First Steps toward Health and Safety Compliance

Article Published: January 25, 2008 at 4:30 pm

Content in: HR Clinic, Issue 3

Author: Rob Whiting

Basic Requirements

A practice is a business just like any other and, as a consequence, has legal obligations regarding the Health & Safety of its employees.* Some basic requirements are:

• A current copy of your employer’s liability insurance certificate (on display).
• A copy of the Health & Safety Law poster (on display).
• An accident report book.
• A record of any Health & Safety training given to new staff.
• A Health & Safety policy statement that set out, in simple terms, the employer’s aim concerning the employees Health and Safety and outlines how Health and Safety is managed in the workplace (why not display this document on the wall).

Emergency Procedures

Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, an employer has a duty to carry out a Risk Assessment to determine the precautions to be taken in the event of a fire and implement the findings of that Risk Assessment. Typical areas that will require addressing are:

• Fire Fighting Equipment.
• Emergency Signage.
• Fire Detection Equipment.
• Fire Drills.
• Fire Assembly Points.
• Fire Log Book.

First Aid

The Health and Safety (First Aid) regulations 1981, set out the essential aspects of first aid that employers have to address. The Approval Code of Practice and Guidance has been prepared to help employers understand and comply with the regulations and offers practical and realistic advice on what employers might do.

Basic requirements are a well stocked first aid box and an appointed person trained on First Aid at Work (FAW). First aiders can also be trained in defibrillation (AED), but remember AED’s must be tested and recalibrated by a competent person regularly.

* Under The Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 and The Management of Health & Safety at Work regulations 1999.

Further Information
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have an excellent website www.hse.gov.uk and information line (0845 345 0055) also, the Environmental Health Department of your local authority.

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