Active4All - Health and Safety

This section summarises the responsibilities of individuals and groups to help to ensure that health and safety is successfully managed by the Charity in accordance with best practice in the sector. It should be read in conjunction with the Charity’s Health and Safety Policy: General Statement.

1. Chief Executive:

(b) has overall responsibility for ensuring that the ‘Health and Safety Policy: General Statement’ and the ‘Health and Safety Policy: Organisational Responsibilities’ are kept under review;

(c) has overall responsibility for ensuring that the objectives of the Health and Safety Policy: General Statement are achieved;

(d) will advise the Management Committee of the resources required to comply with statutory requirements or any difficulties that might arise if resources are not available;

(e) will ensure proper management procedures exist to secure the implementation of the Charity’s Health and Safety arrangements[1] ;

(f) will ensure that suitable arrangements are in place for consultation with members of staff;

(g) will ensure that the Charity’s Health and Safety Policy: General Statement, the Health and Safety Policy: Organisational Responsibilities and the detailed arrangements concerning health, safety and welfare of all members of staff, volunteers, placements, customers (on site) and visitors;

(h) will ensure that the detailed Health and Safety arrangements are reviewed regularly and when organisational or legislative changes occur;

(i) will ensure that suitable and sufficient risk assessments have been carried out of risks to the Health and Safety of members of staff, volunteers, placements, customers (on site) and visitors whilst they are on Charity business;

(j) will be proactive in stimulating interest and enthusiasm for health and safety throughout the organisation.

2. Charities Management Committee:

(a) will be responsible for achieving the objectives of the Charity’s Health and Safety Policy: General Statement in their areas of individual responsibility[2] ;

(b) will ensure that Health and Safety Policy: Organisational Responsibilities and the detailed arrangements concerning the health, safety and welfare of all members of staff and students are made known and implemented within their areas of responsibility;

(c) aims, as an integral part of its management responsibility, to achieve a progressive reduction in accidents and incidents by:

(i) ensuring that they, and all staff in their areas of individual responsibility, know their responsibilities for health and safety and that they are adequately trained to discharge those responsibilities;

(ii) establishing in their own areas of individual responsibility an adequate programme to seek the elimination of potential accidents.

(d) will conform with Health and Safety statutes and Codes of Practice, including ensuring that suitable procedures to identify, report and eliminate hazards, and suitable risk management procedures exist and are implemented;

(i) the provision of plant, equipment and systems of work, which are safe, and without risks to health;

(iii) the provision of a working environment, which is safe, and without risks to health, and the provision of adequate facilities and arrangements for the welfare of members of staff, volunteers, placements, customers (on site) and visitors.

(f) will ensure that all plant and equipment in their areas of responsibility is maintained as far as reasonably practicable in a condition, which is safe, and without risk to health;

(g) will ensure that health and safety arrangements are fully discussed with all relevant managers and advisers with regard to:

(h) will arrange consultations with Health and Safety Representatives to ensure that progressive and positive methods are adopted for promoting health, safety and welfare at work and that there are arrangements for the participation of Health and Safety representatives in the development of such measures;

(i) will ensure that suitable and sufficient risk assessments are carried out of risks to the health and safety of members of staff, volunteers, placements and others who may be affected by the activities arising from their areas of responsibility. This will not be confined to risk assessment of physical locations but will also include modes of working and activities. Where hazards are identified which cannot be eliminated, that safe systems of work are designed, implemented, recorded, monitored and reviewed as necessary;

(j) will ensure that workplace inspections are carried out in accordance with Charity Policy and that actions arising are addressed;

(k) will ensure the provision of such information, training and supervision as may be necessary to ensure the health, safety and welfare of members of staff, volunteers, placements in their areas of responsibility;

(l) will ensure that job safety requirements are established for all jobs, roles and duties, and that these and other safety requirements are made known to members of staff by effective information, instruction, training and supervision;

(m) will keep under review the effectiveness of the Health and Safety Policy: General Statement, the Health and Safety Policy: Organisational Responsibilities

(n) will be proactive in stimulating interest and enthusiasm for health and safety by demonstrating their personal concern for health and safety at work through example and commitment, and by encouraging managers at all levels in their areas of responsibility to do the same;

(o) will provide leadership in setting priorities in favour of Health and Safety, where there is potential conflict in delivering against competing objectives.

3. Managers

(a) will ensure that the Health and Safety Policy, the Organisational Responsibilities and the detailed arrangements concerning the health, safety and welfare of all staff, volunteers, customers (on site), are made known and implemented within their areas of responsibility;

(b) will carry out suitable and sufficient risk assessments of risks to the health and safety of staff, volunteers, customers (on site), who, within their area of responsibility, may be affected by the activities of the Charity. Where hazards are identified which cannot be eliminated, will ensure that safe systems of work are explored and implemented as necessary and the results of the assessments are disseminated to the relevant persons;

(c) will ensure that members of staff, volunteers, training or work placement activities are reminded of the need to observe the health and safety organisational arrangements of the Charity

(d) will ensure that all necessary safety instruction, training and retraining is carried out within their areas of responsibility;

(e) will participate in consultation with members of staff or their Health and Safety representatives on matters of health and safety in accordance with agreed procedures;

(f) will ensure that, in all areas under their control, regular inspections and audits are carried out;

(g) will investigate all accidents, incidents or near misses concerning health and safety with the view to identifying the cause(s) and preventing a recurrence;

(h) will participate in regular Health and Safety inspections of their areas of responsibility in accordance with agreed procedures;

(i) will respond to requests for information from Health and Safety representatives in accordance with statutory requirements;

(j) will be proactive in stimulating interest and enthusiasm for health and safety by demonstrating their personal concern for health and safety at work through example and commitment, and encouraging those that they manage or supervise to do the same.

(k) will be responsible for monitoring the application of the Health and Safety Policy: General Statement, the Health and Safety Policy: Organisational Responsibilities

4. Supervisors

(a) will ensure that any instructions they give take into account the need to ensure the Health and Safety of those they are supervising or directing.

5. External Health and Safety Consultants & Support

(a) will carry out annual audits; providing appropriate updated documentation e.g. ‘Health and Safety Policy: General Statement’; Risk Assessments.

(b) will provide ongoing support for management committee on all Health and Safety matters

6. Individual members of staff

Individual members of staff (which also includes all Charity managers at all levels):

(a) will take reasonable care for the health and safety of himself/herself and of other persons who may be affected by his/her acts or omissions at work;

(b) will co-operate with the Charity and their colleagues to achieve a safe and healthy environment by following adopted policies, procedures, codes of practice, guidelines and instructions;

(c) will co-operate with the Charity and, when off site, any company, contractor to ensure we follow and adhere to specific site health and safety requirements

[1] The detailed arrangements for different activities (e.g. Risk Assessments) are included in the Health and Safety Handbook.

[2] Areas of responsibility will include areas within line management structures and those building and other areas for which they are responsible.

[3] ‘Supervisors’ refers to any person directing the activity of another person whether they are members of staff, volunteers, placements.