Health at Work
This policy and procedure applies to all employees and workers based in or visiting our office location, and is designed to ensure that our working environments are as healthy and safe as possible and that nothing we ask our employees to do puts their health at risk. This procedure is designed to ensure the fair and consistent application of the policy in order to achieve and maintain appropriate standards of health, safety and well-being within the business.
We (the Company) reserve the right to vary, update and amend this non-contractual policy, from time to time, for various reasons relating to business needs or to reflect legal developments. Where a policy provides a benefit to you, this clause is not intended to create a binding obligation on us to provide the benefit. Our policies do not form a part of your contract, nor do they constitute terms and conditions of employment with us.
1.0 Background
The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 states that it shall be the duty of every employer to make sure, as far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of all employees and workers. We have statutory and common-law obligations in relation to the safety of our employees, workers and premises, particularly under Health and Safety and Employment legislation. This duty extends to all employees and workers and exists whilst an employee or worker is in the course of their employment.
Our statement of general policy is:
● To provide adequate training to ensure employees are competent to do their work;
● To prevent accidents and cases of work-related ill health and provide adequate control of health and safety risks arising from work activities;
● To engage and consult with employees on day-to-day health and safety conditions and provide advice and supervision on occupational health;
● To implement emergency procedures – evacuation in case of fire or other significant incident;
● To provide information instruction and supervision for employees;
● To maintain safe and healthy working conditions, provide and maintain plant, equipment and machinery, and ensure safe storage/use of substances;
● To ensure that our electrical equipment is maintained in order to prevent danger, including PAT Testing;
● To review and revise this policy every 12 months or sooner if work activity changes;
● The Health and Safety poster is displayed:
- Unit 7, ground floor, kitchen area
● The First Aid box and Accident Book are located:
- Unit 7, ground floor, kitchen area, additional first aid kit located unit 6, ground floor, kitchen area
● Accidents and ill health at work are reported under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR 2013).
2.0 Caring For Employees’ Health
The impact of illness and/or injury within the business can have major impacts on you, our customers and our business needs. Our aim is to provide guidelines for Line Managers to cover the following:
● Provide information and education on some common illnesses that affect the business;
● Provide information and education on how employees should respond to violent incidents that occur within the business;
● Provide a safer environment for customers and employees by reducing the possible impact on safety caused by impaired employees or workers;
● Provide information with regards to pregnancy related absence.
3.0 Employees’ Responsibility
Employees have a statutory duty to take reasonable care for their own safety and for that of other people who may be affected by their acts or omissions at work. You are expected to follow all workplace health
and safety directions given to you, all requirements under work health and safety legislation that may apply to you, and all procedures and policies that we have in place from time to time. You should:
● Take reasonable steps to ensure the health and safety of yourself and that of others who may be affected by your behaviour and activities at work;
● Cooperate fully with us to ensure that any duties or requirements imposed by or under any relevant statutory provisions can be complied with and/or carried out;
● Refrain from intentional or reckless interference with anything provided in the interest of health and safety or to misuse anything so similarly provided;
● Correctly use all safeguards, protective clothing and equipment provided;
● Adhere to any risk assessment and safety procedures and comply with any relevant information provided by the assessment;
● Assist, where required, in the investigation of all significant accidents and incidents in order to discover the cause and prevent any recurrence;
● Maintain good standards of housekeeping, tidiness and cleanliness, especially within your own working area;
● Report any accident and/or incident, hazard or near miss (whether or not personal injury results) to the Operations Team.
● Seek first aid treatment and report any injury (no matter how small) to your Line Manager;
● Report any defects to equipment without delay and not attempt repairs which you have not been authorised or are not specially qualified or trained to carry out.
4.0 Display Screen Equipment
We are committed to undertaking regular risk assessments on the use of display screen equipment ensuring safety of use for all employees and workers.
A DSE assessment is requested during your initial induction when starting at Breathe. Following this, the assessment is taken every 2 years, or if there are significant changes made to your working environment either in the office or from home.
Suitable equipment and information will be provided in order to ensure all users protect themselves from any adverse health effects associated with the use of display screen equipment.
Display Screen Equipment (DSE) is defined as all computer terminals, personal computers, laptops and CCTV monitors.
All DSE users (any person who operates display screen equipment for continual periods of more than one hour, and who in a normal working day will operate the equipment for a cumulative period of three hours or more) should personally assess their workstation for safe working in line with information provided. All DSE “users” will be eligible for an eyesight test.
Users are made aware that when using DSE, they should ensure that the workstation (including desk, chair, monitor, keyboard and mouse) are set up to provide the most suitable position for them. All
adjustable devices integral to the workstation should be used by the users to achieve this.
Any concerns regarding workstations, environment, and or lighting, ventilation and heating must be reported to your Line Manager who will respond to any reported concerns. Your Line Manager and/or the Operations Team will also advise you where they notice that the workstation set up does not appear to be suitably adjusted.
Refer to Appendix for more details.
5.0 Sight Tests
Employees who have elected to opt in to the Private Healthcare provided through AXA, receive a sight test that can be claimed back every 12 months, please refer to your AXA membership plan for details.
Employees who have elected to opt out of the private healthcare provided by AXA, will be reimbursed up to a value of £25.00 and will need to submit a valid receipt and claim via expenses, in accordance with our Travel Subsistence and Claimable Expense Policy and Procedure.
Where the sight test finds that corrective glasses or lenses are required for use only with DSE, a claim can be submitted via AXA Private Medical Insurance for a contribution towards the cost.
Where an employee has opted out of any Company provided healthcare plan we will contribute towards the cost of suitable eyewear up to a value of £40.00. You will need to submit a valid receipt with your expense claim and written confirmation from the optician that corrective glasses or lenses are required for DSE use only, for this to be reimbursed.
Where appropriate, users should take regular short breaks or undertake different tasks in order to avoid unnecessarily long periods at the workstation.
6.0 Time off for Sight Tests
Users are expected to attend eye tests and subsequent visits to the optician in their own time. Where this is unfeasible, reasonable time off will be given following discussion with your Line Manager.
7.0 First Aid
We will comply with The Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 which require employers to “provide adequate and appropriate equipment, facilities and personnel to ensure their employees receive immediate attention if they are injured or taken ill at work.”
As minimum we will provide, at its premises:
● a suitably stocked first aid box;
● an appointed person to take charge of first aid arrangements;
● information for employees about first aid arrangements.
● A trained team of first aiders
A list of first aiders can be found on the Breathe directory.
8.0 Fire Safety
We will comply with The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 [FSO] and will ensure the safety from fire of all relevant persons on, in or in the vicinity of the premises by effective planning, organisation,
control, monitoring and review of the preventive and protective measures.
It is everyone’s responsibility i.e. employee, worker or visitor to our premises, to familiarise themselves with the fire exits and fire procedures.
If you are pregnant or experience mobility issues and are concerned about evacuating the building in the event of a fire or a fire drill, speak to a Fire Marshal or the Operations Team in the first instance.
A list of Fire Marshalls can be found on the Breathe directory.
9.0 Abuse of this Policy
We will view very seriously any abuse of this policy and any breaches will be investigated under our Disciplinary Policy and Procedure. Serious offences may lead to termination of employment.
Appendix
Setting up your Workstation
Referring to the image below, set your workstation up as follows:
● Sit straight on to your desk with your eyes level with the top of your screen.
● Your screen should be positioned at a distance approximately arms length away.
● Adjust the height of your chair so that both feet are flat on the floor.
● In the seated position, your hips should either be level or slightly higher than your knees.
● Sit back into your chair so that your lower back is supported by the lumber support.
● Your keyboard should be directly in front of you, tilted and far enough away from the edge of the desk so that you can rest your wrists on the desk and not on the edge. Your elbows should be at right angles, forearms just above the level of the desk when you type.
● Your chair should also be high enough so that you can type comfortably.
● (You may remove the arms from your chair if the arms restrict you from getting close enough to the desk.)
● Your telephone handset should be within arms reach so that you do not need to stretch to pick it up.
● If you work from a laptop screen and a standard screen, raise the level of the laptop to reduce the distance that you need to look up and down or twist your neck.
● If you are a laptop user you should use a separate, standard sized keyboard, when at your desk.
● Position documents at about the same distance from you as your screen so that you do not need to refocus your eyes or twist your neck constantly.
Things to help
● Keep your desk clutter free so that you have room to type and move your mouse.
● Keep clutter under your desk to a minimum so that you have plenty of room to move your legs and to manoeuvre your chair.
● Close the blinds to avoid screen glare.
● If you cannot sit far enough back into the chair so that your lower back is supported you may need a lumbar support. You should speak to the Operations Team in the first instance.
● If your feet do not touch the ground, you may need a footrest. You should speak to the Operations Team in the first instance.
● If you are set up correctly but your wrists are not supported you may need a wrist rest. You should speak to the Operations Team in the first instance.
● Take a break from looking at your screen and focus on distant objects for a few minutes.
Things to avoid
● Crossing your ankles, sitting on your feet, resting on your toes on the floor or sitting so that your feet do not touch the floor as this will put undue pressure on your legs.
● Sitting at an angle to your screen as this will put undue pressure on your neck.
● ‘Putting up’ with an uncomfortable DSE set up. You should speak to a Health and Safety representative in the first instance.
● Staring at your screen for hours with no breaks.
● Using a flickering screen; advise your Line Manager or the Operations Team in the first instance.
Seating Position
Your posture is extremely important. Bad posture can put unnecessary strain on your back or cause discomfort in your neck, arms, wrists and/or legs. Use the below image as a guide for sitting correctly at your workstation.
