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Why Manage Health and Safety Risks
Our Philosophy
Safety Check
Safe Guard
Competent Person
Additional Activities
Confidentiality
Costs
Date of Work
Terms and Conditions
Ordering a Safety Check

All employers have a legal responsibility to provide a safe working environment for their employees. To assist your organisation Degrees of Risk can provide you with a range of health and safety services including:

• Independent assessment of the adequacy of your existing safety arrangements
• Supporting the development of a safety management system for the business
• Helping employees and senior management to meet their legal and moral responsibilities
• Controlling exposure to significant uninsured costs associated with accidents
• Meeting the increasingly stringent safety standards set by “principal contractors” including the provision of risk assessments and safety method statements
• Safety awareness training for staff
• Acting as a “competent person” to provide advice
• Providing evidence of safety management standards for insurers and assisting in the defence of legal actions.

Why Manage Health and Safety Risks

The Health and Safety Executive has investigated the total cost of accidents at work and has shown that not only do accidents significantly affect business profitability, but also that the majority of associated costs are uninsured. Their research showed that the ratio of insured to uninsured costs is at least 1:8, typically amounting to:

• 37 % of annualised profits
• 8.5% of a tender price
• 5% of company’s total running costs.

Our Philosophy

Our approach to health and safety differs from many other consultants in that we encourage clients to introduce their own management system to ensure workplace risks are properly managed and controlled. This is a philosophy endorsed by the Health and Safety Executive who are on record as stating that “risk assessments require ownership by management; the duty as well as the responsibility to undertake them cannot be delegated”. This philosophy is reflected in the two standard services offered Safety Check and Safe Guard.

Safety Check

A health and safety assistance package for a period of twelve months comprising a “Safety Check audit” at which we will, with a person you nominate:

• Review the health and safety risks within your company
• Assess the effectiveness of current health and safety policies and procedures
• Identify shortcomings in the existing safety management system
• Agree risk improvement priorities.

Following the audit we will prepare a report outlining the findings and making recommendations for risk improvements and how systems of control should be developed and maintained. The report will also contain details of sources of information that we think may be useful in understanding and meeting your obligations.

Recommendations would in practice have to be developed over a period of time.

We can undertake specific risk assessments on your behalf but this is outside the scope of this proposal.

Safety Check is often used to provide evidence of an organisation’s existing safety arrangements and an ongoing commitment to health and safety.

Safe Guard

This is a safety management system to help our clients act upon the findings of their Safety Check audit report. It contains guidance on:

• Developing organisational arrangements
• Planning and assigning responsibilities
• Developing safe working procedures
• Implementing safety management
• Risk assessment techniques
• Support strategies
• Accident prevention and investigation procedures

The Safe Guard system contains numerous templates including:

• Risk assessments forms – manual handling, substances hazardous to health, work equipment etc.
• Forms recording the issue and receipt of personal protective equipment
• An induction training syllabus
• Records of safety training received
• Post accident risk assessment and investigation procedures
• Pre employment health screening forms

For ease of use the system is published on a CD in “Adobe Acrobat” format.

To support Safe Guard, we can offer a telephone enquiry service to help our clients with additional information or advice that may be required during a twelve month period.

Competent Person

All work is undertaken by a suitably qualified “competent person”. As a minimum they will be a Corporate Member of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health - MIOSH.

They should normally be able to resolve any problems with the quality or timeliness of the work.

Additional Activities

Our recommendations may identify a need to expand the range of activities or support provided e.g. a noise survey or the appointment of an Occupational Hygienist. Where we have the competence to undertake the additional work we will welcome the opportunity to discuss your requirements but if there is a need to employ others we can help in their selection and appointment.

Confidentiality

All information gathered during the course of our work is treated as strictly confidential. Where a report is commissioned by an external party the report will be sent to the client for onward transmission to the contracting party. The report will not be issued to any third party without the express agreement of the client.

Costs

Our fee for a standard Safety Check audit and report is £500 + VAT.

50% of the fee is required before the audit work and the balance on delivery of the report.

The Safe Guard safety management system costs £500 + VAT. It is not sold in isolation of an audit.

Date of Work

Work is scheduled in consultation with clients and any other nominated persons.

Terms and Conditions

A Safety Check review is subject to Degrees of Risk standard terms of trading.

In preparing a Safety Check report we rely on the information provided by clients and their staff during the course of the audit.

We cannot accept any liability for whatever use the contracting party make of the report.

Ordering a Safety Check

To request a Safety Check audit and additionally a Safe Guard management system on the basis outlined, please complete, sign and date our enquiry and order form and fax it to 0161 877 0806.

If you wish to make further enquiries about our capability or approach please contact Degrees of Risk. Where we are not able to assist we may be able to recommend other specialist consultants.

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