Chapter 2 – Responsibilities
Duties and Responsibilities
We will ensure that employees are aware of their legal responsibilities whilst at work, the appointments forming our management structure and the duties and responsibilities allocated to respective employees.
We take seriously the health, safety and welfare of our employees and anyone else who may be affected by our work activities. We expect full cooperation from our employees to help us maintain safe working environments. It is our aim to create a positive safety culture and sustain high standards.
Employees empowered to organise, manage and supervise work activities are instructed to ensure that our safety policies and procedures are followed always. Activities will be completed without significant risk of harm or loss and risks will be assessed and measures introduced to enable this.
Where employees have limited experience of activities involving risk, supervision will be afforded until such a time when satisfactory competence is deemed sufficient. Training needs will be assessed for all employees and the necessary training to enable them to work safely will be arranged.
Employees are instructed to refrain from using equipment likely to cause harm. If they notice any unsafe equipment, acts or situations they must act and report this.
We have in place a system for periodic monitoring. The purpose of this task is to continually assess our performance with respect to health and safety. People have been nominated with specific monitoring responsibilities, from time to time they may be requested to aid.
The Health and Safety at Work Act places duties on employees to:
- Take reasonable care of their own health and safety and that of anyone else effected by what they do.
- Cooperate with us, enabling us to comply with our statutory
- Refrain from intentionally or recklessly interfering with or misusing anything provided in the interest of health, safety and
Employees are instructed to understand that failure to act and comply with legal duties may result with disciplinary action being taken against them, possibly by an enforcing authority.
Health and Safety Management Structure
This diagram is a representation of our management structure and organising strategy for health and safety responsibilities within our business.
The Town Council have ultimate responsibility for health & safety. At any time when an employee assigned with responsibilities is absent from work employees are instructed to consult the Town Clerk and raise any concerns regarding health and safety.
The Town Clerk
The Town Clerk has the overall and final responsibility for safety, health, fire and welfare. Contribution however is needed by all employees in order to achieve a safe working environment.
Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
- Understanding the Health and safety at Work Act and any other Acts, legislation or Approved Codes of Practice that apply to us and ensuring these are
- Initiating our Health and Safety Management System for the prevention of injury, damage and waste.
- Carrying out an annual review of the Health and Safety Management
- Ensure that we are supported and suitably advised on matters relating to health and safety.
- Setting objectives in relation to health and safety
- Arranging adequate funds and facilities to meet requirements of our Health and Safety Management System.
- Ensuring that any inspection, testing and certification is carried
- Ensuring that appropriate insurance cover is in place and
- Ensuring that suitable risk assessments are carried out by competent personnel and suitable records are maintained.
- Ensuring that risk assessments are reviewed
- Ensuring that all employees receive adequate and appropriate
- Ensuring that necessary health and safety inspections are undertaken within those areas and that prompt remedial action is taken when any unsafe practice or condition is apparent.
- Ensuring that suitable written records are kept and maintained of such
- Making reasonable enquiries to ensure that subcontractors engaged to work on our behalf and contractors engaged to work on our premises are competent to do so.
- Ensuring that disciplinary procedures are adequate to act against those who breach the Health and Safety Management System, rules or safe practices.
- Setting a personal
The Assistant Town Clerk
Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
- Understanding the requirements of relevant legislation and
- Ensuring that any item is so designed and constructed as to be safe and without risk to health.
- Ensuring that any testing or examination is carried out on any article to comply with all safety regulations.
- Co-ordinating the efforts of all parties on matters of health, safety and
- Carrying out risk
- Ensuring that risk assessments are reviewed
- Ensuring that risk assessments are undertaken on any new or proposed activities or processes.
- Bringing to the attention in writing of those concerned the significant risks identified because of any such assessments.
- Stipulating safe systems of work, so that all work is carried out in accordance with statutory requirements, codes of practice and our rules.
- Ensuring that employees are effectively instructed in safe systems of work and that records are kept.
- Ensuring that employees are adequately trained in proper and safe working methods and are fully aware of any hazards/risks.
- Ensuring that necessary health and safety inspections are undertaken within those areas and that prompt remedial action is taken when any unsafe practice or condition is apparent.
- Ensuring that suitable written records are kept and maintained of such
- Ensuring that all persons are aware of the fire procedures and first aid
- Ensuring that new employees learn to take safety
- Identifying training requirements of individuals and reporting
- Ensuring that all safety rules are
- Ensuring that all safety devices are fitted, properly adjusted and
- Ensuring that all hazardous defects are reported and subsequently
- Completing accident reports for all accidents involving injury, damage or lost time incidents. Reports are to be completed as soon as possible.
- Ensuring all accidents and incidents are properly recorded and investigated with a view to prevent re-occurrence.
- Maintaining good housekeeping
- Ensuring that all visitors are made aware of and comply with all aspects of health and safety legislation.
- Setting a personal
The Admin & Governance Manager
Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
- Familiarising themselves with our Health and Safety Management
- Ensuring that employees are adequately trained in proper and safe working methods and are fully aware of any hazards.
- Identifying training requirements of individuals and reporting
- Co-operation in releasing employees for training
- Ensuring that all employees are aware of the fire procedures and first aid
- Seeking to develop safe practices and encourage suggestions from
- Carrying out safety inspections in those areas under their
- Ensuring that necessary health and safety inspections are undertaken within those areas and that prompt remedial action is taken when any unsafe practice or condition is apparent.
- Ensuring that suitable written records are kept and maintained of such
- Ensuring that all safety rules are observed, and protective equipment is worn or used when appropriate.
- Ensuring that all safety devices are fitted, properly adjusted and
- Ensuring that all hazardous defects in the workplace are reported and subsequently rectified.
- Completing accident reports for all accidents involving injury, damage or lost time. Reports are to be completed as soon as possible.
- Ensuring that good housekeeping standards are
- Carrying out risk assessments to identify all hazardous activities and the risks associated with such activities.
- Bringing to the attention in writing of those concerned, the significant risks identified because of any such assessments.
- Stipulating safe systems of work, so that all work is carried out in accordance with Statutory and in-house regulations and Codes of Practice.
- Ensuring that all employees are effectively instructed in safe systems of work and that records of instructions are kept.
- Ensuring that risk assessments are reviewed regularly, particularly in respect to any new or proposed activities or processes.
- Ensuring that all visitors are made aware and comply with all aspects of health and safety legislation.
- Setting a personal example
The Employees
Responsibilities include the following, but are not limited to:
- Understanding and complying with any rules, policies and procedures introduced for health and safety and to comply with legislative requirements.
- Co-operate with the Management Team and other employees to create and maintain a safe working environment.
- Assisting us with the preparation of risk assessments or safety checks – after suitable training.
- Co-operating with any risk assessments and control measures
- Not intentionally interfering with or misusing any safety devices or arrangements introduced in the interest of health and
- Refraining from actions which are likely to cause harm to themselves or
- Keeping any work equipment in good
- Assisting with workplace assessment activities upon
- Reporting any accident, unsafe act or
- Ensuring that they understand our first aid arrangements and know where to seek assistance.
- Complying with our fire safety arrangements and participating with any evacuation drills.
- Informing us of any complaint, injury, illness or disease that they believe has been caused at work.
- Informing us of any personal circumstances, illnesses that may affect their safety or the safety and health of others whilst at work.
- Co-operating with us where an accident or incident is being
- Operating only items of equipment for which they have been trained, deemed competent and authorised to use.
- Helping us achieve and maintain good housekeeping
- Setting a good example for others to
Communication and Consultation
Health and safety arrangements, rules and procedures have been introduced to prevent accidents occurring thus protecting people against harm, however effective communication is vital to ensure these measures achieve their desired intentions.
We aim to consult with employees and others and will involve them in the decision- making process and development of our safety arrangements.
This Health and Safety Management System is made available to all employees, all employees will be made familiar with the contents.
The Employee Safety Handbook provides general safety information and refers to where further information can be obtained. It also provides details of our rules, procedures and arrangements. Employees will be made familiar with the handbook content.
We have devised our policies and guidance to ensure safe working practices are documented. Information relevant to each job or employee role will be communicated.
We have appointed various levels of management to implement, manage and assist with safety arrangements and procedures daily. Their duties include the communication of safety information to employees and others to ensure our policies, procedures and rules are being followed and standards are being maintained.
We will arrange the necessary training to ensure work is carried out without risk of harm. The management team are responsible for identifying any shortfalls with competence and consequent training needs. We will use credible and competent training providers for delivery of any external training.
It is inevitable that visitors and contractors will spend time at our premises. It is our intention to communicate any rules or procedures relevant to their safety to these persons. This we will do either whilst deciding for their visit or upon arrival.