Decision ref
0068 2025/26
Decision date
15/01/2026
Portfolio
Governance
Wards
All wards
Title
Health and Safety Policy
Summary
To approve and endorse the revised Health and Safety Policy
Purpose
To ensure clarity and accountability, and to align with good practice, the Health and Safety Policy should be structured into three distinct sections:
• General Statement of Intent which outlines the Council’s commitment to health and safety, sets strategic aims and objectives, and is signed by senior leadership.
• Organisation which defines roles, responsibilities, and reporting lines, clarifies accountability at all levels of the Council, and supports effective governance and oversight.
• Arrangements for bringing the policy into effect which details the procedures and systems for managing health and safety, and includes risk assessments, training, emergency planning, and incident reporting.
Background
Under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, all employers, including local authorities, are legally required to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety, and welfare of employees and others affected by their activities. This duty is further supported by the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, which require employers to have arrangements in place for effective planning, organisation, control, monitoring, and review of preventive and protective measures.
The current Health and Safety Policy was endorsed in September 2023 and signed by the former Leader of the Council and former Chief Executive. The revision proposed will separate organisation and arrangements into management standards to ensure:
• Management responsibilities are clearly defined and not conflated with operational procedures.
• The policy remains adaptable and scalable, allowing for updates to arrangements and the altering of governance structures without the need to redraft the whole policy and submitting for further endorsement.
• It aligns with best practice models such as the ISO 45001 Health and Safety Management Standard and the HSE publication Successful Health and Safety Management (HSG65), which advocate for structured, systematic approaches to health and safety management.
• Continuous improvement through the Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle.
• Better performance monitoring and risk control.
• Consistent approach with other standards for auditing purposes
Conclusion
Approval and endorsement by the Leader and Chief Executive will ensure the Council's Health and Safety Policy aligns to industry best practice as described in ISO45001.
Risk Implications
The revised policy conforms with current best practice.
Measures to Redress Risk
Approve and adopt revised policy.
Declarations Of Interest
None
Equality Impact Assessment
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More information
Please contact Jan Bakewell on 01744 673209
