This is the health and safety policy for Innovate Educate Ltd/The Artery.Intent
Our Health and Safety Policy, as far as reasonably practicable is to:
- Prevent accidents and cases of work-related ill-health.
- Manage health and safety risks whilst working for Innovate Educate Ltd.
- Provide such information, instruction, training and supervision necessary to ensure that our employees are competent to undertake their work.
- Consult with our employees on matters of health and safety.
- Encourage all employees to engage in maintaining safe working practices.
- Provide and maintain safe plant and work equipment where applicable.
- Provide all necessary Personal Protective Equipment.
- Ensure that all substances relevant to our work are used, stored and handled safely.
- Maintain safe and healthy working conditions.
- Implement all necessary emergency procedures, including evacuation procedures in the event of fire or other significant incident.
- Ensure all safeguarding procedures are in place when working with vulnerable adults or children.
- Ensure that adequate provision is made for welfare facilities and that adequate first aid provisions are made.
- Review this policy annually and revise whenever there is a change in circumstances, in work practices or the introduction of new legislation affecting the policy, so as to ensure that these standards of health and safety are maintained.
Karen Merrifield, Director of Innovate Educate Ltd has overall responsibility for health and safety for those employed by Innovate Educate Ltd.
She also has responsibility day to day for implementing this policy.
Additionally, all employees or those representing Innovate Educate Ltd must:
- Co-operate on health and safety matters.
- Take reasonable care of their own health and safety
- Report all health and safety concerns to the appropriate person.
Arrangements for health and safety
Risk assessments
Appropriate risk assessments will be completed, kept under review and their findings implemented. We complete risk assessments for any off-site activity for which we are responsible. (HSE Risk Assessment template).
Communication
Where relevant a communications strategy will be created for individual projects delivered through Innovate Educate Ltd or The Artery.
For each there will be clear guidance on social media. All parties must consult with the director before making any posts to social media.
Innovate Educate often works in partnership and with funders. Where appropriate the funders logos must appear on any agreed communication.
The Innovate Educate Ltd and The Artery sees dignity at work as non-negotiable. Any of our representatives must:
- Respect every person’s life situation
- Listen and encourage other’s opinions and inputs
- Validate contributions, avoid unprofessional or hurtful behaviour
- Comply with Innovate Educate Ltd or The Artery’s policies and procedures.
Training
Training shall be provided on induction and on exposure to new or increased risks, for example following the introduction of new equipment, technology or systems of work. Refresher training shall be repeated periodically. Records of all training shall be kept.
Consultation
Consultation with staff on health and safety matters will take place routinely as they arise and following any review of health and safety matters where changes are required.
Fire safety
Innovate Educate Ltd and The Artery operate on a remote working basis. However, if working from Blake House or Patch, all staff will abide by its fire risk assessment. If hiring a venue for workshops, staff at the venue will either share fire procedures with Innovate Educate Ltd or The Artery participants or make the fire procedures known to a member of staff who will share the procedures with event attendees.
Working with children and vulnerable adults
Any of our representatives who work on site in schools on our behalf must be accompanied at all times by a member of staff from the school or education establishment.
It is preferred that all of our representatives have an enhanced DBS certificate.
In any event, none of Innovate Educate Ltd or The Artery’s staff will work alone or unsupervised or for extended periods with children or vulnerable adults.
All who may be in this situation must undertake safe-guarding training.
Accident or incident reporting procedures
- Where there is an accident or incident at work, an accident or incident report must be completed. Any accident at work or in connection with work (whether involving an employee, visitor or other person), must be reported immediately to the appropriate person who shall arrange for the accident to be investigated and an accident report prepared, recommending means of preventing re-occurrence where appropriate.
Where the accident or incident is of a type that needs to be reported under Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR).
Work equipment selection and maintenance
All work equipment provided by the employer for use at work shall be:
- Suitable for the intended use
- Safe for use, maintained in a safe condition and, in certain circumstances
- Regularly inspected
- Used only by people who have received adequate information, instruction and
- Training
- Accompanied by suitable safety measures, e.g. protective devices, markings,
warnings.
All equipment used must be maintained in a safe condition and in good repair. Where necessary, equipment shall be inspected to ensure that it is safe for use without risk of injury or damage and appropriate records shall be kept up to date.
The use of any equipment that is not owned by the employer must be authorised in advance.
Personal Protective Equipment
Most of Innovate Educate Ltd/The Artery’s activity does not require Personal Protective Equipment. However, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) appropriate for the risks involved and suitable for the task and the person undertaking it will be supplied and must be used whenever there is a risk to staff’s health and safety which cannot be adequately controlled by alternative means. Where PPE is required, it shall be provided at the employer’s cost and must be used by staff in accordance with any manufacturer instructions and any directions and training given. Any defects in PPE must be reported immediately on discovery.
Hazardous substances (COSHH), assessment and control measures.
It would be rare that any employee or representative of Innovate Educate Ltd would be in contact Substances Hazardous to Health. Risk assessments will be required for any such activity. In accordance with the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH) we will:
- Undertake assessments of all work processes where substances are involved and
decide which of the processes involve the use of substances hazardous to health
so that decisions can be made about necessary control measures;
- Maintain records of all COSHH assessments;
- Inform the workforce of any findings of any assessments and provide any person
exposed to substances hazardous to health with the necessary information,
instruction and training for them to know the risks to health created by such
exposure and the precautions that should be taken;
- Review all assessments (if the work process changes significantly) and annually
from the date of the original assessment; and
- Provide suitable Personal Protective Equipment.
Display Screen Equipment assessment/provision
- The workstation of anyone who uses display screen equipment for a significant amount of time (two or more hours per day) will be assessed (and where necessary adapted) to ensure that its design and layout will avoid visual fatigue and back, shoulder, neck, arms, legs and wrist aches. Adequate chairs, work surfaces and equipment shall be provided.
- Periodic breaks from using the equipment are encouraged.
- On request, once a year, a voucher (or reimbursement of cost on production of a
receipt) for an eye and eyesight test by an optician will be provided. If special corrective appliances for display screen work only are required and a normal appliance cannot be used, the employer will bear the cost of a basic appliance (e.g. the least expensive frame and basic lenses).
- Where necessary, training on the safe use of display screen equipment shall be made available.
Display Screen Equipment assessment/provision
- Adequately stocked first aid boxes will be kept on site.
