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DIVERSITY
HOUSE HEALTH AND SAFETY POLICY
Diversity House Limited is
committed to ensuring the health, safety and welfare of its
volunteer/employees and it will, so far as is reasonably
practicable, establish procedures and systems necessary to
implement this commitment and to comply with its statutory
obligations on health and safety. It is the responsibility of
each volunteer/employee to familiarise themselves and comply
with Diversity House Limited’s procedures and systems on health
and safety.
While Diversity House Limited will
take all reasonable steps to ensure the health and safety of its
volunteer/employees, health and safety at work is also the
responsibility of the volunteer/employees themselves. It is the
duty of each volunteer/employee to take reasonable care of their
own and other people’s health, safety and welfare and to report
any situation which may pose a serious or imminent threat to the
well being of themselves or of any other person. If an
volunteer/employee is unsure how to perform a certain task or
feels it would be dangerous to perform a specific job or use
specific equipment, then it is the volunteer/employee’s duty to
report this as soon as possible to any member or representative
of the organisation.
Disciplinary action under
Diversity House Limited’s disciplinary procedure may be taken
against any volunteer/employee who violates health and safety
rules and procedures or who fails to perform their duties under
health and safety legislation. Depending on the seriousness of
the offence, it may amount to potential gross misconduct
rendering the volunteer/employee liable to summary dismissal.
Diversity House Limited will
provide and maintain a healthy and safe working environment with
the objective of minimising the number of instances of
occupational accidents and illnesses. Diversity House Limited
will pay particular attention to:
1. Maintaining the workplace in a
safe condition and providing adequate facilities and
arrangements for welfare at work.
2. Providing a safe means of
access to and egress from the workplace.
3. The provision and maintenance
of equipment and systems of work that are safe.
4. Arrangements for ensuring
safety to health in connection with the use, handling, storage
and transport of articles and substances.
5. The provision of such
information, instructions, training and supervision as is
necessary to ensure the health and safety at work of its
volunteer/employees and other persons.
Diversity House Limited also
recognises its duty to protect the health and safety of all
visitors to Diversity House Limited, including contractors and
volunteers, as well as any members of the public who might be
affected by Diversity House Limited’s work operations.
Organisation
The Board of Diversity House
Limited has overall responsibility for health and safety in
Diversity House Limited. Christine Locke is the chairperson and
has responsibility for overseeing, implementing and monitoring
health and safety procedures in Diversity House Limited and for
reporting back to the Board of Trustees on health and safety
matters. There are regular inspections of the workplace,
production of safety records and appropriate investigations of
accidents at work
Training
Safety training is an integral
part of an effective health and safety programme. It is
essential that every volunteer/employee is trained to perform
their job safely. All volunteer/employees will be trained in
safe working practices and procedures.
Volunteer/employees at special
risk
Diversity House Limited recognises
that some workers may from time to time be at increased risk of
injury or ill-health resulting from work activities. Diversity
House Limited therefore requires that all volunteer/employees
advise of any change in their personal circumstances which could
result in their being at increased risk. This could include
medical conditions, permanent or temporary disability, taking
medication and pregnancy.
First aid and reporting
accidents at work
A first aid box is available
located in Diversity House temporary or permanent premises
All volunteer/employees will be
shown the location of the nearest first aid box.
All injuries, however small,
sustained by a person at work must be reported and recorded in
the accident book. Accident records are crucial to the effective
monitoring of health and safety procedures and must therefore be
accurate and comprehensive. The accident book will be reviewed
on a regular basis and all accidents will be investigated and a
report prepared, with any necessary action being taken to
prevent a recurrence of the problem.
Fire
Fire is a significant risk within
the workplace. All volunteer/employees have a duty to conduct
their operations in such a way as to minimise the risk of fire
and they are under a duty to report immediately any fire, smoke
or potential fire hazards, such as faulty electric cable or
loose connections. Volunteer/employees should never attempt to
repair or interfere with electrical equipment or wiring
themselves.
Smoke detectors and manually
operated fire alarms are located at strategic points throughout
the workplace. If a smoke detector sounds or fire is discovered,
it is the responsibility of any volunteer/employee present to
evacuate the building. Fire extinguishers are also located at
strategic points throughout the workplace. Volunteer/employees
are expected to tackle a fire themselves only if it would pose
no threat to their personal safety to do so. If the situation is
dangerous or potentially dangerous, the volunteer/employee
should activate the fire alarm and evacuate the building
immediately.
Fire doors designed to slow the
spread of fire and smoke throughout the workplace have been
installed at strategic points. Fire doors are designed to close
automatically after opening and must never be blocked or wedged
open. Fire exits are also located at strategic points throughout
the workplace. Fire exit doors and corridors must never be
locked, blocked or used as storage space. All
volunteer/employees must ensure they are familiar with their
evacuation route and designated assembly point in case of fire.
Practice fire drills will be conducted on a regular basis to
ensure volunteer/employee familiarity with emergency evacuation
procedures.
Diversity House safety rules
• All volunteer/employees should
be aware of and adhere to Diversity House Limited’s rules and
procedures on health and safety
• All volunteer/employees must
immediately report any unsafe working practices or conditions to
their line manager, their health and safety representative or to
the safety officer
• Horseplay, practical joking,
running in the workplace, misuse of equipment or any other acts
which might jeopardise the health and safety of any other person
are forbidden
• Any person whose levels of
alertness are reduced due to illness or fatigue will not be
allowed to work if this might jeopardise the health and safety
of any person
• Volunteer/employees must not
adjust, move or otherwise tamper with any electrical equipment
or machinery in a manner not within the scope of their job
duties
• All waste materials must be
disposed of carefully in the receptacles provided and in such a
way that they do not constitute a hazard to other workers
• No volunteer/employee should
undertake a job which appears to be unsafe
• No volunteer/employee should
undertake a job until they have received adequate safety
instruction and they are authorised to carry out the task
• All injuries must be reported to
the volunteer/employee’s line manager or to the safety officer
• All materials must be properly
and safely used and when not in use properly and safely secured
• Work should be well-planned to
avoid injuries in the handling of heavy materials and while
using equipment
• Volunteer/employees should take
care to ensure that all protective guards and other safety
devices are properly fitted and in good working order and must
immediately report any defects to their line manager or to the
safety officer
• Work stations and work sites
must be kept clean and tidy and any spillage must be cleaned up
immediately
• Volunteer/employees should use
handrails when going up and down stairs, should never read while
walking, must close filing cabinet drawers when not in use and
must keep all floor areas free of obstruction.
Access
• Walkways and passageways must be
kept clear and free from obstructions at all times
• If a walkway or passageway
becomes wet it should be clearly marked with warning signs nd
any liquid spilt on the floor should be wiped up immediately
• Trailing cables should not be
left in any passageway
• Where objects are stored in or
around a passageway, care must be taken to ensure that no long
or sharp edges jut out into the passageway
Tools and equipment
• Machinery and equipment are only
to be used by qualified and authorised personnel
• It is the responsibility of all
volunteer/employees to ensure that any equipment they use are in
a good and safe condition. Any or equipment which are defective
must be reported immediately.
• Volunteer/employees are
prohibited from using any piece of equipment for any purpose
other than its intended purpose.
Manual handling
• Volunteer/employees should not
attempt to lift or move a load which is too heavy to manage
comfortably. Volunteer/employees should ask for assistance if
there is any danger of strain
• When lifting an object off the
ground, volunteer/employees should assume a squatting position,
keeping the back straight. The load should be lifted by
straightening the knees, not the back
• Volunteer/employees should not
attempt to obtain items from shelves which are beyond their
reach. A ladder or stepping stool should be used.
Volunteer/employees should not use chairs or any makeshift
device for climbing and should never climb up the shelves
themselves. |
