Maintaining H&S compliance is not complicated but it does require constant low level activity and keeping on top of things. Even this is anything but onerous as long as you do it frequently and don’t allow things to fall behind or build up into a large to-do list.
Record Keeping And Reporting
Maintaining detailed and accurate records of both H&S activities such as risk assessments and training, as well as incidents, should be promoted strongly as being a normal and necessary part of doing business.
Documentation is also a critical component of demonstrating compliance with the relevant legislation. You should be able to quickly show documentary evidence of all the activities that you company executed in order to maintain awareness amongst the workforce and compliance with regulations.
Plan, Do, Check, Act
The HSE has broken down the required steps into a simple 4-part activity list called Plan, Do, Check, Act. You can read about it here.
Plan – Planning your approach to maintaining and managing your H&S activities is a key first step. It is also an ideal opportunity to invite feedback from the workforce and get their buy-in to the process from the outset. Planning should include things like
- Who will be the authority or champion in the organisation for all things related to H&S?
- What mechanism or system will you use to monitor activities/incidents and to measure your H&S performance?
- What procedures you will put in place to deal with emergencies
- What training will be required
- How this information will be shared with the workforce
Do – Implementing your plan should include all of the mandatory activities, such as carrying out risk assessments, recording the items that need to be recorded, and so on.
Check – You plan must also include regular management reviews of your H&S performance, with any new risks or training requirements highlighted for action. It is always advisable to have everything reviewed and audited by a competent and qualified external 3rd party such as Workplace Risk Management. That will help ensure that nothing falls into the cracks and that your company is compliant. Penalties for non-compliance are very severe.
Act – All incidents require a review and any lessons learned need a plan to implement remedial action where required. Health and Safety is not a static thing. New risks materialise all the time need to be addressed.
Maintaining H&S Starts At The Top
Like any organisation, a retail business’s approach and attitude towards Health & Safety very much starts at the top. Attitudes are formed by the perceived behaviour of Board members and Senior Management with regard to H&S policies and procedures. It is very much led by example, especially where that example indicates lack of interest or care.
Whilst shop floor staff may never come into contact with Board members, the attitude percolates downwards and permeates through the entire organisation. Quite often, an experienced observer can assess the attitude of Senior Management simply by observing employee behaviour and workplace conditions on the retail floor.
Record Keeping And Reporting
Maintaining detailed and accurate records of both H&S activities as well as incidents should be promoted strongly as being a normal and necessary part of doing business. Documentation is also a critical component of demonstrating compliance with the relevant legislation.
It is well worth your while to investigate what a company like ours can do the alleviate concerns about H&S compliance in your business. Contact us today for a free professional consultation when we can review your requirements and explain our services.
