Health and safety

All employers, including voluntary organisations have a legal duty to ensure good standards of health and safety for their employees, volunteers, management committee members and the service users.

This will include carrying out risk assessments, providing employers' liability insurance and meeting fire regulations. 

A health and safety policy will help you to prioritise areas for future improvement and clearly show that you value your staff and want to look after their health and safety.  It is a legal requirement for employers with 5 or more members of staff.

 

Model Health and Safety Policy

Model Health and Safety Policy (Word file 273kb)

Model Health and Safety Policy (PDF file 138kb)

You can download a model health and safety policy which covers all aspects that your organisation may want to consider including risk assessments, fire safety, first aid and reporting accidents and personal safety.

For smaller organisations, you will find a simpler, shorter example of a health and safety policy at Employment essentials.

In addition if you work with children and vulnerable adults, you will need to develop a safeguarding policy.

 

When it all goes wrong (PDF download 20kb)

Sandy Adirondack looks at professional indemnity insurance for voluntary organisations. 
This article appeared in Voluntary Voice, December 2002. 
Sandy Adirondack is a trainer and consultant specialising in governance and legal aspects of voluntary sector management, and is co-author of The Voluntary Sector Legal Handbook.

 

Stress

A key issue in some organisations is the management of stress, and support for workers suffering from stress. If an organisation's risk assessment identifies stress as an issue, then the organisation is obliged to take action to reduce the stress. One cost effective way of dealing with this is with an Employee Assistance Programme.

Employee assistance programmes (Word file 159kb)

Employee assistance programmes (PDF file 40kb)

This documents provide information about employment assistance programmes and how they can benefit your staff. 

 

For further information:

• Health and Safety Executive (HSE) for free leaflets for employers about complying with the law including details of the regulations and risk assessment requirements.
• The London Hazards Centre for information resources, training, inspections and free advice for Londoners, aimed especially at workplace and community groups and health and safety representatives. 
• Business Link  providing practical advice for businesses including a section on health and safety .
• NCVO's Workforce Development team provide HR and employment practice resources, including information on health and safety .  
• Vol Resource website providing links to useful information on health and safety.

Books:

•  'The Health and Safety Handbook' by Al Hinde & Charlie Kavanagh, published by Directory of Social Change in association with Health @ Work and available via Directory of Social Change's website . 
• 'The Voluntary Sector Legal Handbook' by Sandy Adirondack & James Sinclair Taylor, published by the Directory of Social Change and available via Sandy Adirondack's website.  The handbook is a detailed guide to the law as it affects voluntary organisations and includes a chapter on Health, Safety and Security.
•  'The Good Guide to Employment' by Wendy Blake Ranken, published by NCVO and available via NCVO's website .  The guide takes you through the main stages of employing people and includes a chapter on health and safety.

Further advice

Seek further advice and guidance from your local CVS or umbrella group.  Alternatively phone PEACe on 0203 349 8921 Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday or email.

 

Page last reviewed: 20 July 2010