The following checklist can be used as an aid in the writing and reviewing of a health and safety policy. It is derived from UK HSE Information.
General policy and organisation:
- Are the obligations towards your employees made clear and does the statement express a commitment to health and safety?
- Does it say which senior manager is responsible for the implementation, review, and how this will be done?
- Is it signed and dated by you, a partner or senior director?
- Have the views of managers and supervisors, safety representatives and the safety committee been taken into account?
- Were the duties set out in the statement discussed with the people concerned in advance, and accepted by them, and do they understand how their performance is to be assessed and what resources they have at their disposal?
- Does the statement make clear that co-‐operation on the part of all employees is vital to the success of your health and safety policy?
- Does it say how employees are to be involved in health and safety matters, for example by being consulted, by taking part in inspections and by sitting on a safety committee?
- Does it show clearly how the duties for health and safety are allocated and are the responsibilities at different levels described?
- Does it say who is responsible for reporting investigations and recording accidents, fire precautions, fire drills and evacuation procedures, first-‐aid, safety inspections, training programmes and ensuring that all the legal requirements are met?
Arrangements that need to be considered:
- Keeping the workplace, including staircases, floors, ways in and out, washrooms, etc., in a safe and clean condition by cleaning, maintenance and repair.
- Requirements of the Work at Height Regulations.
- Suitable and sufficient risk assessments.
Plant and substances:
- Maintenance of equipment such as tools, ladders, etc. Are they in a safe condition?
- Maintenance and proper use of safety equipment such as helmets, boots, goggles, respirators, etc.
- Maintenance and proper use of plant, machinery and guards.
- Regular testing and maintenance of lifts, hoists, cranes, pressure systems, boilers and other dangerous machinery, emergency repair work, and safe methods of carrying out these functions.
- Maintenance of electrical installations and equipment.
- Safe storage, handling and, where applicable, packaging, labelling and transport of flammable or hazardous substances.
- Controls of work involving harmful substances such as lead and asbestos.
- The introduction of new plant, equipment or substances into the workplace by examination, testing and consultation with the workforce.
- Exposure to non-‐ionizing and ionizing radiation.
Other hazards:
- Noise problems – wearing of hearing protection, and control of noise at source.
- Vibration problems – hand-‐arm and whole-‐body control techniques and personal protection.
- Preventing unnecessary or unauthorized entry into hazardous areas.
- Lifting of heavy or awkward loads.
- Protecting the safety of employees against assault when handling or transporting the employer’s money or valuables.
- Special hazards to employees when working on unfamiliar sites, including discussions with site manager where necessary.
- Control of works transport, for example fork-‐lift trucks, by restricting use to experienced and authorized operators or operators under instruction (which should deal fully with safety aspects).
- Driving on public roads while at work.
Emergencies:
- Ensuring that fire exits are marked, unlocked and free from obstruction.
- Maintenance and testing of fire-‐fighting equipment, fire drills and evacuation procedures.
- First-‐aid, location of first-‐aid box as well as the name and location of person responsible for firs-‐aid and the deputy.
Communication:
- Giving employees information about the general duties under the HSW Act and specific legal requirements relating to their work.
- Giving employees necessary information about substances, plant, machinery and equipment with which they come into contact.
- Discussing with contractors, before they come on site, how they plan to do their job, whether they need any equipment from your organisation to help them, whether they can operate in a segregated area or only when part of the plant is shut down and, if not, what hazards they may create for your employees and vice versa.
Training:
- Training employees, supervisors and managers to enable them to work safely and to carry out their health and safety responsibilities efficiently.
Supervising:
- Supervising employees so far as necessary for their safety – especially young workers, new employees and employees carrying out unfamiliar tasks.
Keeping check:
- Regular inspections and checks of the workplace, machinery appliances and working methods.
