Agenda item

Report from the Strategic Director of Regeneration and Environment.

Recommendations:

1. That Cabinet approve the revised Health and Safety Policy (attached as Appendix 1).

Consideration was given to the report which sought approval for the revised Health and Safety Policy. The report also summarised the statutory requirement placed on the Council to ensure a Health and Safety Policy was in place that articulated the Council’s approach to managing health and safety.

The aims of the Policy were to keep staff and services users safe; document compliance with legal requirements; offer clarity of expectations across the Council; provide a framework for setting and reviewing Health and Safety objectives; ensure employees understand their obligations; ensure all in a managerial or supervisory role understand their obligation; enable participation, consultation and communication with officers and stakeholders; and to set the framework for continual improvement of health and safety across the Council.

The revised Policy (attached as Appendix 1 to the report) contained a number of changes as a result of the review and consultation. These were set out in the report at section 2.2. If agreed, the revised Policy would be communicated to the workforce and all employees would be made aware of the Policy and its intentions. Section 4 of the report set out how the objectives within the Health and Safety Policy would be delivered.

If approved, the Health and Safety Policy would be reviewed at intervals not exceeding 2 years. Any revisions would be subject to consultation with officers, Trade Union representatives and Elected Members.

As the production of a Council-wide Health and Safety Policy was a statutory requirement under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Management of Health and Safety Regulation 1999, there were no alternative options. The revised Policy had been widely consulted on by a number of services and groups. The Council’s Health and Safety Policy approach was also the subject of an internal audit. A draft report from the audit showed substantial compliance in the area considered with no recommendations for improvement. Quarterly statistics and the performance dashboard would be presented to the Health, Welfare and Safety Board and the Resilience, Health, Safety and Welfare Governance Group.

Resolved:-

1.    That Cabinet approve the revised Health and Safety Policy (attached as Appendix 1).