Enforce a Company Health & Safety Policy
Every building firm must have a clear and simple Health and Safety Policy in place and those employing five or more employees must write it down. It should state who is responsible for what and when and how they will achieve the policy standards.Carry out Risk Assessments
It is a requirement by law that every employer or self-employed person must make detailed assessments of any risks arising during their work. Those carrying out the Risk Assessments must have knowledge of the Regulations and possess the judgment to ensure proper precautionary measures are put into practice. If you employ five or more people, you must keep a record of these Risk Assessments.Carry out Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH Assessments)
Assessments of hazardous substances must be made by competent and knowledgeable individuals and prevention or controls regarding exposure must be put in place. This could entail using protective masks or gloves or increased ventilation whilst using certain substances. If you employ five or more people, as well as observing and carrying out the requirements, you must also keep an actual record of these COSHH assessments.Follow Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007
CDM applies to all businesses, no matter what size. There are five parts to CDM and parts 1,2 4 and 5 are obligatory to all building businesses (just part 3 is obligatory for notifiable work) – you must ensure these regulations are complied with. Check out the HSE here which explains Part 1, 2, 4 and 5 for ALL projects.Report injuries under the RIDDOR Act
The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations places a legal duty on employers, self-employed people and others in control of site premises, to report work-related accidents, diseases or dangerous incidents to the relevant enforcing authority. This means keeping records of any incidents including the date, time and place of the event, personal details of those involved and a brief description of the nature of the event or disease.These are overviews of Health & Safety Executive’s policies (HSE). To ensure the work you carry out is compliant, you’ll need to read each HSE policy in detail.
Health and Safety Xpert provides you with comprehensive paperwork, to help you ensure you’re abiding by proper health and safety law. It uses your job details to assess the risks and produce all the guidelines you need to enforce health and safety on site. Some of the documents it produces include:
- Company Health & Safety Policy and Site Rules
- Construction phase health and safety plan
- Method Statements
- Risk Assessments
- COSHH Assessments
- F10 form
- Accident and incident record
- Fire plan
- PPE Register
- Pre-construction information pack
- Site induction checklist
- Site inspection checklist
…and much more.
Although firms with less than five employees are exempt from recording most types of health and safety records, risks still have to be assessed and implemented on site and policies must still be enforced. Producing the paperwork using Health & Safety Xpert actually makes it easier – it helps you to keep track of, and manage your health and safety operations more effectively, so there’s less chance you’ll miss something out.
Remember! A risk assessment (or other health and safety documentation) is only effective if you and your staff act on it. You must follow through with any actions required and review your health and safety policy on a regular basis.
