Health and Safety - Visitors on Society Premises

Policy

The Board of Directors and the Chief Executive of the Society recognise their responsibility for protecting the health & safety of visitors to Society premises. In order to fulfil their responsibilities, they have adopted the following procedures.

Definition

For the purpose of this policy, ‘Visitors’ are defined as those people who are not employed by the business but enter the Society premises in a capacity other than that of customers.

Drivers making deliveries or collections are excluded.

Procedure

Visitors should report to reception / customer services, who will ensure the details of their name; vehicle and who they are to visit are entered in the visitors’ book. There may be times when additional contact details will be required, and this will be outlined in the visitor log.

The receptionist / customer services will inform the visitor’s host, and he / she will meet the visitor in the reception / customer service area. Under no circumstances will unaccompanied visitors be allowed to enter beyond the reception / customer service area.

The visitor must be briefed on the site’s emergency arrangements that are to be followed including:

• Emergency exit locations

• Assembly point location

• Accident reporting

Visitors are the responsibility of the person with whom they have an appointment. This person, or a second competent person, will always accompany the visitor and ensure that the visitor is issued with and wears the appropriate PPE, where required.

On leaving the site, the visitor will be escorted back to the reception / customer service area, where they will book out.

Society representatives

All colleagues who visit sites other than their regular place of work will be classed as ‘visitors’ and must consider their own personal safety, always co-operating with Site Management, in regard to, the site’s health and safety arrangements.

Visiting colleagues are not authorised to you use specialist equipment or complete high risk tasks without permission. If in doubt check the site management team and refer to the site specific risk assessment.

When visiting trading locations, colleagues should be aware of their interactions with customers and refrain from putting themselves at risk if a situation of conflict/confrontation should occur

On arrival at site, visiting colleagues must:

• Sign in using the site's visitor log book

• Provide Society “proof of ID” ( which should be worn throughout the visit)

• Brief the site management on the purpose for the visit

• Outline any specific requirements or access needs for the visit

Visiting colleagues must ensure that they are made aware of the site’s emergency arrangements from Site Management, and the expected actions to take including:

• Emergency exit locations

• Assembly point location

• Accident reporting

On leaving the site, the visiting colleague must inform the Site Management team and sign out of the visitors log book.

Copies of the ‘Visitor Sign-In Sheets’ are located on Colleague Connect, Health & Safety forms page.