Health and Safety Risk Management

Everyone is aware of the term ‘Health and Safety’ – but are you taking your health and safety responsibilities seriously?

It is vital that businesses address changing legislations in the workplace to fulfil their legal responsibilities more effectively. However, some businesses find it hard to keep up with the changing laws concerning health and safety at work – and could therefore be as risk of a claim or an accident of some kind.

Increasing legislation from the Government – as well as increased policing by the Health and Safety Executive – means that failure to comply with the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 (aka HASAWA 1974) and associated regulations could be seriously damaging for your business.

The Health and Safety Executive has the power to issue firms with Prohibition Notices, large fines or in worst-case scenarios even imprisonment of culpable Directors.

Any firm with 5 or more employees must document the following:

  • Health and Safety Policy
  • Risk Assessments
  • Health and Safety Audits
  • Training Plans of Employment
  • There must also be access to a “competent person” on site (or by outsourcing) who can provide advice when it comes to meeting your health and safety duties. If the competent person is on site, they must be trained to NEBOSH qualification – allowing the employee to become the “competent person.”
  • Training of staff including manual handling, first aid, COSHH, risk assessments, health and safety to working safely with contractors.

This can seem like a lot to any business, especially smaller businesses that are just starting out and who may be overwhelmed by this work alongside their day-to-day duties. It is not something that you can ignore, or put off to another day, as you could be putting your business, staff and clients at risk. This is why outsourcing might be your answer, as you can rely on trusted professionals to tell you what to do in a consulting style relationship.

For advice or guidance on health and safety at work, our clients can always give us a call for an informal chat.

 

 


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