Health & Safety Services
The legal and moral requirement for employers to meet health & safety standards is well understood. The failure to comply with H&S law however can have serious consequences that are often less well understood, jail sentences are not uncommon for directors of small businesses following a serious accident.
Acton Jennings LLP will ensure that you are given sensible, practical support on how to meet your obligations. We do that by acting as the external competent person, (having one is itself a legal requirement), and by visiting your premises to report on current standards. We offer help with your risk assessments and we provide a tailored Health and Safety Policy together with H&S handbooks, that are unique to each client.
We also have an in-house Occupational Hygiene practice. You can find us in the British Occupational Hygiene Society handbook. Acton Jennings LLP offers a wide range of occupational hygiene services including thorough examinations of LEV systems, noise assessments, air monitoring etc.
Policies & Documentation
The law requires that all employers with 5 or more employees prepare a Health & Safety Policy and bring it to the attention of their employees. That's the law!
There are also sound commercial reasons why an employer, working in the construction or many service industries, regardless of their size, should ensure they have a robust Health & Safety Policy in place.
Acton Jennings is able to design and create tailor-made health & safety systems specific to particular organisational requirements. The likely form of this system shall be an overall Health and Safety Policy together with all relevant documentation to meet legislative requirements.
We also ensure that responsibilities for health & safety are effectively delegated to particular members of staff by setting out particular responsibilities of individual employees their own personal copy of a Company Employee Handbook.
Thereafter, we keep the documentation up to date. Whether forced upon you by a change in the law, or because of changes within your Company's arrangements, we carry out the amendments.
Inspections & Audits
Acton Jennings can carry out an in depth health and safety inspection of your Company premises, including multiple sites, if necessary. These inspections shall examine the physical working environment; the procedures and control measures already in place and your organisation’s approach to health & safety management.
These inspections enable Acton Jennings to determine what remedial work, if any, is required in order that your organisation meets with minimum health & safety standards. Details of necessary action are given as verbal feedback on the day of visit, and also as a management report with inclusions and additional supporting information, if appropriate.
All reports will be clearly written, avoiding so far as is possible, technical jargon. Recommendations for improvements will be provided in relation to hazards identified.
The Role of Competent Person
Regulation 7 of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 requires the employer to appoint a 'competent person'. Acton Jennings can act as that external competent person.
Advice & Continuing Support
As a client of Acton Jennings, nominated employees within your organisation are given access to competent advice, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week as often as is required.
The service also covers handling of correspondence on health and safety matters, without added cost.
We would also liaise with the enforcing authorities as often as is necessary in relation to health and safety matters. This service includes a serious accident investigation facility.
CHAS and Other Accreditation Schemes
CHAS and other similar accreditation schemes are being increasingly used by local, regional and national Government bodies, schools and large contractors as a means of 'vetting' their suppliers.
We are finding that more and more companies are being asked to join these schemes by their clients, even when they have worked for that client for many years.
These schemes are intended to simplify the qualification process when tendering or for contracts or when applying to be placed on approved lists of contractors.
In reality, achieving approval on CHAS or on some of these other schemes is administratively complicated, time consuming and, frankly, at times downright tedious.
We can help. Call us to discuss how we might be able to assist you and your business in this increasingly important area.
Indemnity Cover
Acton Jennings removes the risk of financial loss for legal fees following prosecution under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and other specified statutes.
Barrister's fees and other legal costs are covered through indemnities given in support of our professional work.
The indemnity also provides for legal assistance to appeal an Improvement or Prohibition Notice where we believe that there are reasonable prospects of success.
For further information with regard to this matter, including insurance policy wording please contact our office for assistance.