Health and safety

The senior management team recognise that they have a responsibility to ensure that all reasonable precautions are taken to provide and maintain working conditions which are safe, healthy and comply with all statutory requirements and codes of practice. The company will, so far as is reasonably practicable, pay particular attention to;

The provision and maintenance of office and systems of work that are safe and healthy
Arrangements for ensuring safety and absence of risks to health in connection with the use, handling, storage and transport of articles and substances
The provision of such information, instruction, training and supervision to ensure the health and safety at work of employees and others
The control of the place of work maintaining it in a safe condition
The provision of a safe means of access to and egress from the place of work
The maintenance of a working environment that is safe, without risks to health and provides adequate facilities and arrangements for welfare at work

Organisation and responsibilities

Executive: The Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) is responsible for safety in the company and will monitor the safety policy on a regular basis. The Board will be appraised of health and safety matters to ensure that sufficient resources are available to provide any health and safety equipment, personal protective equipment, training where appropriate in manual handling and the provision of eye tests for those who habitually use display screen equipment. Moreover, information and training for employees will be provided in order (as far as is reasonably practicable) to achieve and maintain a high standard of safety proficiency.

Safety officer: The board nominated safety officer has responsibilities that cover the maintenance of safety records, investigation of accidents, providing accident statistics, and keeping a watching brief on changing safety legislation. They report directly to the CISO. Full investigation of accidents will be carried out by the safety officer under the direction of the appropriate manager with a view to the prevention of future occurrences.

The safety officer is responsible for ensuring the company's obligations in respect of assessment control and monitoring of hazardous substances are met. The safety officer is also responsible for ensuring that the company's obligations in respect of assessment, control and monitoring of the workplace, work equipment, manual handling operations, personal protective equipment and display screen equipment are met.

Line managers: line managers have the responsibility to provide leadership and to promote responsible attitudes towards health and safety. Each manager will;

• in conjunction with HR, ensure that each new employee is given induction training, including the procedures appropriate to their specific jobs (all new members of staff will be made aware of the first aiders and procedure for recording accidents)

• ensure staff are made aware of any procedures in place if they face any serious or imminent danger, and the name of the competent person(s) designated to implement those procedures

• ensure staff for whom they are responsible are aware of this policy

• ensure that any temporary employee, before he or she commences work, shall be supplied with comprehensible information about any special occupational qualifications or skills required in order that the work can be carried out safely

• keep up to date with health and safety matters applicable to the operations of the company

• investigate all accidents with the assistance of the safety officer, with a view to prevention

• ensure good housekeeping standards are applied

• review periodically all new and existing equipment with reference to mechanical and operational safety and, in particular, the location of all equipment bearing in mind the requirements of the workplace and the use of work equipment regulations

• providing safe arrangements for the handling, storage and movement of materials, equipment and any substances hazardous to health

• supplying sufficient information, instructions, training and supervision to enable employees to avoid hazards and contribute positively to their own health and safety at work

• inspecting equipment such as lighting, passageways, fire alarms, fire escapes, fire extinguishers, first aid facilities and work practices on a regular basis to ensure their efficiency and maintenance

• ensure that the staff for whom they are responsible are aware of any procedures in place to deal with serious or imminent danger

• carry out regular safety checks and audits

Employees: All employees have a responsibility to do everything they can to prevent injury to themselves, their fellow employees and others affected by their actions or omissions at work. They are expected to follow company procedures in particular, to report any incidents which have or may have led to injury or damage.

All employees should ensure that they use any equipment provided in accordance with any training and instruction that they have received or in accordance with an user guides, and inform their line manager about any serious or imminent danger, and also report any shortcomings that they see in the protection arrangements. If the line manager is not available, an employee may stop work and immediately proceed to a place of safety in the event of being exposed to serious, imminent and unavoidable danger. Any employee who is faced with such a conflict between the demands of safety and his or her job should raise the matter as soon as possible with the line manager.

Reporting accidents

• In the event of an accident causing injury you must ensure that the injured person is being cared for and immediately send for a departmental manager/first-aider. DO NOT MOVE THE INJURED PERSON

• Report the full details to a First Aider who will record the incident in the accident book. The record will be regularly inspected by the safety officer. The accident will be reported to the inspecting authority as and when necessary

• Any "near miss" incident which occurs should also be reported to your immediate departmental manager who will be responsible for making a report to the CISO

• All accidents will be investigated by the department manager and the safety officer. A report will be made to the CISO who will ensure that necessary action is taken to prevent recurrence

First aid

Names of first-aiders and appointed persons together with information on how to contact them are given on the notice board.

Fire

Fire exits must be kept clear from obstruction. All employees must know their evacuation route and assembly point in case of fire.

If you DISCOVER a fire;

• immediately operate the nearest fire alarm call point. (fire alarm points are located around the office and are marked by a "Fire Alarm" sign)

• inform a Fire Marshal of the fire

• the Fire Marshals shall, WITHOUT PERSONAL RISK, try to put out the fire, if possible, with the nearest appropriate fire appliance

If you hear the fire alarm;

• the Fire Marshal will investigate the cause of the fire alarm

• the Fire Marshal will be responsible for calling the fire services

• leave the building immediately if instructed to do so by the Fire Marshal in a calm and orderly fashion. Use the nearest available exit and report to the fire assembly point

• DO NOT RUN. DO NOT USE ANY LIFTS. DO NOT DELAY FOR PERSONAL BELONGINGS

• do not re-enter the building until instructed by the Fire Marshal

Line Manager Responsibilities;

ensure that everyone is out of the building and accounted for

• ensure all staff are accounted for, keep them calm and safe

• make the on-call departmental manager aware of the situation

• if there is a proper incident (i.e. not a false alarm) inform any members of the senior management team on site

• do not re-enter the building until told to do so by the Fire Brigade or manager

• report the details of the event to all senior management team members and the office manager, via e-mail, once normal activities have resumed

Silencing the Fire Alarm;

• the Fire Brigade should be called out - dial '999'

• the fire alarm panel is situated in the front entrance of Unit 7.

• the button to silence the panel can be pressed to stop the noise, but this should only be carried out when both floors of the building have been evacuated and it is safe to do so

• do not press the re-set button on the panel as the fire brigade will need to be able to read the panel and assess where the fire started

• DO NOT RE-ENTER THE BUILDING UNTIL AUTHORISED

Display Screen Equipment (DSE)

Please see the display screen equipment policy for further details.

Good housekeeping

• undue hurrying and forgetfulness cause many office accidents. Do not run down steps. Use handrails going up and down stairs

• watch out for someone coming round a blind corner or opening doors quickly

• never read while walking (for example, mobile phones or documents)

• leaving lower filing drawers open causes many trips and falls. Please make sure they are closed

• electrical and telephone cords must not be allowed to lie uncovered on the floor and should be taped down, since they are major tripping hazards

• ensure that floor areas are well lit and free of obstruction

• spilled coffee or soft drinks and tracked in rain or snow should be cleaned up immediately

• pointed objects such as pencils, pens, letter openers, files and the like must be used carefully to avoid puncture wounds

• horseplay, including throwing paper clips, shooting rubber bands, tossing objects out of windows, is unacceptable behaviour and constitutes a disciplinary offence

Electrical equipment

Electrical equipment is normally safe, provided it is properly installed and regularly inspected. Remember that water and liquids are conductors of electricity and their association with faults caused by, for example, damaged cables, flexes, plugs and sockets, the overloading of circuits and fuses, etc. would make the shock more severe.

Therefore, you should;

• never touch electrical equipment with wet hands, or move any portable electrical equipment without disconnecting it from the mains, or make electrical repairs or do other electrical work unless you are an authorised person

• keep electrical supply cables and flexes away from wet areas or from where they will be damaged by being walked over or knocked when moving equipment about

• always switch off all equipment when not required (unless continuous operation is necessary), disconnect electrical equipment at night by removing the plug from the socket (again unless continuous operation is necessary and/or instructed otherwise)

report defective equipment to the CISO

• never bring portable electrical equipment into the office for either business or personal use without it being checked first by a qualified electrician to ensure that it is safe, and in particular, that the plug is properly wired and the correct fuse is used

Working at heights

Do not attempt to obtain items which are beyond your reach. If you cannot reach;

• get a ladder or stepping stool

• be sure the ladder is in a safe condition

• do not use chairs, open drawers, or any makeshift device for climbing

• do not climb up the shelves themselves

• do not overreach on the ladder. It is safer to get down and move the ladder

Manual Handling

The most frequently reported injuries are those caused by manual handling the transporting or supporting of loads by hand or bodily force. To prevent these injuries occurring you should;

• recognise your own limitations

• avoid lifting heavy or awkward loads

• seek assistance from trained lifters

• always use the correct equipment

• think before you act

Smoking

The company does not allow its employees or visitors to smoke in any part of its premises.

Disciplinary action

If you contravene the provisions of this policy, whether or not in doing so you place the health and safety of yourself or others at risk, you will be disciplined and (if appropriate) dismissed.