South Gloucestershire Council

South Gloucestershire Council – Here to help

Health and safety should not be scary or complicated. There are lots of self-help kits and documents available to help you and you can seek help from your local health and safety team at South Gloucestershire Council. Basically every business needs someone who is competent in health and safety; a safety policy; a risk assessment, trained & informed staff on safety and their premises needs to meet basic workplace standards. It is well known that businesses that are safe tend to be much more successful and their staff feel much more valued and secure.

What Information is Available?
If you employ more than 5 people you must have a written safety policy and risk assessment, which covers all the significant risks in your business, please see www.hse.gov.uk/risk/getstart.htm which tells you how to get started and gives you templates.
They are examples of complete risk assessments to adapt e.g. variety of shops, pub, warehouse etc. www.hse.gov.uk/risk/casestudies/index.htm

If you employ less than 10 people, there is a working document that you could use. Health and safety for your business all in one place ‘The Safer Workplace Better Business Pack’ This document can be downloaded at www.torbay.gov.uk/index/business/swbb/swbbpack.htm

The health and safety team at South Gloucestershire Council can coach you on this pack.

An A to Z of subjects ranging from asbestos to young people

www.southglos.gov.uk/NR/exeres/a804106b-6b76-4f8b-a179-659863b4d46b
If you need help with any one particular topic e.g. stress, click on the link to the right hand side of the page. N.B. not all these topics will apply to every business.

Workplace standards can be found at www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg244.pdf

Decide who will help you with your duties. Every business should have someone who is capable of managing health and safety called a Competent Person. This is someone with sufficient knowledge, experience and skills to manage it. No specific qualifications.

You do not need to employ a consultant; you and your employees have far more knowledge about your premises and procedures than they do, particularly to risk assess it. If you struggle with this South Gloucestershire Council, Health and Safety team provide a day course, which enables you to become competent, entitled ‘Health and Safety Course for Managers’.

For Free Advice, please contact:
Rachel Lacey 01454 864224
John Paul Bove 01454 863493
Robin Clarke 01454 863495
Jo Forbes Cooper (Thursday/Fridays only) 01454 863555
Sharon Humphries 01454 863651
General H&S Office Number 01454 868001

Alternatively please email any of the above officers at hsw@southglos.gov.uk