Chapter 1 – Policy
Health & Safety Statement of Intent
It is Macclesfield Town Council policy to ensure, so far as is reasonable, the health and safety of all persons affected by our work activities. The minimum standard we will adopt will be compliance with legal requirements and the associated appropriate codes of practice. However, our aim is not to only fulfil the spirit of the law and comply with technical requirements, it is to uphold the highest of health and safety standards. We will assess the risks from our activities and will operate according to the procedures that best promote health and safety at work.
We accept our responsibilities for health and safety and are committed to giving health and safety equal importance with other business matters. We will ensure that the resources necessary to achieve the objectives of this Health and Safety Management System are made available to all. We require cooperation from all employees to enable us to fulfil our legal duties and the objectives of this Safety Management System. To promote co-operation, procedures for consulting employees are built into this Health and Safety Management System. They have a duty to follow the standards and procedures laid down by us.
Equipment that enables tasks to be carried out safely will be provided and maintained to ensure their safe operation. Employees will be provided with appropriate training and instruction considered necessary to ensure that they know how to work safely. Risk assessments will be documented for significant tasks and where exposure to hazards cannot be prevented by any other means, appropriate personal protective equipment will be provided and instruction in its use and maintenance given.
We will maintain our premises in a safe manner and suitable facilities for welfare will be provided and maintained, as will arrangements to ensure access to first aid.
The Town Council have ultimate responsibility for health and safety and will nominate a competent person to manage operations day to day. Other responsibilities for health and safety matters have been assigned as appropriate and are described in our ‘Responsibilities’ section of the Health and Safety Management System.
The Town Clerk will oversee an annual review of this Health and Safety Management System and associated procedures to ensure their continued effectiveness. Where necessary to ensure legal compliance and promote continuous improvement, the Health and Safety Management System and associated guidance will be amended and communicated.
Signed……………………………………………… Town Clerk
Date ……………………….
Environmental Policy Statement
Macclesfield Town Council will help to sustain natural resources and protect the environment. We are committed to ensuring the health, safety and welfare of any person who may be affected by the waste materials that result from our work.
Whilst the environmental obligations and responsibilities fall to all of us, management are primarily responsible for ensuring our environmental implications are inherent considerations in all our business decisions. Management are ultimately responsible for the implementation and promotion of this policy.
We will arrange for the disposal of our waste products regularly, safely and in accordance with the statutory requirements. We will actively re-use packaging materials wherever possible, including folders and documentation.
Our waste disposal arrangements will be regularly reviewed and will ensure that our paper and cardboard waste is recycled wherever possible and disposed of responsibly where not. Recycling initiatives will be taken where possible to help protect the environment and make better use of our resources. Our employees are asked to consider the environment when printing.
Where possible the most environmentally friendly equipment will be provided with due consideration to those employees who work from home, ensuring that the consumption and energy required is considered prior to purchases.
We recognise that the empowerment of our employees is our strongest weapon in the battle for environmental protection and will therefore arrange for suitable training and awareness where possible on environmental implications of our work activities and the controls that are within our control. We will encourage our employee’s involvement in developing environmental improvements.
We seek excellence in every area of our work and are committed to continuing to improve our environmental performance by minimising our environmental impact and making resource efficiency the focal point and requirement of all our operations.
We aim to foster an understanding of environmental issues appropriate to and in the context of our business and those who work with us. Our intention is to ensure that we continually improve the environmental impact of our activities.
To achieve this commitment, we will:
- Strive to continuously improve our environmental performance, regularly reviewing our activities and policy and setting new targets to reduce any environmental impacts caused by our activities. This will include the consumption of energy within our premises, the reduction of waste materials including paper and cardboard through unnecessary printing.
- Comply with the requirements of environmental legislation and integrate approved codes of practice into our business operations.
- Reduce our consumption of resources and improve efficiency in the use of these resources.
- Ensure energy and water is used efficiently in all activities to minimise the consumption of natural resources and
- Manage our operations and activities ensuring we reduce emissions, pollution and waste.
- Promote the reduction, reuse and recycling of waste materials in all working activities to conserve resources and reduce waste disposal.
- Ensure all waste is disposed of in a safe and responsible manner through monitoring and taking necessary action where deemed appropriate,
- Procure goods and supplies which take environmental specifications into account, limiting the amount of waste products; we recognise that prevention is better than the cure.
- Raise awareness and encourage participation in environmental matters through discussions and training sessions for employees upon induction and at appropriate intervals.
We recognise our responsibility towards the protection of the environment and issue this statement as a commitment of both management and employees to minimising the environmental impact of our operations.
Signature: ……………………………………………………. Town Clerk
Date: ……………………………………………………………