Whole Again Communities (WAC) will:

·       Conduct a Health & Safety Induction, using our policy document “Health & Safety Induction for WAC service users” with every new member of staff, volunteer, and workshop participant at the start of their involvement with WAC.

·       Provide adequate control of the health and safety risk arising from our work activities

·       Consult with our staff, volunteers and service users on matters affecting their health and safety

·       Provide and maintain safe offices and equipment

·       Provide information, instruction and supervision for staff, volunteers and service users

·       Ensure all staff, volunteers and service users are competent to do their tasks, and give them adequate training

·       Prevent accidents and cases of work –related ill health

·       Maintain safe and healthy working conditions

·       Review and revise this policy as necessary at regular intervals

Responsibilities

WAC has overall and final responsibility for health and safety. We will, where possible, appoint one of our members to take lead responsibility for championing and overseeing Health & Safety issues.

Day to day responsibility for ensuring this policy is put into practice is delegated to the CEO (Liz Sullivan). All staff, volunteers and service users must

·       Co-operate with the CEO on health and safety matters

·       Not interfere with anything provided to safeguard their health and safety

·       Take reasonable care of their own health and safety

·       Report all health and safety concerns to Liz Sullivan

Consultation With WAC members

WAC will consult with staff and volunteers collectively on all matters regarding health and safety including:

·       The introduction of any measure which may substantially affect their health and safety at work, for example the introduction of new equipment or new systems of working

·       Arrangements for getting competent people to help them comply with health and safety laws

·       The information we are giving them on the risks and dangers arising from their work, measures to reduce or eliminate these risks and what they should do if they are exposed to a risk

·       The planning and organisation of health and safety training

·       The health and safety consequences of introducing new technology

Health And Safety Risks Arising From Work Activities

Key areas of risk at WAC are

·       Fire – including hot surfaces and liquids associated with preparing and serving food

·       Work equipment including bladed instruments, blenders and equipment associated with preparing food

·       Temperatures

·       Slips, trips and falls

·       Substances hazardous to health (including dust, fumes etc)

·       Personal safety

·       Events, including the use of outside venues and involving carrying/lifting

·       Display screen equipment (VDUs)

·       Confined spaces

·       Electricity

·       Falling objects/collapsing structures

·       Work related upper limb disorders

·       Stress

Periodic WAC risk assessments will be undertaken by the CEO with staff and volunteers, following HSE guidance. They will

·       Identify the hazards

·       Decide who might be harmed and how

·       Evaluate the risks and decide on precautions

·       Record findings and implement them

·       Review assessments and update them if necessary

Action required to remove or control risks will be approved by WAC.

The CEO is responsible for ensuring that any action required is implemented and for checking with staff and volunteers that the implemented action has reduced or removed the risk.

Assessments will be reviewed every year or when the work activity changes, whichever is soonest. Assessments will also be carried out whenever a new activity is introduced and/or a new location is used.

Staff and volunteers, in consultation with the CEO, will assess the risks in any public event organised, taking account of guidance available.

Safe Premises and Equipment

Identifying maintenance needs for premises and equipment is the responsibility of the CEO, with advice from staff and volunteers:

·       Ensuring effective maintenance procedures are drawn up is the responsibility of the CEO.

·       Ensuring that all identified maintenance is implemented is the responsibility of the CEO, to whom any problems found with premises and equipment should be reported.

·       Checking that new equipment meets health and safety need is the responsibility of the CEO.

Assuring Competency For Tasks And Training

General induction and job-specific briefing and training will be provided for all staff, volunteers and service users by the supervising staff.

Any staff, volunteer or service users health and safety concerns will be identified in regular reviews.

The supervising member of staff and volunteers will identify training and development needs of staff and volunteers and will arrange participation and training and development needed. They will also be responsible for monitoring the outcomes.

Training records will be kept in the main personnel file held by the Office Manager.

Information

The HSE poster Health and Safety Law will be displayed prominently, with the blank sections filled in by the Office Manager..

Accidents, First Aid And Work Related Ill Health

All accidents and cases of work-related ill health are to be recorded in the accident book.

·       Where outreach venues are in regular use, staff and volunteers will familiarise themselves with the location of the first aid box.

·       Investigating accidents is the responsibility of the CEO, as is investigating work related causes of sick absence.

·       Action on findings to prevent a recurrence of any incident is the responsibility of the CEO.

Reporting accidents, diseases and dangerous occurrences to the enforcing authority is the responsibility of the CEO.

Monitoring

To check working conditions, and ensure our safe working practices are being followed we will

·       Hold quarterly health and safety review meetings, reporting to Whole Again Communities Board

·       Conduct annual risk assessments, reporting to Whole Again Communities Board

·       Review the policy annually at Management level

·       Take any other action as necessary

Health and Safety Specific to WAC Service Users

·       Each group of WAC service users will receive a Health & Safety induction at the start of their series of workshops (see WAC Handbook)

·       This will be repeated for each new group of attendees.