Industry news
Template for health and safety documents introduced
Posted Fri, 23 Oct 2009
New health and safety documents designed to help small and medium-sized businesses complete satisfactory risk assessments have been introduced.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has combined the requirements of a health and safety policy, risk assessment and written record of health and safety arrangements into a template document, designed to save time and money.
Along with the template, a range of example risk assessments for different industries have been created to demonstrate to businesses what is acceptable. Of the businesses that have used them, 90% said they helped them complete their risk assessments more quickly, saving half the time on average. Three-quarters of the businesses that tested them described them as being very good or excellent.
HSE Chair, Judith Hackitt said: "We want to help get the message to small and medium-sized companies that risk assessments needn't be time consuming, bureaucratic or complicated. But they are essential to managing dangers in the workplace. We encourage a common sense approach that is proportionate to the potential risks involved.
"Most employers are already well aware of the risks that exist in their workplaces, making it easy for them to complete risk assessments. The most important aspects of risk assessments are that they need to be acted upon and updated regularly."
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Health and Safety Executive