Health and Safety Policy

The SSS is committed to the positive promotion of accident prevention and the elimination, as far, as is reasonably practicable, of incidents involving personal injury, stress, illness or damage.

It is recognised that all Senior Managers, staff and contractors at all levels within the organisation have a part to play in implementing this health and safety policy and the supplementary documents that assist in providing a safe workplace.

Our aims in relation to health and safety are:

• to provide adequate control of the health, safety and welfare risks arising from our work activities;
• to consult with our employees and contractors on matters affecting their health and safety;
• to ensure that suitable risk assessments are undertaken for all relevant workplace activities;
• to provide and maintain safe plant and workplace equipment;
• to provide and enforce rigorous safe systems of work for the activities undertaken during working procedures;
• to ensure the safe handling and use of any hazardous substances in use during working procedures or activities;
• to provide suitable and sufficient levels of information, instruction, training and supervision for employees;
• to ensure that all employees and contractors are competent to undertake their tasks, and to give them adequate training where appropriate;
• to take all reasonable steps to help to prevent accidents and cases of work-related ill health;
• to provide adequate resources to manage the health, safety and welfare risks within the organisation;
• to meet all legal requirements with regards to health, safety and welfare;
• to maintain safe and healthy working conditions; and
• to review and revise this policy as necessary and at regular intervals.

Legal duties and obligations for Health and Safety

• The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 All employers have a duty of care to protect their employees and others from harm arising from work activities, as well as for controlling the use of dangerous substances.
• The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 These regulations place duties on employers to assess and manage risks to their employees and others arising from work activities.
• The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 These regulations place duties of employers to ensure that the workplace environment should be designed and regulated as far as possible to ensure safety and freedom from health risk.

In addition to the above the following regulations apply:

• Work at Height Regulations 2005
• The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations (CDM) 2015
• Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992
• Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations (LOLER) 1998
• Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations (PUWER) 1998
• Electricity at Work Regulations 1989
• Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
• Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (COSHH) 2002
• Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012
• Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005
• Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005
• Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmosphere Regulations (DSEAR) 2002

A copy of the Guide is held by each manager and is available to all staff and relevant contractors through the SSS Intranet system and on the Company server.

We require the full and active participation of all our employees and contractors to ensure that the objectives outlined in this policy may be achieved

Objectives

To ensure that the SSS Policy in this regard is fulfilled, the following objectives have been established:

• responsibilities for the implementation of this health and safety policy are clearly defined;
• the provision and maintenance of safe and healthy working conditions, equipment and systems of work for all its employees, with adequate welfare facilities;
• all employees are aware of their duties under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and other legislation and statutory codes of practice, as well as their responsibilities under this policy;
• clear guidelines on the SSS health and safety policy exist and are made available to all other people using its premises;
• any employees who have particular responsibilities for health, safety and welfare receive adequate training to carry out these responsibilities;
• the appropriate level of professional skills and competence in health and safety management are in place;
• adequate financial provision is made to enable this policy to be implemented effectively;
• appropriate procedures are in place to monitor and audit the practise of health and safety;
• a formal process is in place to engage with and communicate to staff the policy and any subsequent changes to it.

To enable these objectives to be met and the policy to be implemented effectively, the SSS will also ensure that detailed operating procedures are developed, implemented and kept under review.

Health and Safety Organisational Structure

Servoca Secure Solutions (SSS) is responsible for providing a healthy and safe place of work for its staff, contractors, clients and visitors who may be affected by its activities and working environment. Whilst the ultimate responsibility for health and safety rests at the highest level, individuals at every other level must accept varying degrees of responsibility for the implementation of the Health and Safety Policy and for ensuring that safe working practices are maintained.

Key objectives are set by Senior Management in liaison with internal and external health and safety professionals. A Health and Safety committee has been established and will meet on a regular basis, this committee contains representatives from senior management, and internal health and safety professional and key employees from departments throughout the organisation and across both its main workplaces.

Health & Safety Management System

The SSS is fully committed to providing a safe and healthy workplace for its staff, clients and visitors.

In order to achieve this, it is important that an effective health and safety management system is in place, monitored and regularly reviewed.

The SSS’s safety management system is based on ISO 14001, contained in the Health and Safety Executive’s guide to successful health and safety management. This system is designed to ensure the following:

a) That all risks associated with SSS activity are identified, assessed and have suitable and sufficient appropriate control measures implemented in order to manage those risks;

b) Safe systems of work (SSOW) are developed, communicated to relevant staff, implemented and monitored to ensure that all relevant work activities are undertaken with the minimum possible risk;

c) Authority is delegated by the Managing Director to those responsible for health and safety management and that those with responsibilities receive adequate support, training and funds to ensure that they are competent to undertake their roles effectively;

d) All staff, contractors and visitors must be provided with appropriate information and training relating to their own health, safety and welfare and that of all relevant others affected by their acts or omissions;

e) Appropriate health and safety performance standards are set, reviewed and monitored;

f) There is effective consultation and communication arrangements in place

The key components of successful health and safety management are set out as follows:

Policy

• To establish health and safety policies that directly influence and support all activities including the way work is done.

Organising

• This involves the establishment of training and guidance for those responsible for managing health, safety and welfare in the workplace, as well as ensuring that any work or processes associated with the maintenance of safe systems of work is carried out in a timely and appropriate manner.

It also includes the consultation and engagement of staff in health and safety matters.

Planning and implementing

• The aim is to systematically identify health and safety objectives and priorities, based on risk assessment, monitoring and review processes.

Procurement procedures should ensure that the SSS does not import risk into the organisation, by, for example the purchasing of inappropriate equipment.

Measuring performance (Monitoring)

• Line managers and staff will have access to the procedures and guidance required to ensure that this policy is enacted. Performance measurement will ensure that health and safety management is successful.

Day to day monitoring of health, safety and welfare is the responsibility of all managers. In addition, there will be a planned review of all risk assessments, policies and guidance on an annual basis to ensure they are still current and that the implemented control measures remain appropriate.

Routine monitoring of performance against health and safety objectives and standards will be undertaken by the consultative group and the Management Team who will receive regular reports relating to accidents, illness and near-misses.

Active monitoring will be undertaken to ensure that all policies and procedures with regards to health, safety and welfare and being adhered to.

Reactive monitoring will be undertaken following reports of accidents or near-misses. Accident and near miss reporting.

To have in place robust arrangements for the effect review of performance against expectations.

Formal review of health and safety performance will be undertaken by the Management Team on a quarterly basis. The results of accident and near miss information will be used to highlight areas of policy that require review in order to ensure they remain appropriate and effective.

All health and safety policies and guidance will be reviewed periodically to ensure that they are fit for purpose.

In addition, there is a rolling programme of audit carried out by either the internal health and safety team or where appropriate the external health and safety consultant. The audit programme will be determined by the Management Team and will include a review of training to support those with day to day responsibilities for operational management of health and safety

Risk Assessments

The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations require employers to arrange for a systematic general examination of all work activity to:

• Identify the significant hazards;
• Identify those persons or groups of persons likely to be harmed;
• Assess the risk to the persons from the significant hazards identified;
• Record the assessment, making note of control measures identified to help reduce the risk; and
• Monitor and review the assessments to ensure that the action being taken is in accordance with the findings of the assessment, and that the measures identified are effective in reducing or controlling the risk.

Risk assessment is not a one-off process, and there is a requirement to review the assessment periodically and revise it as necessary:

• If there is high risk which is constantly changing e.g. building work; ideally this should be pre-planned throughout the building works as the risks continually evolves through the different stages of a project
• If there is significant change eg change of use of a room, new equipment introduced, and change of staff.
• Annually to ensure that the assessment is still relevant.

All project/research/specialist training work must be accompanied by a completed risk assessment before the work starts and reviewed as the project progresses. A record of all risk assessments will be kept by the Health & Safety Practitioner and in the Operations Manual located in the Fire Laboratory and electronically within the Health and Safety section on the company server together with work instructions, method statements and training arrangements forming part of the risk assessment process.

Risk assessment forms and guidance to assist with the risk assessment process can be found in SSS Policy Guidance

Additional, specific risk assessment forms are available for young workers and pregnant women and will be completed with regard to specific individuals as the need arises.

Having identified the ‘who’ and the ‘what’ processes of the safety management system it is important that the organisation is aware of the ‘how’ in terms of hazards that need to be removed or controlled, reducing the risk to staff and visitors to a level as low as is reasonably practical. It is also important to address the regulatory requirements of health and safety in the workplace. The following sections outline the areas that have been identified for detailed policy guidance. Full guidance is contained in a suite of SSS Policy Guidance Notes held on the company server.

The Managing Director has delegated the day-to-day organisation of all aspects of health and safety to the Health & Safety Practitioner, and other managers in the organisation as well as nominated personnel.

The Identification of Hazards and Defects

Every member of staff is responsible for the identification of hazards and for bringing them to the attention of the Health & Safety Practitioner, whether they are office-based hazards or others identified during the course of the working day.

Full details for reporting and addressing defects are contained in SSS Policy Guidance: Hazard and Defect Reporting. Employees must be provided with an adequate level of training in order to be able to do this.

All damage, signs of wear and defects in the premises must be reported to the Office Manager who will arrange for repairs/replacement and maintain a log of defects, reports and actions carried out to rectify the problem.

Reporting of Accidents, Dangerous Occurrences and Near Misses

Every case of injury, accident, incident and near miss must be fully and accurately reported to the Office Manager, and on third party premises according to local onsite arrangements in place. Accidents or incidents on third party premises must also reported to the Office Manager.

Accident books are kept in the Branch Office for this purpose. Accidents, dangerous occurrences and near-misses will be subject to investigation in accordance with SSS Policy Guidance Accident and near-miss reporting.

Provision of first aid

The Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 require the provision of adequate and appropriate equipment and information for employees about first aid arrangements. Full details of how first aid at work is addressed is contained in SSS Policy: First Aid at Work.

Fire and emergency procedures

General fire safety in England and Wales is delivered through compliance with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (‘the Order’). The legislation implements a risk-based approach to fire safety in business premises. It requires the responsible person (usually the employer, owner or occupier) to carry out a fire safety risk assessment and implement appropriate fire precautionary and protection measures, and to maintain a fire management plan.

The SSS main offices are the subject of a regular fire risk assessment process. Staff will be made aware of any significant findings and assessment reports are available on the company server. A copy of the Fire assessment is also located in the Operations Manual. The fire risk management procedures are contained in SSS Policy

Information and Documentation

Employees (including temporary employees, and consultants) will be made aware of relevant safety information contained in the Health & Safety Policy and accompanying guidance. Health & Safety documents are held in the office by the Office Manager and on the Company server.

It is the responsibility of the Managers to identify the training needs of their staff and keep a record of those who have attended training, including any health and safety training. It is also the responsibility of Managers to make staff aware of health and safety issues in the workplace. Training procedures are covered by the Staff Handbook.

In order to ensure that effective communication and consultation arrangements are in place, the SSS has introduced a Health & Safety Consultative Group who will meet regularly to review health and safety in the workplace. The person responsible for coordinating health and safety consultative meetings is Karl Platt – Head of Training. Meetings will take place at least every six months at which specific health and safety issues will be discussed. More detailed guidance on consultation and communication can be found in SSS Policy

At induction each new starter will be given a copy of the SSS Health & Safety Policy and a VDU workstation assessment will be completed within the first two weeks of starting. All work-related risk assessments will also be brought to the attention of new staff. Full details of the induction programme can be found in SSS Policy- Induction.

It is the responsibility of the Managers to identify the training needs of their staff and keep a record of those who have attended training, including any health and safety training, using the existing Investor in People (IIP) protocols, and staff training and development records database. It is also the responsibility of Managers to make staff aware of health and safety issues in the workplace. Training needs will be identified during annual appraisal, based on role requirements and whenever new processes or equipment are introduced into the organisation.

Electrical and other Equipment

All portable electrical equipment will be maintained in a safe condition and tested as necessary in accordance with scheduling. A copy of the inventory of the electrical equipment tested, including the results, will be kept by the Health & Safety Practitioner.

All portable electrical equipment will be tested regularly by a suitably qualified competent person appointed by the SSS. All staff must visually check electrical appliances prior to their use and report any defects to the Office Manager. All defective equipment must be taken out of use immediately and reported to the Office Manager.

Employees must not use privately owned portable electrical appliances in the Office or on third party premises without prior arrangement with the Office Manager, and until it has been tested for electrical safety, and bears a current test certificate. Full details of the arrangements for portable electrical equipment safety can be found in SSS Policy - PAT Testing.

Contractors working on site

The SSS has a duty to consider the health and safety needs of contractors working within its offices.

External Health & Safety Advisor

Guidance for the safety of contractors can be found in SSS Policy - Contractors working on SSS premises and must be adhered to. It should be noted that all contractors working at the SSS are required to undergo an H&S induction training for the SSS and this is normally carried out by their staff.

Contractors whether working for the SSS or for a tenant in a tenant’s premises are all required to complete the SSS H&S induction and be given permission from the H&S team for hot works or working on a roof or working at Heights etc.

SSS Consultants and Training Associates

The SSS employ contractors to carry out work on its behalf on third party premises, including fire risk assessment, building surveys and training. There is a responsibility on the SSS to ensure that contractors are familiar with their health and safety policy and procedures, and to carry out risk assessment of their activities to ensure that they are not putting themselves or SSS clients at risk. Guidance for the safety of SSS consultants and training associates can be found in SSS Policy - Consultants and associates working on Clients’ Premises.

Lone Working

Although there is no general legal prohibition on working alone, the broad duties of the HASAW Act and MHSW Regulations still apply. Detailed guidance on lone working can be found in SSS Policy - Lone Working.

Home working

All staff may undertake home working at some time, and both the SSS and the member of staff have responsibilities to ensure that home working does not put them at risk of injury. Detailed guidance on home working can be found in SSS Policy - Home Working.

Welfare at work

In addition to the requirement to maintain a safe place of work the SSS has in place a number of systems to ensure, as far as reasonably practical, the welfare of its staff. On a day to day basis individual managers are responsible for monitoring the health and welfare of their staff. The Management Team will monitor absence information on a regular basis.

There are a number of issues covered within this policy area:

• Absence management
• Stress
• Violence at work
• Bullying and other negative behaviour
• Smoking on premises
• Substance misuse
• Temperature control

Detailed guidance on welfare at work can be found in SSS Policy - Welfare at Work.

Driving at Work

The SSS defines work-related driving as: “any driving activities carried out by employees in the course of their work”. Driving on company business is dealt with in the SSS Policy - Driving at Work.

Visitors

All visitors to SSS premises have a duty to take reasonable care for health and safety at work of themselves and any other people who may be affected by their acts or omissions. Therefore, visitors are required to comply with the guidance contained in SSS Policy - Visitors, (details of which will be provided to all visitors on arrival).

Manual Handling

Manual Handling should be avoided and where necessary undertaken for minimal timings and over short distances. The risk posed by these tasks are addressed in SSS Policy - Manual Handling.

COSHH

The requirements of the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations is addressed in SSS Policy

Display Screen Equipment (DSE)

DSE is covered in SSS Policy - Display Screen Equipment (DSE).

Working at Heights

Working at heights is covered in SSS Policy - Working at Height – Ladder Safety.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

The provision and requirement to use Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is addressed in SSS Policy - Personal Protective Equipment.

Stress Management

The SSS policy on stress management in the workplace is addressed in Policy - SSS Stress Management Policy.