Appendix B 21300 policy – health & safety
Version: 7Last Updated: 30/01/08Expiry Date: 01/01/09
ECHRPotential Equality Impact Assessment: Low
1.About This Policy
1.1.This policy explains Hampshire Police Authority and the Chief Constable’s approach to health and safety and is aimed at all Police Staff and Police Officers.
2.General Principles
2.1. Hampshire Police Authority and the Chief Constable is committed to ensuring the health, safety and welfare at work of Police Staff and Police Officers, contractors, visitors and all others who may be affected by its activities.
3.Statement of Policy
3.1.Policy
3.1.1.Hampshire Police Authority and the Chief Constable recognise their duties under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, the Police Health and Safety Act 1998 and all associated legislation and is committed to ensuring so far as is reasonably practicable, the provision of:
a)A safe place of work and a working environment that is, so far as is reasonably practicable, safe, without risks to health and adequate as regards facilities and arrangements for welfare at work
b)Safe means of access to and exit from workplaces
c)Safe, well maintained vehicles and equipment
d)Safe systems of work and working practices, including comprehensive arrangements for workplace and operational risk assessments
e)Safe methods for handling, storing and transporting materials
f)Instruction, information, training and supervision sufficient to enable all staff to avoid hazards, including those associated with operational duties and contribute positively to their own health, safety and welfare.
3.1.2.In pursuing its safety policy Hampshire Police Authority and the Chief Constable will:
a)Provide a system for reporting accidents, diseases and dangerous occurrences to the Health and Safety Executive, in addition to maintaining statutory accident records. Recognising that operational duties and locations of police and support staff can be of a hazardous nature, the Hampshire Police Authority and the Chief Constable will take all reasonably practicable steps to control these risks and provide training programmes that enable Police Officers and Police Staff to recognise and minimise the risks as and when they arise
b)Provision of competent technical advice on health and safety matters to assist in the management of risks
c)Ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, protection against risk to health and safety of the general public and all other persons which may arise from the Constabulary’s work activities
d)Ensure that all Police Officers and Police Staff and as appropriate, contractors, sub contractors and other affected persons are informed of the policy and any supporting procedures and risk assessments issued for the purposes of maintaining a high standard of health, safety and welfare at work and the organisational arrangements for carrying this out
e)Provide expert support in the investigation of incidents, accidents, fires and dangerous occurrences
f)Actively encourage and support employee participation in achieving improvements in health, safety and welfare at work
g)Co-operate fully in the appointment of safety representatives by recognised staff associations and trade unions and provide them with sufficient facilities and resources to carry out their task
h)Ensure all contractors provide adequate resources in relation to health and safety and are monitored whilst carrying out work for the Hampshire Police Authority and the Chief Constable
i) Comply with current health and safety legislation in undertaking specific risk assessments to assess the risks to staff from the work activities they are required to undertake
3.1.3.In particular, the Hampshire Police Authority and the Chief Constable will ensure that:
a)Suitable and sufficient assessments of the risks to the health and safety of staff and others not employed by the Hampshire Police Authority and the Chief Constable but who may be affected by its work activity, are carried out
b)A record is made of the significant findings of the risk assessments and any persons or groups identified as being significantly at risk
c)Assessments are reviewed periodically or where there has been significant change in matters to which the risk assessment relates
d)Under separate regulations, specific risk assessments will be undertaken for fire, manual handling, display screen equipment, hazardous substances and first aid, pregnant and nursing mothers, young persons, Police Officers and Police Staff returning to work from ill health or injury and compliance will be ensured
e)Ensure that health and safety audits are carried out every two years to ensure Force compliance with policies, procedures and health and safety legislation.
f)Ensure managers are given sufficient time to be able to carry out their responsibilities in terms of Health and Safety.
3.2.Health And Safety Organisation And Responsibilities
3.2.1.The Chief Constablewill:
Be accountable for and have overall responsibility for providing an effective policy for health, safety and welfare at work and for ensuring its implementation across the Hampshire Constabulary;
Encourage and develop a culture of health and safety awareness throughout the Force;
In partnership with Hampshire Police Authority and through the decision making process, ensure that police funds include adequate resources to meet obligations under health and safety legislative requirements;
Report to Hampshire Police Authority any significant issues relating to the management of health and safety.
3.2.2. The Assistant Chief Constable for Personnel and Operational Services is responsible to the Chief Constable for formulating, developing and implementing health, safety and welfare procedures, auditing activities and implementing plans and performance monitoring. The Assistant Chief Constable for Personnel and Operational Services will be advised by the Constabulary’s Health and Safety Adviser, Occupational Health Manager, and the Constabulary Welfare Officer.
3.2.3.The Deputy Chief Constable, Assistant Chief Constables and managers are responsible to the Chief Constable for ensuring health, safety and welfare responsibilities are properly assigned and fulfilled within their areas of responsibility.
3.2.4.Operational Command Unit Commanders and Heads of Departments are responsible for ensuring compliance with health, safety and welfare policies within their Operational Command Unitand Departments and that health and safety arrangements are notified to all staff. They are also responsible for formulating strategies to meet all the needs of the Force policy.
3.2.5.The responsibility for ensuring risk assessments are drawn up or reviewed rests with the Operational Command Unit Commander or Head of Department. Personnel Managers are responsible for developing and monitoring a strategy for the implementation of health and safety procedures and practices across the OCU/Department and to chair their OCU/Department health and safety committee.
3.2.6.In order to reduce duplication of effort, model risk assessments are provided in the Force Intranet system within the Occupational Health, Safety & Welfare Intranet site. These must be adapted to meet the work activities of OCU and departments and placed on the OCU/department intranet front page.
3.2.7.Business and Finance Managers are responsible for coordinating building safety and maintenance, including fire safety issues.
3.2.8.It is the duty of all staff under Sections 7 and 8 of the Health and Safety at Work Act and Regulation 12 of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 to take all reasonably practicable care for the safety of themselves and others who may be affected by their acts or omissions at work. In particular staff must:
a)comply with all safety instructions
b)co-operate with the Constabulary so as to enable it to carry out its own responsibilities successfully
c)not wilfully misuse nor interfere with any item provided in the interests of health, safety or welfare.
3.2.9.Whilst the Police Authority for Hampshire has responsibility for police occupied premises, including agreed contractual obligations regarding Private Finance Initiative buildings and police staff, the Chief Constable undertakes the day to day control and management of health and safety issues within the force. The Police Authority shall therefore, so far as is reasonably practicable:-
- fully consider all the health and safety implications of reports and recommendations from the Chief Constable in the making of decisions or establishing policy;
- ensure the Chief Constable has appropriate resources available to manage health and safety effectively;
- Within the Police Authority committee structure ensure an adequate mechanism which will have an overview and scrutiny role with regards to health and safety issues;
- Appoint a lead member for health and safety with a requirement to attend and report on the Force Health and Safety committee.
- Review the Force health and safety policy in conjunction with the Chief Constable
- Keep itself advised of any significant developments in health and safety
- Ensure that health and safety matters are dealt with as a priority and encourage and assist the Chief Constable with the development of a positive health and safety culture
- Through the Authority’s lead member for health and safety be given access to information relating to health and safety, to satisfy the Authority that its obligations are met and that effective monitoring systems are in place.
3.3.Health And Safety Consultation With Staff
3.3.1.Hampshire Constabulary recognises the value of consultation with staff on health and safety issues. The Health and Safety Committee is chaired by The Assistant Chief Constable for Personnel and Operational Services with representatives from management, staff associations, staff representing a number of specialities, as well as the Constabulary Health and Safety Adviser.
3.3.2.The Committee meets quarterly, or more often if required. Minutes of Committee meetings will be sent to all Policy Group members and publicised for all staff to read within the Occupational Health Safety and Welfare Intranet site.
3.4.Accident Reporting
3.4.1.All accidents, near misses, dangerous occurrences, assaults and work related diseases, including accidents occurring to police officers travelling to or from home to duty and accidents to members of the public or contractors arising out of the Constabulary’s work activities, must be reported on form AD85, within 8 days, to the Occupational Safety and Health Welfare Unit. The form constitutes the accident file and signed copies should be held in each Operational Command Unitfor a period of five years.
3.5.Compliance
3.5.1.To ensure compliance with this policy and hence the legal duties of the Force, health and safety procedures will been formulated under this policy to advise managers of what they must do to meet these duties. Failure to follow these procedures will be deemed as not complying with the overall safety policy and may be dealt with as a disciplinary offence.
4.Implications Of The Policy
4.1.Financial Implications/Best Value
4.1.1.Not Applicable.
4.2.Staffing/Training
4.2.1.Hampshire Constabulary has a duty under the Health and Safety At Work Act and its associated legislation to ensure that all staff receive adequate health and safety training or information. Managers must ensure that staff attend the relevant Health and Safety training courses set out in the Health and Safety Training Procedure. This includes the requirement for three yearly refreshers.
4.3.Crime And Disorder Act
4.3.1.Not Applicable.
4.4.Bureaucracy
4.4.1.Not Applicable.
4.5.Risks
4.5.1.Failure of responsible persons to comply with the policy will be managed by the Force disciplinary procedures.
4.6.Consultation
4.6.1.This policy has been consulted with:
a)The Chief Constable
b)ACPO
c)The Assistant Chief Constable for Personnel and Operational Services
d)Heads of Department
e)Operational Command Unit Commanders
f)Safety Committee
g)Staff Associations
5.Monitoring/Evaluation
5.1.The Health and Safety Adviser will monitor and evaluate the policy against current health and safety legislation and Force requirements.
6.Review
6.1. The Assistant Chief Constable for Personnel and Operational Services will ensure that the Health and Safety Policy is reviewed annually and that periodic systematic health and safety audits and reviews are carried out across the Constabulary.
7.Related Policies, Procedures And Information Sources
7.1.Policies procedures and legislation linked to this policy are as follows:
7.2.The Force Health and Safety Training procedure
7.3.All Force health and safety policies and procedures
7.4.The Health and Safe at Work Act 1974 and its associated legislation
7.5.The accident reporting form AD85
7.6.The Force Model Risk Assessments
7.7.The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999
Origin:Occupational Health, Safety & Welfare
Chief Constables Signature: