Health and Safety Policy Statement

1. Introduction

Carrington Accountancy  is committed to ensuring that all employees are provided with a safe and healthy working environment. It is the company’s aim to ensure that:  employees are provided with safe and healthy working conditions; safe equipment and systems of work;  employees are provided with information relating to health and safety arrangements at the premises to which they are assigned, any risks identified and precautionary measures to be followed;  employees are competent to do the work which they are allocated and have adequate training; and  employees are aware of emergency procedures at the premises at which they are based;  employees have the opportunity to provide feedback on any matters affecting their health and safety;  accidents and cases of work-related ill health are avoided.

The organisation relies on its employees to comply with their obligations to cooperate with the company in achieving the aims set out above, to comply with health and safety arrangements in place at the premises to which they are assigned and to notify the organisation in the event of any concerns or any accident arising. The organisation will continue to monitor and review this Health and Safety Policy and the arrangements which are in place and will revise these whenever the need for any change is identified.

2. Responsibilities

The organisation, its employees and the clients for whom they work all have responsibilities with regard to health and safety. The organisation relies on full support and cooperation from employees and clients in ensuring that employees have a safe and healthy working environment. Details of the key responsibilities are set out below with further information provided in the following sections. The organisation has overall responsibility for ensuring, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of all of its employees at work.

Where employees are working at the premises of clients, arrangements are in place to ensure that health and safety obligations are complied with. The organisation relies on the full cooperation of its employees in complying with these arrangements.  In the event that an employee has any concern regarding health and safety arrangements at a clients premises at any time, he/she should report this immediately to a member of staff at the clients and Nicky Owen or, in her absence, any member of the team at the organisation.

Carrington Accountancy has obligations to provide information to employees on health and safety arrangements, safe systems of work, proper use of equipment and emergency procedures in place for those premises.

In particular:

3. Employees’ responsibilities

Sanctions for non-compliance

Any failure to comply with any aspect of the health and safety arrangements set out by Carrington or the client will be regarded as a matter of misconduct and will be dealt with under Carrington’s Disciplinary Procedure.

Due to the potential consequence of non-compliance, serious or repeated breaches or blatant disregard of health and safety procedures will be regarded as gross misconduct and may result in summary dismissal.

Additional risks may arise for any pregnant or nursing mothers or employees who have any disabilities. Employees should therefore notify any such circumstances to both:

– a member of the team or nominated Health and Safety Manager at the clients; and

– a member of the team at Carrington.

4. Safe equipment

All equipment which is provided for use in the workplace/home working should be fit for purpose and carry no risk to the health and safety of its employees.

responsibilities:

No employee should use any equipment if he/she has any concerns as to the correct use of that equipment or its safety, but should seek further guidance from the clients or failing this notify the issue to Nicky Owen, or a member of the Carrington team.

5. Display screen equipment

Where computers or display screen equipment are not used properly, this can lead to health problems such as back complaints, repetitive strain injuries or eye strain. In the vast majority of cases, these can be avoided quite simply by ensuring that workstations are properly laid out and equipment used by employees in the right manner. Where any of the organisation’s employees are required to use display screen equipment whilst visiting a client, the client is responsible for carrying out and assessment of the workstation and ensuring that the organisation’s employees are provided with:

If any employee requires any further information or assessment of his/her workstation, he/she should speak to the health and safety representative or their immediate team leader at the End User/client in the first instance. If he/she has any continuing concerns which are not addressed by the End User/client, he/she should contact Nicky Owen or a member of the team.

6. Manual handling  

No employee should be required to lift or carry any loads which might result in any risk of injury.  Where manual handling cannot be avoided steps should be taken to minimise the risk of any injury including use of any equipment provided.

7. Safe handling and use of substances

The organisation is responsible for protecting its employees from exposure to substances in the course of their employment which may be hazardous to their health.

8. Accidents, first aid and work related ill-health

First aid and Emergency facilities  

Birchin Court has first aid facilities and any qualified first aid assistance available at the premises together with details of the nearest Accident & Emergency Department or direct employees to where this information is available in the office.  The office has low-level hazards where first-aiders are not considered necessary, there is always the possibility that an accident or sudden illness may occur. It is therefore important that there is always someone available to take charge of these arrangements.

Accident reporting

All accidents, dangerous incidents and work related illnesses, no matter how small, must be reported to Nicky Owen at the organisation, or in her absence to any member of the team.

Carrington is obliged by law to report certain dangerous incidents, accidents, reportable diseases or related absences to the HSE under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 (“RIDDOR”).

9. Emergency procedures

Carrington is required:

All employees are required to check that they have been provided with sufficient information on the fire safety arrangements so that they know:

In the event that the above information has not been provided or any further guidance is required, the employee should raise this with Nicky Owen.

In the event of any continuing concerns as to the fire safety arrangements, employees should contact Nicky Owen or a member of the team.

All employees are also required as a matter of law to ensure that they do not block any fire escape or fire escape route or otherwise cause any obstruction to any staircases, passages, walkways, entrances and exits.

10. Working Time Regulations (WTR)

The Working Time Regulations set minimum daily and weekly rest periods and holiday entitlements and special arrangements with regard to night work. Different limits apply in some cases for workers under 18 years.

Carrington is required by law to ensure that employees are given the appropriate rest breaks and are not required to work beyond the limits set out in the Regulations.

If any employee believes his/her working hours are at risk of breaching the Regulations he/she should notify their line manager and Nicky Owen.

HSE checklist

HSE first aid emergency procedures poster

Nearest defibrillators to Birchin Court are:

Multiplex Construction
Available now 24/7 Public
296 yd

22 Bishopsgate
Not available now 24/7 Public
386 yd

Everest Advisors (UK) Ltd
Available now 24/7 Public
423 yd

122 Leadenhall Street
Available now 24/7 Public
425 yd

Lloyds Of London Insurance
Available now 24/7 Public
429 yd

Allied Universal
Available now 24/7 Public
468 yd
60 Lombard Street

Reviewed   Date

Sue Nancini 23/07/2024