Our EHS Advisory service in relation to Workplace Safety Statements, Policies & Risk Assessments is designed to assist the client ensure no one gets hurt or becomes ill at work and helping the client be compliant with their legal obligations
A Safety Statement represents a commitment to safety and health in the workplace. It should state how the employer will ensure the safety and health of employees and other people who might be at the workplace, including customers, visitors and members of the public and state the resources necessary to maintain and review safety and health laws and standards.
The Safety Statement should influence all work activities, including:
• The selection of competent people, equipment and materials
• The way work is done
• How goods and services are designed and provided
As part of our EHS advisory services we work with clients to prepare their Workplace Safety Statement and the first step in this process is a detailed consultation wit the client.
From there then depending on the nature of the workplace in question we can conduct a comprehensive audit of premises, procedures, equipment and staff to identify and assess any hazards and risks.
Upon completing this consultation we will present management with a safety statement and is tailored to your specific workplace. The safety statement is designed to outline safety procedures, policy’s, resources, equipment and controls. It acts as a commitment by management and staff to promote and follow health and safety measures in the workplace.
A completed safety statement should include:
The areas that should be covered by the Safety Statement are specific and are set out in Section 20 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005. The Statement should be based on the identification of the hazards and the Risk Assessments carried out under Section 19.
It must:
• Specify how the safety and health of all employees will be secured and managed.
• Specify the hazards identified and risks assessed.
• Give details of how the employer is going to manage his or her safety and health responsibilities, including a commitment to comply with legal obligations, the protective and preventive measures taken, the resources provided for safety and health at the workplace and the arrangements used to fulfil these responsibilities.
• Include the plans and procedures to be used in the event of an emergency or serious danger.
• Specify the duties of employees, including the co-operation required from them on safety and health matters.
• Include the names and job titles of people appointed to be responsible for safety and health or for performing the tasks set out in the statement
• Contain the arrangements made for appointing safety representatives, and for consulting with and the participation by employees on safety and health matters, including the names of the safety representatives and the members of the safety committee, if appointed
• Be written in a form, manner and language that will be understood by all
• Include a review mechanism
• Have regard to the relevant safety and health legislation
The Safety Statement can refer to specific procedures contained in other documents either internal policies and procedures or 3rd party external guidance relevant to your organisation.
The main aim is to make sure that no one gets hurt or becomes ill. Accidents and ill health can ruin lives, and can also affect business if output is lost, machinery is damaged, insurance costs increase, or if you have to go to court. Therefore, carrying out Risk Assessments, preparing and implementing a Safety Statement and keeping both up to date will not in themselves prevent accidents and ill health but they will play a crucial part in reducing their likelihood.
Employers, managers and supervisors should all ensure that workplace practices reflect the Risk Assessments and Safety Statement. Behaviour, the way in which everyone works, must reflect the safe working practices laid down in these documents. Supervisory checks and audits should be carried out to determine how well the aims set down are being achieved. Corrective action should be taken when required. Additionally, if a workplace is provided for use by others, the Safety Statement must also set out the safe work practices that are relevant to them.
It is important to carry out a Risk Assessment and prepare a Safety Statement for:
1. Financial reasons:
There is considerable evidence, borne out by companies’ practical experiences, that effective safety and health management in the workplace contributes to business success. Accidents and ill-health inflict significant costs, often hidden and underestimated.
2. Legal reasons:
Carrying out a Risk Assessment, preparing a Safety Statement and implementing what you have written down are not only central to any safety and health management system, they are required by law. Health and Safety Authority inspectors visiting workplaces will want to know how employers are managing safety and health. If they investigate an accident, they will scrutinise the Risk Assessment and Safety Statement, and the procedures and work practices in use. It should be ensured that these stand up to examination. If the inspector finds that one of these is inadequate, he or she can ask the employer to revise it. Employers can be prosecuted if they do not have a Safety Statement.
3. Moral and ethical reasons:
The process of carrying out a Risk Assessment, preparing a Safety Statement and implementing what you have written down will help employers prevent injuries and ill-health at work. Employers are ethically bound to do all they can to ensure that their employees do not suffer illness, a serious accident or death.
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safety training or staffing? Contact our expert team
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