Do you have any information on how to

compile a health and safety policy?

By law (Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 section 2(3)) if you employ five or more
people you must have a written health and safety policy.

This contains your statement of general policy on health and safety at work and the
organisation and arrangements in place for putting that policy into practice.

The HSE have produced a free leaflet called:

[1]
 An introduction to health and safety: health and safety in small businesses
[715kb]

This document contains a statement of general policy based on your legal duties under
the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. It then contains sections in which to record your
organizational responsibilities and your arrangements to ensure the health and safety of
your employees. The document also contains notes and references for further
information. It may also be used as a template in order for you to develop your own
policy.

1. The leaflet outlines the following areas to be covered in the statement

2. Health and safety policy statement - Statement of general policy, signed and dated
3. Responsibilities - overall, day-to-day, specific areas
4. Health and safety risks - what they are, action needed to remove / control, who is
responsible, time for review
5. Consultation with employees - who are the employee representatives, who
provides consultation
6. Safe plant and equipment - who is responsible for identifying when maintenance
is needed, who draws up maintenance procedures, who to report problems to, who
purchases new equipment
7. Safe handling and use of substances - who identifies hazardous substances, who is

responsible for undertaking COSHH assessments, informing employees,

reviewing assessments
8. Information, instruction and supervision - where is the Health and Safety Law
Poster displayed or who issues the equivalent leaflets, who supervises and trains
new recruits and young workers
9. Competency for tasks and training - who provides induction training, job specific
training, keeps training records
10. Accidents, first aid and work related ill health - who requires, arranges and keep
records of health surveillance, where is the first aid equipment stored, who is the
appointed person / first aider, who keeps records, who reports under RIDDOR
 11. Monitoring - who monitors conditions and safe working practices, who
investigates accidents and work related sickness
12. Emergency procedures - who carries out fire risk assessments, how often are the
following are checked: escape routes, fire extinguishers, alarms, evacuation
procedures.

The policy statement should be reviewed and possibly revised in the light of experience,
or because of operational or organizational changes. It is useful to review the policy
regularly (e.g. annually).

Business

Good health and safety management and successful business are complementary. You
will already have a way of cutting down losses in the goods, services you provide or
things you make. Properly applied these controls should also help you manage health and
safety. You’ll want to do this so that you have well-trained people, healthy and at work.

If you lose key people through poor health and safety, you put the products and work you
supply to others at risk. The key is to get your workforce to recognize that managing
health and safety is important and your priority value.

 More information for smaller businesses[1]

People

When your staffs are well-protected and well-trained they add value to your business
because they:

 are better motivated;

 take less sickness absence; and
 Show greater loyalty.

To involve your workforce you need to:

 set them a good example;

 train them well;
 listen to their concerns; and
 encourage them to suggest solutions to problems

 More information for smaller businesses[2]

Reputation

The public and workers expect HSE to take strong enforcement action. Failures can bring
penalties of imprisonment or unlimited fines. HSE and local authorities increasingly
publicise enforcement decisions and prosecutions. Adverse publicity will:
  put customers off doing business with you;
 prejudice your position on any prequalification or preferential supplier lists; and
 spread a bad reputation more quickly through the industry than good performance.

 Examples of enforcement action

Occupational health and welfare: an

overview
Promoting occupational health

Occupational health concerns aren't an optional extra - all employers have a legal duty of
care to their employees. In addition, taking occupational health seriously can bring a
range of business benefits:

 lower absenteeism - for further information, see our guide on how to manage
absence and sickness
 improved relationships with customers and suppliers
 improved productivity
 reduced staff turnover

Overall, it can cut your business' costs and improve its performance.

Tackling occupational health in your workplace broadly involves addressing:

 stress
 repetitive strain injury or work-related upper limb disorders
 back pain
 bullying, discrimination and harassment by other staff, managers or members of
the public, such as customers
 the control of hazardous substances
 heat, light and noise

You should use the workplace as a setting to promote health in areas such as:

 smoking
 drug and alcohol use
 disease prevention and control, e.g. coronary heart disease and obesity

You must comply with the smoking ban in most enclosed and substantially enclosed
public places, workplaces and company vehicles used by more than one person. You can
read about the smoking ban in England on the Smokefree England website - Opens in a
new window.
Support employees when they become ill by:

 following best practice on rehabilitation

 making reasonable adjustments

Occupational health problems are not only limited to immediate injury and disease. They
can include the effects of long-term exposure to asbestos and other fibres, vapours and
dusts, bacteria and viruses, noise, vibration and other physical risks. They can also
include psychological and social issues such as violence, bullying and sexual harassment.
See our guide on supporting front-line managers.

For more information, see our guide on how to improve employee health and well-being.

For more information on your wider health and safety duties, see our guide on your
responsibilities for health and safety.

Occupational health and welfare: an

overview
Risks in the workplace

The condition and cleanliness of your workplace have a direct impact on the welfare of
your employees. You must meet a range of minimum workplace standards under health
and safety law.

You must provide:

 clean toilets, with water, soap and a towel or drier

 access to drinking water
 clean working areas, with waste regularly removed
 adequate space to work in
 a comfortable working temperature

In addition, you must ensure that your workplace and any company vehicles used by
more than one person are smoke free.

For further information on the facilities you must provide, see our guides on how to meet
minimum workplace standards and facilities for customers and employees.

Download the guide on workplace health, safety and welfare from the Health & Safety
Executive (HSE) website (PDF) - Opens in a new window.

Other issues you may have to consider include:

 supplying ergonomic office equipment, i.e. designed to give maximum comfort
and support
 ensuring levels of dust and fumes are kept down - minimizing smell levels
 ensuring staff are not subjected to excessive levels of noise
 preventing contact with irritants or hazardous substances
 providing well maintained and comfortable rest areas
 implementing good communication channels