The Centre aims to ensure that all activities carried out on its premises or undertaken by its staff are managed in such a manner to avoid, reduce, or control, all foreseeable risks to the health and safety of any person(s) who may be affected by such activities to a tolerable level.

The College wants to prevent accidents and illnesses by making sure that health and safety considerations are at the heart of everything we do. To make this happen, we will be encouraging everyone to actively take part in and support this policy.

Specifically, we will:

• Provide and maintain safe premises and healthy working environments.
• Ensure we effectively assess risks and apply measures to control them.
• Provide and maintain safe plant, equipment and associated operating procedures.
• Identify substances that are potentially hazardous to health and make sure arrangements are made to control the risks they pose.
• Provide information, instruction, training and supervision to make sure everyone can carry out their work safely. These will be refreshed every so often or when anything that could affect health and safety changes significantly.
• Investigate accidents, incidents and cases of work-related illness, so we can identify and put right any shortcomings in our health and safety management processes
• Make sure we have effective arrangements in place to deal with injuries and reduce the effects of any incidents that could result in injury, ill health or damage to the environment.
• Make sure information on health and safety issues is shared across our organisation
• Make sure we involve and consult with employee representatives on health and safety issues.

The success of this policy review at least once in every six months relies on everyone being actively involved. We all have a valuable role to play in showing that good health and safety in the workspace makes good business.

The Centre recognises that safe and healthy working practices are essential parts of duties of all staff of our college and seeks to encourage employee and student participation in such practices. We undertake to implement the requirements of current legislation on Health & Safety to fulfil this duty.

The Centre has insured its premises, the contents within and has taken sufficient cover for Employer’s liability and Public liability. The Employer’s and Public liability insurance certificates are displayed.

The Centre will have named members of staff nominated and responsible for the Health & Safety of its members.

The Centre will ensure nominated people carry out risk assessment on a regular basis (at least once every three months), and the said assessment is recorded and filed according to the procedures.

The Centre will ensure that H&S Law Posters, Fire Certificates, other statutory notices, First-Aid boxes, Name of Person in Charge and any other relevant notices are displayed properly and clearly.

The Centre will display all registrations with Enforcing Authority.

The Centre will ensure its buildings meet with fire regulations, ensure adequate fire prevention and inform all concerned about fire procedures and fire assembly point and carry out regular tests and drills. Fire procedures are included as part of induction and information is readily available to trainees. All exits are clearly displayed and there is adequate fire alarm and emergency exits

The Centre will ensure there is an Accident Book and all accidents are recorded. A named person will be in charge of First Aid and First Aid procedures are covered during induction for trainees.

The Centre will ensure all heating, lighting, ventilation, wash and toilet facilities, refreshment work spaces, access, egress and rest facilities are adequate and within the Health & Safety regulations.

The Centre will ensure all staff and trainees receive adequate information on Health & Safety and risks. The Company will ensure there are safe systems of work and adequate supervision for staff and trainees. All new staff will be checked for their suitability to use all equipment. All safety and protective equipment (as and if relevant) will be provided and training given for their use. This will also apply to volunteers partaking career enhancement opportunities with us.

The Centre will ensure all hazardous substances are identified, information is available and training for their handling is given.

The Centre will ensure there is a record of testing and all electrical equipment is maintained in good order and information for their use is available.

The Centre will ensure training is offered for the correct use of visual display units (VDUs) and provide information on the risks of VDU use.

The Centre will ensure training and information is available for the manual handling of any loads.

The Centre will ensure that noise levels are kept to a minimum and if relevant provide protection against noise.

Staff and Students must ensure that they:

• Take reasonable care of their own health and safety and that of others who may be affected by their actions or omissions;
• Co-operate with the College on matters of health and safety;
• Do not interfere with or misuse any item provided for health, safety or welfare purposes;
• Report to management anything that they consider a serious and immediate danger to health
  and safety and any shortcomings in the college’s health and safety arrangements.

The primary purpose of reporting accidents and incidents and any subsequent investigation is to identify the underlying cause(s) of the accident/incident and any contributing factors and to prevent further similar occurrences. All employees and students of the Centre are required to report all accidents and ‘near miss’ incidents using the Centre’s accident/incident reporting system.