A Health & Safety policy is a document outlining how a company will manage its Health & Safety obligations. Once a company has 5 or more staff, it becomes a legal requirement to have this policy written down. Typically contained within will be a general statement of intent outlining the company’s commitment to Health & Safety matters, information about how they will carry out consultation within the business and the arrangements it will have around how they will approach it.
Once written, a Health & Safety policy is normally endorsed and signed by the most senior person in the company and is normally reviewed annually or when any major material change deems necessary.
Knowing where to start writing a Health & Safety policy can be tough. When starting you should consider how the company currently manages matters around Health & Safety. Once you have this information, consider the areas you may require improving to meet both your legal and moral safety obligations. At the same time, you should also consider how you consult with staff and how you want that relationship to work. Once you are happy with all the above, get it all written down and communicate it to all members of staff for transparency. A Health & Safety policy should be a reflection on you, not an exercise in how much safety jargon someone can write. It should be suitable and sufficient for your size and what you do.