Health and Safety - Personal Safety

Policy

The Board of Directors and the Chief Executive of the Society recognise that they have a legal responsibility to protect the health & safety of colleagues whilst at work. In order to fulfil this duty to protect the health & safety of colleagues, they have adopted the procedures described below.

 

Definition of Personal Safety at Work Incidents

Personal Safety at Work Incidents are defined as “any incident in which a colleague is abused, either physically or verbally, threatened or assaulted by another person(s) in circumstances arising out of the course of his / her employment”.

 

Control Measures

The following control measures will be implemented in order to reduce the level of risk towards colleagues:

• All premises will be assessed on an individual basis in order to highlight any potential risk that may occur, this will be achieved where necessary by including ‘personal safety at work’ as a category to be assessed within the risk assessment when localised at site level.

• Where potential risks are highlighted in the assessment the business will where reasonably practicable implement control measures to reduce the overall level of risk.

• Adequate resources will be made available to train colleagues, and to make colleagues aware of the use of the Society reporting procedure for all matters relating to violence at work.

• Where serious acts of violence at work occur, the business will make specific arrangements where required, with an external source for the counselling of colleagues. A review of the site’s Safe Stores risk assessment will also take place and a Safe Stores Officer will make a site visit to re-assess existing security controls.

• Where the Society develops new sites or carries out refits to existing sites, areas such as layout and design, use of CCTV and other security equipment will be installed and reviewed where necessary.

 

Manager’s Responsibilities

Site managers are responsible for ensuring that where necessary potential issues relating to personal safety at work are included as a category in risk assessments. When localised at site level, individual managers and supervisors are responsible for ensuring that the reporting procedure is followed for personal safety at work incidents in the areas they control and ensuring that the measures described below are carried out.

 

Colleague Responsibilities

Every colleague has a legal obligation ‘to take reasonable care for the health & safety of themselves and of other persons who may be affected by his / her acts or omissions at work’.

This means that colleagues have a duty to report any personal safety at work incidents in accordance with the Society’s reporting procedure.

 

Reporting Procedure

PERSON TO WHOM PERSONAL SAFETY AT WORK INCIDENT OCCURS

All incidents must be reported (however minor) to the line manager or supervisor, as soon as possible after the event.

LINE MANAGER / SUPERVISOR

All incidents involving personal safety at work must be recorded in the Safe Stores Branch Diary and reported to the site manager in all instances.

SITE MANAGER, OR PERSONS DEPUTISING FOR SITE MANAGER

All incidents that are classed as ‘Personal Safety at Work’ incidents should be reported by using the Safe Stores Branch Diary. If the incident is of a minor nature recording in this way will be sufficient. If a more serious incident has occurred that has resulted in personal injury, the local Safe Stores Officer must be contacted.

Guidance Notes for Managers

When considering any incident on the premises, the principal aim is to protect the health, safety and welfare of all colleagues who may be exposed to the risks of personal safety at work incidents.

The manager is responsible for continually assessing the level of risk on a day to day basis –daily checks of key customer facing areas for example, kiosks, checkouts and service desks, must be carried out.

Where personal safety at work incidents occur, it is important that the co-ordination of the incident is dealt with in a calm and professional manner. Where possible, having already dealt with the welfare of the person involved, you should begin to collate as much information as possible, as this may help in dealing with any follow-up action required.

All accidents and incidents must be reported using the electronic accident reporting program on C365.

 

Checklist

• Is the area still a danger? Do you need to move colleagues?

• Have you noted the names and addresses of customers who may have witnessed the incident if the severity warrants this?

• Was the incident recorded on CCTV? If so, keep a copy / burn off a copy.

• Have you recorded the incident in the Safe Stores Branch Diary?

• If it is a serious incident, have you informed your line manager?

• If it is a serious incident, have you informed PSG to offer support?

• Never administer any medication or alcohol to people who may be in shock.

• Always remove the person involved (however minor the incident) away from the main area, to a quiet area to discuss the incident.

• If the person involved is being sent home, is someone there for them?

• If the person is driving home, are they safe to do so?

• Always have the phone number of the Society Safe Stores department and the local police station to hand.

• Review the site risk assessment in full if it was a serious incident.

• Liaise with the Safe Stores department to ensure current control measures are adequate.

Whilst personal safety at work incidents are not an everyday occurrence, it is both important and part of the manager’s responsibility to ensure that colleagues are briefed on how to deal with such incidents. They should make all colleagues aware of procedures with regard to confrontational issues. Colleagues should be made aware of the importance of reporting all personal safety at work incidents.

If a line manager is in any doubt or has any queries or concerns regarding personal safety at work issues, they should contact their district or area manager to discuss it in greater detail.

The Society works in partnership with USDAW to reduce the risk of personal safety incidents towards colleagues and welcomes any comments that could help it to reduce such incidents.

 

Pandemics and Safe Working

During periods of pandemic (for example COVID 19), Site Managers should refer to policy and procedural advice provided at the time to control the risk and maintain personal safety.

 

Version Number

2

Date Created

09/2020

Replaces

11/2020