Health & Safety Audit

If you employ 5 or more people, preparing a health and safety policy is a legal requirement.

The health and safety policy should be regularly reviewed and updated as necessary.

The health and safety policy statement includes information on the commitment to managing health and safety and the aims of the business.

It includes the names, positions, roles and their responsibilities.

Details the arrangements, including rules and procedures in place to achieve the policy aims.

The policy should be communicated to employees and be available to view.

Is an accident book or reporting system easily accessible for recording accidents?

Every business needs to keep a record of any accidents which occur on its premises, involving both employees and visitors.

Employers, the self-employed and people in control of work premises should submit reports under RIDDOR.

Reporting and investigating near misses can help you spot problems before they become accidents.

An accident reporting procedure or similar can be used to communicate requirements to staff.

A first aid needs assessment assesses the workplace to calculate the number of first aiders and first aid requirements.

Use the first aid needs assessment to check you have sufficient cover.

Suitable first aid personnel includes qualified first aiders and appointed persons.

First aiders need to be qualified to the level required and training refreshed before certificate expiry.

Including details on who first aiders are and what first aid facilities are provided.

Identifying the hazards presented by your work activities is the first step to risk assessment.

Risk assessments must be used to eliminate or control risks as far as is reasonably practicable.

If you employ 5 or more people, you must keep a written record of your risk assessments by law.

Risk assessments should be reviewed regularly, and updated if there are changes.

Put checks in place to ensure control measures are working, maintain and make improvements as necessary.

Sanitary conveniences should be separate for men and women (or lockable rooms), kept clean, ventilated, and lit.

You should provide an adequate supply of readily-accessible drinking water to all persons at work.

You should regularly check your welfare facilities to ensure they are suitable, stocked, in good working order, and clean.

Slip and trip hazards cause around 30% of injuries at work. Managing slip and trip hazards is a quick and easy way to improve health and safety in your workplace.

Good housekeeping can prevent slips, trips and falls and also minimise the risk of fire.

People need to be able to escape quickly in an emergency.

Having good visibility creates a safer work environment.

The workplace should be kept at a comfortable temperature where practical.

Users are protected from moving parts and emergency stop buttons are present.

Carry out a visual inspection of your equipment to check there are no signs of damage, overloading or burn marks.

A PAT test record sheet will help to manage ongoing maintenance and inspection requirements.

PAT testing is the examination of electrical appliances and equipment to check they are safe to use.

This can include smoke alarms and fire alarm systems.

This can include automatic systems like sprinklers and manual equipment like extinguishers.

Fire extinguishers must be checked, serviced and inspected regularly to keep them ready for action.

Your fire evacuation procedure details the action to be taken in the event of a fire and sets out how people will escape safely in the event of a fire.

Fire marshals have extra fire safety duties and can be trained in emergency firefighting, helping with evacuations, and carrying out fire checks and inspections.

Use a COSHH register to keep an inventory and help you keep track of hazardous substances used, stored, produced, and released within your business.

COSHH assessments are a type of risk assessment created for assessing hazardous substances, and are legally required under the COSHH regulations.

If the substance, the amount, the controls, or the exposure changes, your COSHH assessment needs to be updated.

Don't forget about harmful substances you create during your work, like dust, fumes, and vapours.

The storage area should be tidy, and free of hazards like sharp protruding edges or sources of ignition.

A DSE user is any employee who habitually uses display screen equipment within their work, often classed as someone who uses DSE most days for an hour or more at a time.

Carry out a DSE assessment for each DSE user in your workplace, and take appropriate action to resolve any concerns or issues.

Employers must provide and pay for an eye and eyesight test if a display screen equipment (DSE) user requests one.

Make sure new staff know about the health and safety hazards, risks and rules in the workplace. Have you created a health and safety induction for your workplace?

Assess your workforce for any gaps between the skills and knowledge workers currently have, and the skills they need to work safely.

Training records help you track worker skills, monitor when training needs refreshing, and prove legal compliance where necessary.

Training needs to be kept up to date to prevent skills and knowledge from fading and to keep up to date with new standards and processes.

Health surveillance will help detect early signs of work-related ill health and ensure that workplace safety controls are actually working.