Looking after health, safety and welfare is more than just a legal requirement for your business, if you don't manage your health and safety properly it can be very costly. You have responsibilities that you must honour including: * Registering with the appropriate organisation - if you have employees in an office or shop, register with the Environmental Health Department of your local council, if you have a factory register with the Health and Safety Executive. * Responsibility for the health and safety of everyone affected by your business, including employees, anyone working in or visiting your premises, people affected outside your premises and by products and services which you design, produce or supply. * Having a health and safety policy, if you have five or more employees the policy must be in writing. * Carrying out a thorough risk assessment and making suitable arrangements for employee welfare. * Employers' liability insurance. If you employ five or more people, you must have a written health and safety policy and make sure your employees are aware of it. However, even if you have fewer than five employees it is advisable to have some written documents. The policy should contain your general approach to health and safety, including the appointment of "competent persons" to assist with the organisation of health and safety matters and ensuring that they are suitably trained and qualified. In addition you should refer to specific procedures you have for managing health and safety, such as your evacuation procedure in the event of a fire. The directors of your company still retain ultimate responsibility and could face civil or criminal legal proceedings if health and safety failures lead to an accident. Personnel You should provide appropriate health and safety training for all employees, informing them of preventative measures in place to control risks, particularly for those placed in hazardous situations and when employees are moved to another department or site. You should carry out a risk assessment and provide training, and ensure procedures are being followed whenever new equipment is introduced or working practices change. You must provide health and safety information in your workplace, including displaying the poster Health And Safety Law: What You Should Know or distributing the leaflet. The leaflet can be obtained from the HSE website, www.hse.gov.uk You must use appropriate safety signs, such as for hard-hat areas or slippery surfaces. You should include health and safety in employees' contracts, reminding them they, as well as you, are legally responsible for their behaviour, making behaviour that breaches your policy a disciplinary offence. Fire precautions You are required to adhere to The Fire Precautions (Workplace) Regulations which includes providing: * escape routes to a place of safety * fire-resistant doors and walls * fire-fighting equipment * fire alarms * emergency lighting * safe storage of inflammable materials * staff training Whether or not you need a fire certificate and, regardless of the number of employees you have, you must carry out a fire risk assessment under the regulations. You must ensure that your premises meet the standards set by the regulations, making necessary alterations if required. If you employ over 20 people, or more than 10 working above or below the ground floor, you will need a fire certificate and will also need a certificate for a public building or where more than one business operates in the same building. Hazards Risk assessment is a key part of health and safety and you must consider the general need to assess hazards. You must minimise the risks from work equipment, adhering to the special regulations that apply to dangerous equipment, inspect electrical equipment regularly, prevent employees suffering excessive exposure to VDUs without rest breaks, avoid unnecessary manual handling of heavy loads and when purchasing equipment or machinery ensure they are safe. You must ensure that your premises are healthy and safe, including the layout of your premises, providing suitable workstations and seating with adequate support, having a smoking policy and providing for employee welfare. Under the COSHH (Control of Substance Hazardous to Health) regulations, you must assess and control the risks from hazardous substances, ensuring that they are appropriately used, labelled and stored. Accidents and emergencies You must have appropriate emergency procedures in case of fire or other emergencies. You must have suitable first aid facilities and under the RIDDOR (Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations) rules, you are required to report serious injuries, diseases and dangerous incidents. All businesses must have an accident book that records the date and details of each accident, incident and 'near miss' including the injured person's name. You must report any accident that causes someone to be off for more than three days to the HSE or the local authority. Special cases * Your health and safety and fire arrangements must take into account any particular difficulties faced by disabled employees or visitors. * Special regulations cover the employment of people below 18 years of age. * Precautions need to be taken to avoid exposing pregnant women to situations which could harm either the woman or the unborn child. * If your business provides food, either to employees or to the public, you will need to register with the Environmental Health Department. * Businesses with particular dangers face extra regulation, these include the construction industry and businesses involved with chemical processing, mining, explosives and petroleum products. Business Link can help you to fulfill your health and safety requirements, including providing assistance with risk assessments, identifying and resolving training issues. Business Link works with you to build an understanding of what your business wants to achieve and can help identify the most effective solutions, and if appropriate, can assist with the identification of funding to ensure you achieve your objectives. Call Business Link on 01642 806666 or email info@tees.businesslink.co.uk to see how they can take your business to the next level. | 
Business Comment
Enterprise North East
Evening Gazette's
