Health and Safety Policy
Last Reviewed: June 2024
Introduction
The law says that employers do not have to have a Health and Safety Policy unless they have five or more employees. However, in the case of a Parish Council the members count in the same way as an employee and therefore it is recommended that Councils have a Health and Safety Policy.
Frampton Parish Council serve the residents of Frampton. Frampton Parish Council precept annually and all relevant documentation regarding the running of the Parish can be found on their website or by contacting the Parish Clerk.
Although Frampton Parish Council only employ one employee (the Clerk/Responsible Finance Office) the Council can have up to nine serving Councillors (Members) at any one time and the Members count in the same way as an employee.
The Clerk/Responsible Finance Officer (RFO) works predominantly from home. The Clerk has the relevant insurance in place for home working. The serving Councillors attend monthly meetings at either Church House Village Hall in Frampton or Hubberts Bridge Community Centre in Hubberts Bridge. Health and Safety notices are displayed at both these venues and first aid boxes are available.
Responsibility for Health and Safety
The Council recognises & accepts its responsibility to provide a safe & healthy working environment for employees, members and the public who may be involved or affected by its operations or activities. The Council will give the greatest importance to requirements of health & safety by considering it a responsibility, equal to that of any other function.
Lana Maclennan-James, Clerk and Responsible Finance Office has overall and final responsibility for health and safety and day to day responsibility for ensuring this policy is put into practice. The Clerk/RFO is also responsible to ensure health and safety standards are maintained and improved where necessary.
The Clerk/RFO and Members are also responsible to ensure they take reasonable care of their own health and safety and report any health or safety concern to the Clerk/RFO or the Chairman.
Arrangements for Health and Safety
The Clerk/RFO will complete a relevant risk assessment on an annual basis and take action where necessary.
It is the duty of the Chairman, members & employees to ensure operations, including those carried out by contractors on behalf of the Council are as far as is reasonably practicable, undertaken in accordance with statutory requirements.
All members and employees should be familiar with their obligations under statutory requirements especially those under:
• Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974
• Workplace (Health, Safety & Welfare) Regulations 1992
• Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations 2002
• Electricity at Work Regulations 1989
• Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences (RIDDOR) Regulations 1995
• Management of Health and Safety at Work 1999 & as amended by Statutory instrument no 2457 (2003)
• Provision and use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998
• Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 (as amended 2002)
• Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992
• Health & Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992
• Safety Representatives and Safety Committees Regulations 1977
• The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
• Lifting Operation and Loading Equipment Regulations 1998
• The Work at Height Regulations 2005
• Data Protection Act 2018 (GDPR)