Health and Safety Policy
Statement of intent
Cooling & Heating Sales Ltd (‘The Company’) is committed to doing all that is reasonably practicable to ensure the health and safety of our employees, non-employees who do work on our behalf, and anyone who may be affected by our work activities. We will comply with the law as set out in the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and other relevant legislation.
We will achieve this by developing a positive health and safety culture throughout The Company and giving health and safety equal standing with other activities. We will progressively assess and control risks, and will maintain safe and healthy working procedures, conditions, plant and equipment to prevent accidents and instances of work-related ill health. Each individual has a responsibility for ensuring the safety of themselves and others.
Employees’ responsibilities
We will consult with employees on matters affecting their health and safety and will allocate time for health and safety issues to be addressed at team meetings.We will provide supervision and training to ensure all employees are competent and able to perform their work safely and efficiently.
Employees have an important part to play in creating and maintaining a safe and healthy working environment. They have a legal responsibility to take care of the health and safety of themselves and any one else who may be affected by their acts or omissions.
Employees must co-operate with The Company and work in accordance with our safety rules and procedures. They have a responsibility to report any concerns or incidents immediately, so that remedial action can be taken. They must not undertake activities for which they are not adequately trained and experienced.
Employees must make proper use of, and not interfere with or misuse, all machinery, chemicals, safety devices and other equipment, including personal protective equipment, provided for their health and safety. Failure to comply with health and safety regulations may breach the terms and conditions of employment.
Management responsibilities
The Company Director has overall responsibility for health and safety in the workplace. He will ensure that adequate time and resources in both staffing and finance are made available. We have three Safety Officers who have undertaken the Managing Safely course and have day-to-day responsibility for ensuring that this policy is put into practice. Competent Persons are appointed to assist the implementation of this policy at the office.
Risk assessments
The Company will use routine safety checks and inspections to measure health and safety standards, assess the effectiveness of control measures, and identify hazards and risks. Appropriate risk assessments will be undertaken and recorded as required by the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1992 and other legislation.
The Safety Officers will approve actions required to remove or control risks, to ensure safe systems of work are in place. The Responsible or Competent Person is responsible for ensuring the action required is implemented and for checking that the implemented actions have removed or reduced the risks.
Training, information and supervision
We aim to provide new and existing employees with suitable and sufficient information and training to be able to comply with the requirements of this policy. Health and safety guidelines are produced and available to all employees. Health and Safety Law leaflets are issued at induction. Health and safety advice is available from the Safety Officers. The Safety Officers will identify, arrange and monitor health and safety training needs and keep a record in the office.
Accidents and first aid
We have two qualified First Aiders, one based in the office and one based on the road, who are responsible for administering first aid. The first aid box is kept in the cupboard above the sink downstairs. All accidents and instances of work-related ill health are recorded in the accident book, which is kept in the office. The Safety Officers are responsible for reporting accidents, diseases and dangerous occurrences to the enforcing authority.
Monitoring and investigating
This policy will be reviewed and revised annually to maintain our safe working environment. Checklists and assessments will be reviewed annually or when the work activity changes, whichever is soonest. The Workplace Safety Officer is responsible for investigating accidents and investigating work-related causes of sickness absence. The Company Director is responsible for acting on investigation findings to prevent a recurrence.
Emergency procedures
The Workplace Safety Officer is responsible for ensuring the fire checklists and risk assessment is undertaken and implemented.
This Heath and Safety Policy will be reviewed annually.