Health and safety policy should be reviewed on a regular basis in order to ensure that the workplace is as safe as possible for everyone who works there, and this includes contractors, visitors and any other people who might find themselves there during their working day. The exact schedule will vary depending on the nature of the workplace, with construction sites requiring more frequent reviews than offices, but once or twice per year will usually be sufficient in most situations.
How often should health and safety policy be reviewed? Generally, Health and Safety Policy is expected to be reviewed yearly, but other factors is also considered for this review.
Some of this factors, includes the industry you are in, the size of your company, and how you are managing your health and safety compliance program.
This article will discuss the factors that can determine when you should do your health and safety policy review, as well as some useful tips that you can use to make the process easier and more effective.
Why Check The Health And Safety Policy Regularly
It is a legal requirement for employers to have a health and safety policy and procedures in place at the workplace. The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 requires employers to provide a safe and healthy working environment for their employees. Reviewing the health and safety policy regularly helps ensure that it is up to date and compliant with the latest legislation. It also allows employers to identify any potential hazards and take steps to mitigate them. Checking the health and safety policy regularly is good practice and can help avoid potential accidents or injuries at work.
How Often Should Health And Safety Policy Be Reviewed
The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 imposes legal requirements for health and safety policy. However, there is no specific timeframe for how often the company’s policies need to be reviewed. It’s good practice to review your policies at least annually, or more frequently if there are significant changes in your workplace. This will help ensure that your employees are aware of the latest health and safety procedures. Reference
When The Review Needs To Take Place
There are a number of factors that may require your Health and Safety Policy to need review. If any of the below changes happen to the workplace or legislation, policies should be reviews.
1. Change of business location
If companies move to a new site or expand their existing workspace, there are new hazards and risks to consider. Carry out a risk assessment of the new space, and write a health and safety policy based on the findings.
2. When you increase your staff strength
Companies may decide to increase staff count, but higher volumes of people on-site can cause different health and safety hazards. New staff will also need to be informed of health and safety policies and procedures.
3. Adoption of new processes or equipment
If companies replace or acquire equipment, policies need to be updated with details of how employees can safely operate the new work equipment. Likewise, if new processes or activities are introduced to business operations, these should be included in health and safety policies.
4. After an accident or injury in the Workplace
Every accident or injury in the workplace or claim of work-related ill-health needs to be investigated. Accidents can draw attention to safety hazards and health risks that might have been missed in risk assessments and safety policies.
5. If employees raise concerns about health and safety
Employers have a responsibility to keep employees safe, so if any employees raise concerns about health and safety, policies need to be reviewed and potentially updated in light of this feedback.
6. When changes are made to health and safety legislation
Changes to health and safety legislation can mean that policies no longer comply with regulations. So after changes to legislation, companies need to review and potentially update their health and safety policies.
READ: What Is The Occupational Health And Safety Act
What Parts Of The Company’s Health And Safety Policies Are Part Of The Annual Review Process
The first step is to understand what parts of the company’s health and safety policies are part of the annual review process. For example, the legal requirements for health and safety policy may be reviewed annually. Other parts of the policy, such as the procedures at workplace, may be reviewed more frequently. The goal is to ensure that all parts of the policy are up-to-date and compliant with legal requirements. Reviewing the policy on a regular basis will also help to identify any areas that need improvement.
Some aspects of a company’s health and safety policy can change more frequently than others. A good rule of thumb is to review all aspects at least once a year. Procedures at work should be reviewed every six months, or even sooner if there have been changes to procedure or equipment. Health and safety committee members should meet monthly or quarterly depending on the needs of the business.
Health and safety training should take place annually or biannually depending on how often employees come into contact with new materials or technologies.
The third step in this process is to use feedback from employees, managers, health and safety representatives, and other stakeholders in order to make improvements where necessary.
What Happens If Something Is not Right In A Company’s Health And Safety Policies
If something is not right in a company’s health and safety policies, it could mean that employees are not following the correct procedures. This could lead to accidents or injuries at work. If this happens, the company may be liable for damages. Therefore, it is important for companies to review their health and safety policies on a regular basis to ensure that it meets the need of the organization as at the time.
NOTE: A health and safety policy review is a process in which an organization examines its health and safety policies to check that they are effective, up-to-date, clearly stated, communicated to all employees, easy to understand and supported by management. A health and safety policy review can be conducted internally or externally with outside help from experienced professionals who specialize in workplace risk assessments.
READ: Employers Responsibilities For Health And Safety
What A Good Company Does Once They Know There Is An Issue With Their Policies
A good company will take a proactive approach to health and safety and will review their policies on a regular basis. They will also have procedures in place to address any issues that may arise.
Additionally, they will communicate with their employees about the importance of health and safety and make sure that everyone is on the same page. Finally, they will create a culture of safety within the workplace so that everyone is always aware of the potential risks.
Related Posts
What Is Health and Safety Policy Statement; Steps to Prepare it & Sample
Why Coffee Shop Health and Safety Policy is Important
How To Write A Good Health And Safety Policy
