HEALTH & SAFETY POLICY STATEMENT
The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974
It is the policy of O Heap & Son (Derby) Limited to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety, and welfare at work of all employees.
The general policy of O Heap & Son (Derby) Limited is: -
- to provide adequate control of the health and safety risks arising from our work activities;
- to consult with our employees on matters affecting their health and safety;
- to provide and maintain safe plant and equipment;
- to ensure the safe handling and use of substances;
- to provide information, instruction and supervision for employees and contractors;
- to ensure all employees and contractors are competent to do their tasks;
- to give all employees adequate training;
- to prevent accidents and cases of work-related ill health;
- to maintain safe and healthy working conditions; and
- to review and revise this policy as necessary at regular intervals.
Responsibilities
The Managing Director, Wesley Heap, has overall responsibility for Health and Safety at O Heap & Son (Derby) Limited. The Director, Nicholas Heap, has particular responsibility for Health and Safety and liaises with the Competent Person, Bruce W Ambrose CEng MIMMM CMIOSH.
To ensure Health and Safety standards are maintained and that this policy is put into practice the following postholders have day-to-day responsibility for managing Health and Safety in the following areas: -
Director – All business activities.
General Manager – The activities of the Fire Extinguishers and Electrical Divisions.
Sales Manager – The activities of the Sales Division.
Service Manager – Extinguisher Division – The activities of the Fire Extinguisher Division.
Service Manager – Electrical Division The activities of the Electrical Division.
Accounts Office Manager – The activities relating to Accounts and Administration.
ALL EMPLOYEES and CONTRACTORS working for O Heap & Son (Derby) Limited have to co-operate with the Directors, Managers and other supervision on Health and Safety matters, not interfere with anything provided to safeguard their health and safety, take reasonable care of their own health and safety and report all health and safety concerns to an appropriate person.
Arrangements
Risk Assessments shall be conducted by Bruce W Ambrose CEng MIMMM CMIOSH, who is an IOSH Registered Health and Safety Consultant and Chartered Safety and Health Practitioner, in conjunction with the Director, Nicholas Heap, and others. The Director, Nicholas Heap, shall monitor the implementation of any recommendations arising from the Risk Assessments, in conjunction with the Competent Person, Bruce W Ambrose CEng MIMMM CMIOSH.
Health and Safety Rules shall define the preventive and protective measures to be followed to minimise risks. These, and the Risk Assessments, will be contained in an Operations and Health and Safety Manual. Copies are kept at the Chandos Pole Street Office and in Service Vehicles for the attention of employees and contractors. Literature on good Health and Safety practice/methods is also provided for the information of employees.
Employees and contractors shall be consulted directly by the Directors and Managers, via Notice Boards or Memorandum. Training will be provided for new employees at the start of their employment and at times thereafter. Refresher Training shall be provided to employees every five years. Training Records shall be kept. “On the job” training will be undertaken where necessary. Employees and contractors are required to attend any Health and Safety induction programmes at Client premises as necessary.
Monitoring of compliance with the Health and Safety Rules will be undertaken by the Director Nicholas Heap, Managers, Head Service Technician and Supervisor in the course of their duties and during supervision of the work activities. Formal recorded inspections shall be made every three months. The Director, Nicholas Heap, shall control the programme of inspections.
First Aid equipment is located at the Chandos Pole Street offices and within vehicles. An Appointed Person, who may be First Aid trained, shall be available when persons are at work at O Heap & Son (Derby) Limited. These are V Lebeter and S Baker. The emergency telephone number in case of an Accident or Incident at the Chandos Pole Street Office is 9 - 999. All accidents and incidents must be reported and shall be investigated to establish the contributory factors and establish if remedial action is needed and see what lessons can be learned. Any Accident that becomes Reportable under the RIDDOR regulations shall be reported by N Heap to the HSE Incident Centre or our enforcing authority Derby City Council.
The risks from Manual Handling will be assessed and suitable control measures applied to make the risk low. Wherever possible it will be eliminated. The Chandos Pole store has slopes between floors to enable roll cages to be used. There are also cylinder trolleys. The Gas Truck has a Tail Lift and there is a Powered Pull/Pusher for the Training Rig Trailer.
All work equipment (including electrical equipment) used at work in connection with O Heap and Son (Derby) Limited will comply with the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations. Where applicable CE marked equipment shall be selected. Before any new equipment is introduced an assessment will be made by the relevant Division Manager to ascertain its suitability. No employee may use equipment unless they have had the relevant training and guards must be in place in use. Work equipment will be properly maintained.
The risks from Fire will be assessed and suitable control measures applied to make the risk low. The Fire Risk Assessment is available at the Chandos Pole Street office. There are Fire Action notices throughout the offices that give instruction on the action to take in the event of fire. All employees will receive Fire Safety Training and have a duty to take every possible care to prevent fire, keep fire escape routes and fire exits clear and know their means of escape, whatever their location. Regular Fire Safety Inspections will be undertaken by the Fire Wardens. When a Fire Alarm operates, or if there is another emergency, employees and contractors shall evacuate the premises they are working in, unless it is being tested. In the interests of health and fire safety SMOKING within any premises or pool vehicle under the control of O Heap & Son (Derby) Limited is PROHIBITED. Smoking is permitted in the areas outside. The Smoking Policies at any Client must be complied with.
In an emergency the Chandos Pole Street premises should be evacuated and persons assemble at the Assembly Point in Chandos Pole Street. The Visitors Book should be collected from Reception by any Staff member from the front office. The telephone number in case of a fire or other emergency at the Chandos Pole Street Office is 9 - 999.
Before any hazardous substances are used during a work process, a material safety data sheet will be obtained and an appropriate assessment made of the risks from that substance, in line with the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations. Alternative, less harmful, substances will be used wherever possible. Assessments will consider storage, handling, aspects of use, exposure, PPE requirements, workers health and emergency action. The relevant COSHH Assessment will be kept in the Health and Safety Manual. In the Manual used by Service Engineers this will include the Data Sheets with emergency first aid information. The file containing all the Material Data Sheets of all substances is kept at the Chandos Pole Street office. Employees or contractors may only use substances hazardous to health when they know the precautions necessary to reduce the risk of harm occurring and implement those precautions.
At Chandos Pole Street Staff and Visitors are provided with clean and suitable Ladies and Gents washing and toilet facilities. There is also an area for eating/rest with kitchen facilities.
Bruce W Ambrose CEng MIMMM CMIOSH, the appointed Competent Person, shall undertake an annual audit of the efficiency of the management of Health and Safety at O Heap & Son (Derby) Limited.
