if every day language is used to write your policy because remember, it is for all your employees to read and understand.

http://www.hse.gov.uk/smallbusinesses/must/policy.htm

Now before you look at the subject of risk assessments and your brain screams "NO" please remember a few points:

1. A risk assessment MAY help to save someone's life, or prevent injuries to themselves or others.
2. A risk assessment CAN save you money, spending time, effort and a little money (or sometimes a lot if necessary), in the long term will help reduce sickness absence, time off of work due to injury (maybe long term), agency costs, compensation claims, insurance costs, fines etc. Please look at the HSE website for an idea about fines and prosecutions (http://www.hse.gov.uk/enforce/off0405/introduction.htm )
3. Having completed a risk assessment, if you and your employees consistently stick to it through all the growing pains that go with a new system your workforce will ultimately be better off. Less time off due to sickness or injury improves workforce morale which in turn leads to increased productivity, and a good reputation.
4. You must carry out and maintain regular risk assessments under health and safety law whatever your business or business size. A properly conducted risk assessment helps minimise the possibility of your work activities harming the environment or those who work in, or visit your organisation.

The principle of risk assessment has become the cornerstone of health and safety management and when undertaken the results are incorporated into your action plan allowing you to risk manage the health and safety of your work activities. Carrying out risk assessments yourself takes up your time and some areas will require specialist knowledge. You may have doubts that the exercise is really complete and complying with the regulations. We provide the competent approach required for risk assessments.

Smart Safety Ltd can provide you with:

• Asbestos services, covering identification, evaluation and costing, monitoring, site surveys, project and contractor management
• Noise monitoring, assessment and control
• COSHH assessments
• General Risk Assessment
• Manual Handling Assessments
• Clinical Manual Handling Assessments

After completing an initial risk assessment, it's important to maintain regular checks to ensure your organisation complies with health and safety requirements. This is done through an audit - an independent objective and systematic review of safety management.

Most health and safety audits follow the requirements of Health and safety Executive regulations. Different types of audit can be undertaken and these can be tailored to your organisational needs.

Smart Safety Ltd. audits cover the following subjects:

• Health and safety policy & procedures
• Review of risk assessments
• Review of elements of the working environment
• Hazard identification, assessment and hazard control
• Assessment of management structure and organisational commitment and health and safety programme administration (We can offer management training to your orgasnisation)
• Qualifications & training of personnel
• Emergency response, accident and incident investigation