Health and Safety Policy | Bettws Lifeline

Health and Safety Policy - 2025

Statement of intent

We are committed to ensuring the highest reasonably practicable standards of health and safety. In particular, we acknowledge our duties under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and secondary health and safety legislation.

Accordingly, we are committed to ensuring the health and safety of our employees, service users, sub-contractors and members of the public who may be affected by our work as much as is reasonably practicable, and will assess and alter our work conditions, systems and equipment where necessary.

We genuinely care for our staff, service users and any others affected by our work, and we design our systems accordingly. In addition, we actively encourage all our staff, service users and contractors to engage and cooperate on workplace matters, in particular health and safety.

Through this statement of intent and the implementation of the Lifeline Health and Safety Arrangements we will ensure that we are meeting the Policy aims, objectives and requirements. We will actively strive for continual health and safety improvement by complying with the Policy and by working in consultation with managers, employees and other partners. We will achieve this by:

Considering health and safety within Lifeline planning activities.
Establishing a proactive and positive health and safety culture.
Encouraging ownership and responsibility at all levels.
Assessing and eliminating, reducing or managing the risks that arise out of activities/ processes/and operations through the risk assessment process.
Monitoring Lifeline health and safety performance by reviewing arrangements and analysing accident trends to identify areas for improvement.
Ensuring that health and safety is considered as part of our employee appraisal and supervision process.
Ensuring that all employees within Lifeline are made aware of this statement of intent and our arrangements.

As the Directors, we accept that we have overall responsibility for health and safety.

Signed by: __Kay Jones______

Dated: ___30/06/2025_

Statement of general policy

More particularly, we are committed to:

Designated competent person with responsibility

Name and job title

Arrangements

Managing health and safety risks and thereby preventing accidents and work-related ill health. In particular, we have conducted a risk assessment (including fire risk assessment) and will review it when appropriate.

Joe Davies – Manager

Manager to ensure that satisfactory health and safety standards are maintained through effective management and risk assessment processes.
Manager to ensure that adequate resources are provided to maintain health, safety and welfare, and manage these resources on a risk priority basis.
Manager to ensure that procedures exist and are effectively implemented to identify and provide the information, instruction, training and supervision needed to ensure health and safety.
Manager to ensure procedures are in place for the reporting and recording of accidents and incidents, and near miss investigations and taking appropriate action to prevent recurrence within the statutory time scales.
Manager to ensure that all staff understand and accept their individual responsibilities regarding health and safety and are adequately trained to carry out their responsibilities.
Manager to provide clear leadership on health and safety and set a personal example.
All within Lifeline community to adopt a positive health & safety culture in all aspects of their work and behaviour.
Manager to provide all new staff and young people a full induction to the premises including emergency fire evacuation and fire safety. Refer to Lifeline Young person & Staff induction policy.
All staff to work proactively to promote a positive safety culture.
All staff to adhere to Lifeline health & safety policies and risk assessments. All staff to be familiar of the location of risk assessments.
All staff to speak with the manager if they are concerned or worried over any health & safety issue.
Ensure that contractors receive an induction to the premises/area they are working, including emergency evacuation. This will provide the contractors with information/ awareness of the hazards within the area of work, action to be taken, and the monitoring of their activities
Consult and seek advice where necessary; and work within local authority and government guidance and regulations.

www.hse.gov.uk

Ensure risk assessments are carried out for ALL activities, procedures & operations. Refer to specific risk assessment or policy for specific details.
Refer to relevant risk assessment before each activity.
Manager to ensure all health & safety policies and risk assessments are reviewed and updated annually or when necessary, whichever is sooner.
Ensure all staff are competent in completing risk assessments.
All staff to take reasonable care, while at work, to ensure that they do not endanger either themselves or anyone else who might be affected by their actions or omissions.
Not misuse or interfere with any safety equipment and/or protective clothing provided and avoid improvisation in any form, which could create unnecessary risks to health and safety.
Ensure that site and equipment is in a safe condition, before use and acquaint themselves with all relevant processes, materials and substances and use as advised. Report any defects, loss or damage to the Manager.
All staff to be aware of their capabilities and competence, both physically and mentally and inform the Manager if they feel unable to continue with their duties.
All appropriate risk assessments to be completed and received by Lifeline for any young person enrolling to access the Lifeline provision before the start of their first session.
View Fire risk assessment & policy for health & safety regards Fire safety.

Providing first aid where necessary and recording/reporting accidents when necessary.

Joe Davies – Manager

All staff to be appropriately first aid trained.
All staff to be aware and familiar with the first aid checklist & first aid fact sheet.
All staff to be made aware of location of first aid box.
All staff to be aware of location of accident books
All staff to be competent in completing accident book and reporting ALL accidents.
All staff to report all accidents, incidents (including incidents of violence, diseases and dangerous occurrence), near misses, as well as unsafe methods of work, unsafe conditions/tools/site/ equipment/premises/appliances/practices, and concerns about health, safety or wellbeing to the Manager (Joe Davies), even if an injury was not sustained.
A record of ALL accidents to be recorded and then signed off by Manager (Joe Davies)
Manager (Craig Farr) to review & investigate all accident reports and decide if it needs reporting to the Health & Safety Executive. If any accident needs reporting, advice will be sought from http://www.hse.gov.uk/riddor/reportable-incidents.htm

Communicating and providing training to employees on health and safety matters.

Joe Davies – Manager

Manager to ensure ALL staff complete a full induction in accordance with staff induction policy including health & safety matters before commencing in any Lifeline work-related activities.
All staff to be provided relevant training in regards to health & safety.
All new staff to be given copy of Health & Safety policy.
All staff to be made aware of how to communicate health & safety concerns/matters.
All health & safety concerns to be raised to Manager (Joe Davies).
Health & Safety matters to be raised & discussed during half termly/termly staff meetings.
All staff to be made aware in writing of any health & safety changes.

Engaging and consulting with employees on health and safety matters as appropriate.

Joe Davies – Manager

Half termly/Termly staff meeting to take place to include discussion of health & safety matters and review procedures.
All staff to raise health & safety concerns to Manager on hjs work mobile or joe.davies@bettwslifeline.org.uk
All staff to consult on health & safety matters after each activity/session or when appropriate.
All staff to consult and engage on health & safety matters during their daily duties/responsibilities.
All staff to take an active/proactive lead in consulting on health & safety matters as part of their responsibilities when working for Lifeline.

Implementing emergency procedures and evacuation plans.

Joe Davies– Manager

Refer to Fire Safety Risk assessment
Refer to emergency evacuation plan
Manager to ensure that staff are trained and competent, regular & realistic practices take place & clear actions and responsibilities identified.
Evacuation plan displayed on the wall.
All staff to complete full induction including fire safety, risk assessment, evacuation plan & fire drill.
All new young people to be made aware of emergency procedures and evacuation plan at the start of every academic term. Young people to take part in 2 fire drills per calendar year.
All fire drills to be recorded
Lifeline to consult http://www.hse.gov.uk/toolbox/fire.htm and http://www.hse.gov.uk/toolbox/managing/emergency.htm for advice and guidance on fire safety, emergency procedures and evacuation plans.
All firefighting equipment to be professionally installed and maintained

Manager to consult and seek advice where necessary; and work within local authority and government guidance and regulations: Shropshire Fire & Rescue & The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.
Refer to Accidents & Emergency procedure guidance.

Complete accident/incident recording and reporting procedures when appropriate

Joe Davies – Manager

Manager to ensure procedures are in place for the reporting and recording of accidents and incidents, and near miss investigations and taking appropriate action to prevent recurrence within the statutory time scales.
All staff to be aware of location of accident books.
Manager to ensure ALL staff are confident & competent in recording & reporting procedures.
All staff to report all accidents, incidents (including incidents of violence, diseases and dangerous occurrence), near misses, as well as unsafe methods of work, unsafe conditions/tools/site/ equipment/premises/appliances/practices, and concerns about health, safety or wellbeing to the Manager even if an injury was not sustained.
A record of ALL accidents to be recorded and then signed off by Manager.
Manager to review & investigate all accident/incident reports and decide if it needs reporting to the Health & Safety Executive. If any accident needs reporting, advice will be sought from http://www.hse.gov.uk/riddor/reportable-incidents.htm
Please refer to RIDDOR flowchart following incidents/accidents for guidance.

Refer to Accidents & Emergency procedure guidance.

Maintaining safe and healthy working conditions, including exposure to hazardous substances and ensuring reasonably safe manual handling procedures.

Joe Davies – Manager

Manager (Craig Farr) to ensure and provide a safe place to work and operate for ALL the whole Lifeline community including comfortable conditions, suitable maintained premises, lighting, accessibility, cleanliness, hygiene & welfare
Lifeline will working in accordance to the workplace (Health, Safety and welfare) Regulations 1992.
Manager will seek advice and guidance from http://www.hse.gov.uk/toolbox/workplace/facilities.htm
All hazardous substances will be stored in accordance with COSHH. Guidance and advice will be taken from http://www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/basics/index.htm
Refer to Hazardous Substances checklist
Where possible NO hazardous substances will be used and stored.
Wherever possible we will substitute substances that are harmful to the environment with those that have less of an impact.
Refer to Environment Policy.
to provide ALL Lifeline staff training including COSHH, manual handling.
Where possible all manual handling/lifting should be minimised.
Any manual handling will undertake a risk assessment before commencing in the action.
All staff to proactively contribute to a safe & healthy workplace.
Manager to undertake periodical reviews/assessments of all manual handling tasks.

In particular, ensuring work equipment is suitable, safe and maintained appropriately. The same person will be responsible for personal protective equipment.

Joe Davies – Manager

Manager to provide all equipment for Lifeline associated activities, procedures and work.
Staff to NOT use any personal equipment for Lifeline associated activities, procedures and work without prior agreement from Manager
All protective equipment to be authorised by Manager
All equipment to be checked before use each time.
Any defects, faulty equipment NOT to be used under any circumstances.
All maintenance to be carried out by a competent person/company with relevant training/qualifications.
All electrical equipment will be checked visually before use and will be PAT tested in accordance to guidance from the Health & Safety executive.

Ensuring adequate welfare facilities

Joe Davies – Manager

Manager will ensure all adequate clean welfare facilities are provided
Manager will work with premises landlord to ensure facilities are at an acceptable standard and maintained in accordance of guidelines and regulations.
If Manager is unsure on any concern relating to welfare facilities, he will contact https://www.hse.gov.uk/ and seek advice.
Manager will seek guidance from http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/l24.htm
Lifeline will work in line with the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992.
Lifeline will provide adequate toilet & washing facilities in accordance to guidelines set in http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg293.pdf
Lifeline will always consider facilities for all disabled people associated to Lifeline.
Lifeline will provide clean drinking water for all associated to Lifeline.
The facility of hot water will be made available.
A designated ‘smoking area’ will be identified for all people over the legal age of 18 to smoke. An appropriate ‘cigarette bin’ will be provide.
All staff will be provided with adequate breaks during their working day and an identified area to use during breaks.
Manager will put in place an effective system in place to ensure maintenance, cleanliness is always at an acceptable standard.
All people using facilities are to treat them with respect and report any concerns, faults or damage to Manager straight away.

Location of:

Accident book/log: Managers Office
First aid box: 1: Vehicles, 2: Managers office
Health and safety law poster: Activity room
Employers’ liability insurance: Activity room

Subcontractors are taken through the relevant procedures. Subcontractors who are engaged for lengthy periods are taken through most of the same procedures as workers, however as they have more control over the way they work it is not always appropriate. For subcontractors who work for short periods, our procedures are modified appropriately.

Accidents and ill health at work reported under RIDDOR http://www.hse.gov.uk/riddor

Policy Document Health and Safety Policy

Created by: Kay Jones

Date: June 2025

Next review: to be reviewed June 2027.