Introduction
This Health and Safety Policy forms part of the Blackpool Coastal Housing (BCH) Framework for Managing Health and Safety and should be read in conjunction with that document.
The intent of this policy is to give structure to the way BCH will follow the Plan, Do, Check, Act structure by:
PLAN for the management of its specific undertakings.
DO our specific business undertakings through organisation and implementation.
CHECK by monitoring performance, observation, inspecting and carrying out department reviews, and benchmarking against industry norms and standards through review and audit.
ACT on lessons learned by seeking out improvement possibilities and by taking positive action to control emerging threats.
By setting out clear guidance BCH will ensure that the responsibilities for health and safety are correctly assigned, and that these responsibilities are accepted and fulfilled at all levels of the organisation.
BCH expects its leaders and those with managerial responsibility to promote the highest practical standards of safety, health and wellbeing throughout the organisation in the performance of its activities and set a good example for others to follow.
This, however, is not exclusive to management and should be a mutual objective for all employees with the acceptance that Health and Safety is everyone’s responsibility, and it is only by all of us working together that we will deliver this policy successfully.
BCH will continually seek to challenge its performance by setting targets which aim to improve its health and safety performance so that incidents and ill health are eliminated. By doing this BCH will look to ensure the workplace adds value to life for the benefit of both the individual and the organisation.
This Health and Safety Policy will be complimented by topic specific Policies, Procedures, Guidance and Information. These documents will be produced either by the Health and Safety Advisor or will be drafted by section line management under the advice of the Health and Safety Advisor.
BCH aims to manage all health and safety related actions via an electronic software based Safety Management System named ASSURE where access is available. This will ensure consistency in the management approach, ensure all health and safety management information is easily accessible and allow for local and corporate monitoring of actions.
Where electronic access is unavailable line management will ensure that paper based systems are implemented. The required information will be transferred/uploaded at the earliest convenience onto the ASSURE system in line with reporting timescales held in associated BCH policies and procedures.
There will always be an element of risk, it is an inevitable factor of day-to-day activities but BCH must ensure that these risks are managed to as low as is reasonably practicable to create a safe working environment and ensure the safety, health and wellbeing of all persons affected by our work activities either directly or indirectly.
At Blackpool Coastal Housing we have a legal and moral duty to ensure the health, safety and welfare of all persons affected by our work activities either directly or indirectly.
Blackpool Coastal Housing will comply with all relevant health and safety legislation and approved codes of practice, and follow recommendations in industry guidance.
We will ensure that we regularly consult and cooperate with Unions, employees, contractors, and appropriate stakeholders in order for us to fulfill our obligations for health and safety management and promote a positive health and safety culture.
We will ensure adequate financial and personnel resources are provided to ensure that we can meet our objectives in the overarching health and safety policy and the accompanying detailed health and safety related policies.
Blackpool Coastal Housing will carry out suitable and sufficient risk assessments to identify the hazards associated with our work activities and the controls required to mitigate the risk of harm occurring to as low as reasonably practicable.
We will ensure that our premises whether owned or leased are safe for all persons occupying without risks to their health, safety and wellbeing. We will provide and maintain suitable welfare facilities including sufficient first aid measures.
To ensure that we maintain a safe working environment and workforce we will provide suitable information, instruction, training and supervision. We will ensure that anyone and any organisation we appoint to carry out work on our behalf have the required knowledge, skills, training and certifications to ensure they are working safely.
Any equipment provided by Blackpool Coastal Housing will be maintained in safe working condition.
We will ensure the safe handling and storage of all hazardous substances used by the organisation.
We will follow the Plan, Do, Check, Act model to ensure that we are effectively managing health and safety within the organisation.
To ensure the health, safety and wellbeing of all persons affected by our work activities either directly or indirectly we expect everyone to contribute to health and safety. This includes ensuring that they report hazards or defects that could pose a risk of harm to someone, and that every employee in Blackpool Coastal Housing is taking personal responsibility for their own health and safety and that of others.
This policy statement of intent will be formally reviewed on an annual basis or more frequently if required.
Vikki Piper - Chief Operating Officer
Date: 22/10/2025
For the implementation of a successful Health and Safety Policy, the organisation is required to define the roles and responsibilities that everyone needs to fulfil.
BCH Board
The Board has the ultimate responsibility for health and safety and collectively its members must ensure that Blackpool Coastal Housing has the organisational arrangements and systems in place for health and safety to be successfully managed.
The Audit Committee has the responsibility to review health and safety, which should be a standing item on the subcommittee’s agenda. Health and safety Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s) should be established and reported on to the Board on a timely basis. In addition, the Audit Committee has the responsibility to challenge current performance and seek assurance of compliance.
This responsibility is delegated on a day to day basis to the Chief Operating Officer who will ensure, along with the director accountable for health and safety (currently the Director of Resources), that health and safety duties are properly discharged by all levels of management.
The Board has the following responsibilities towards health and safety to:
- Confirm that the company complies fully with its legal duties in respect of the health and safety of its employees and those who may be affected by its activities.
- Ensure that full consideration is given to all the relevant health, safety and welfare implications of any report, paper or plans presented for their deliberation.
- Ensure that the person presenting such reports, papers or plans highlight any potential health, safety or welfare implications to all Board members.
- Give full consideration to any potential adverse effects on the health, safety and welfare of employees and any other persons who might be affected.
In order to ensure that Board members remain competent to undertake their health and safety responsibilities they will attend all applicable training sessions so provided for them.
Should a failure occur in the health and safety management system the Board, where appropriate, will take remedial action to prevent a reoccurrence. This may include the instigation of disciplinary measures.
Chief Operating Officer
The Chief Operating Officer has the ultimate responsibility for the execution of day-to-day health and safety issues undertaken by BCH and shall, so far as reasonably practicable, comply with the following requirements:
- Ensure that the company complies fully with its legal duties in respect of the health and safety of its employees and those who may be affected by its undertakings.
- Ensure that company health and safety policy and procedures are prepared and kept up to date with legislative and industry standards and that they are brought to the attention of all employees.
- Sanction specific funds and make available the necessary resources, including resources for training, to enable the company to meet with health and safety requirements.
- Ensure a competent person is appointed to assist in the management of health and safety.
- Promote a positive attitude towards health and safety matters by setting a personal example for the overall importance of health and safety within BCH. This will be done by ensuring that the operations
under their control conform to all BCH health and safety policies, procedures, guidance and relevant health and safety legislation.
- Ensure that adequate channels of communication are maintained within BCH to promote consultation with employees and their representatives, thus ensuring that health and safety concerns raised by employees are communicated to the appropriate person for resolution.
- Ensure that all employees, starting at Senior Management Team level, attend the mandatory health and safety training courses required by their role training needs analysis (TNA) and any additional safety related training provided in order to enable them to fulfil their responsibilities and competence with regard to health and safety.
- Ensure that the company’s liabilities are adequately covered for purposes of insurance. In particular, accidents at work, loss or damage to company property or risks to members of the public through the company’s activities.
- Ensure that all employees are aware of their roles, responsibilities and level of accountability with regards to health and safety at work by the provision of appropriate instruction, information and training.
Directors
All Directors have the following responsibilities, as far as reasonably practicable, and will additionally adopt the responsibilities of the Chief Operating Officer, when deputising, and Head of Service when acting in an operational capacity:
- Ensure that those they employ to manage are competent in all relevant health and safety matters and that managers effectively disseminate information as required to ensure the health, safety and welfare of employees and others that may be affected.
- Ensure that at all times BCH’s Health and Safety Policy, Codes of Practice and arrangements are implemented by the departments they have responsibility.
- Ensure that health and safety responsibilities are clearly assigned, understood and accepted at all levels.
- Ensure all employees are provided with adequate information, instruction, training and supervision. Ensure any significant risks within their directorate are identified and eliminated, or suitably controlled.
- Sanction specific funds and make available the necessary resources, including resources for training, to enable the company to meet its health and safety requirements.
- Ensure that accident and ill health data is recorded, reviewed and responded to.
- Ensure that health and safety performance management targets and objectives are agreed and set at all levels of management and that performance indicators are established and reviewed on a timely basis.
- Ensure that health and safety is reported to the Board at least twice a year.
- Ensure that Health and Safety is discussed at SMT at least monthly.
- In order to ensure all directors remain competent to undertake their health and safety responsibilities, Directors will attend all relevant training provided for them.
Should failures occur in the Health and Safety Management System Directors, where appropriate, will take remedial actions, including the instigation of disciplinary measures.
The Director of Resources within BCH is responsible for driving forward all health and safety issues at the highest level and ensuring full consideration is given to it during the development of BCH policies and services.
Heads of Service / Line Managers
Heads of Service and Line Managers are responsible and accountable to their Director or Heads of Service for the effective implementation and communication of the Health and Safety Policy to all areas, employees, persons and activities in their control.
Heads of Service / Line Managers are fundamental to the effective management of health and safety within BCH and shall so far as is reasonably practicable:
- Ensure that the BCH health and safety policy is implemented at all times.
- Fully familiarise themselves with the organisation’s health and safety policies and procedures and ensure that they are brought to the attention of all employees within their area of responsibility within the business.
- Promote a positive attitude towards health and safety matters and ensure that the operations under their control conform to all BCH safety policies, procedures, guidance and relevant health and safety legislation through their own departmental safety procedures.
- Ensure that all employees within their area of responsibility within the business understand their level of accountability with regard to health and safety management.
- Ensure that all employees under their supervision receive adequate information, instruction, training and supervision.
- Ensure all significant risks within their area of responsibility are identified and eliminated, or suitably controlled, through the risk assessment process and in consultation with their Director / Head of Service and employees.
- Allocate adequate resources and sanction specific funds to meet health and safety requirements as appropriate.
- Ensure that suitable and appropriate protective clothing is provided for employees who require it, and monitor that it remains suitable, serviceable and worn as instructed.
- Ensure that health and safety matters are an agenda item at all team meetings and 1 to 1’s.
- Ensure that all incidents including accidents/near misses are reported through the accident reporting system and are investigated in a timely manner to prevent any reoccurrence.
- Ensure that all the necessary health and safety documentation is in place prior to the commencement of work by all contractors and that all works thereafter are appropriately supervised and managed in accordance with legislation.
- Actively set a personal example by demonstrating awareness, knowledge and a positive approach to all relevant health and safety issues.
- Ensure that in any periods of absence, health and safety duties and responsibilities are delegated as appropriate.
Employees Managing Day to Day Activities
Employees managing the day-to-day activities of the organisation (BCH) are responsible and accountable to their Line Manager for communicating and ensuring compliance with the Health and Safety Policy for all areas, employees, persons and activities under their control.
Employees managing the day to day activities are best placed to have primary responsibility for ensuring the safe working conditions for employees in their control. These duties will be achieved by:
- Ensuring all significant risks are identified and eliminated, or suitably controlled, through the risk assessment process and in consultation with their employees.
- Ensuring all team members are fully aware of all and any hazards associated within their role.
- Ensuring all team members are fully aware of all precautions and/or controls necessary to them carrying out their duties safely and in a responsible manner, and that these are available when required and effectively employed when necessary.
- Ensuring all team members are adequately trained, informed, instructed and supervised for their role and that lines of communication are established that freely allow them to feed back any identified needs or shortfalls to Line Managers.
- Ensuring all team members are fully aware of all relevant emergency procedures.
- Ensuring all work related accidents, incidents including violence and aggression, ill health, near misses and unsafe conditions are recorded and reported on in a timely manner.
- Setting a personal example by demonstrating awareness, knowledge and a positive approach to all relevant health and safety issues.
Employees
Employees, Temporary Staff, Volunteers, Work Experience and Trainees / Apprentices are required to:
- Read and understand the health and safety policy, making themselves familiar with all appropriate procedures ensuring that work is carried out in accordance with their requirements.
- Take reasonable care for the health and safety of themselves and of other persons who may be affected by their acts or omissions at work.
- Not intentionally or recklessly interfere with or misuse anything provided in the interest of health, safety and welfare.
- Inform their line manager or a working foreman immediately of any work situation which, in accordance with the employees training and instruction, would reasonably represent serious and immediate danger to their health and safety or the health and safety of others.
- Report, with immediate effect, any matter which an employee’s training and instruction would lead that employee to reasonably consider represented a risk to theirs or others health and safety.
- Observe safety rules, procedures and safe systems of work at all times and pay due attention to any instruction on health and safety safe working practice and risk assessments and conform to the controls at all times.
- Where required, wear the appropriate personal protective equipment provided and use all appropriate safety devices at all times.
- Report, with immediate effect, all accidents, incidents, near misses and damage to their line manager, whether persons are injured or not, and co-operate in any subsequent investigation.
- Work with the employer and make suggestions through consultation to improve health and safety matters in the organisation, to their line manager and/or their safety representative.
- Report all hazards, defective work equipment and unsafe conditions and practices to their line manager immediately.
- Abide by this and all other policies or procedures adopted by BCH relating to health and safety.
- Attend all health and safety training courses when instructed to do so and apply the Skills Knowledge Attitude Training and Experience gained to perform their duties safely and effectively.
- Attend all occupational health and medical surveillance appointments as requested.
- Inform their Manager (in confidence) promptly of any injury, illness or change in their personal circumstances which could affect their ability to carry out their work safely or affect the safety of others.
Compliance Manager
The responsibilities of the Compliance Manager are to directly manage or to report on the performance of BCH Departments that are responsible for regulatory compliance. This will be achieved by the following measures:
- Quarterly Reporting on the Maintenance of Building Safety Under the Tenant Satisfaction Measures (TSM)
- BS01: Gas safety checks
- BS02: Fire safety checks
- BS03: Asbestos safety checks
- BS04: Water safety checks
- BS05: Lift safety checks
- Asbestos
- Chairing the Asbestos Working Group
- Document Administration and Reporting
- Communal area Re-Inspection
- Legionella
- Document Administration
- Contractor Monitoring
- Fire Safety
- Chairing the Fire Working Group
- Document Administration
- Fire Risk Assessment Action Administration and Reporting
- Represent BCH at Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service led meetings.
- Gas Safety
- Contractor Management
- Landlord Gas Safety Program Administration
- Technical Advice
- Electrical Safety
- Contractor Management
- Electrical Installation Condition Report Administration (EICR) Administration
- Technical Advice
- Lift Safety
- Person Lift Service and Inspection Administration
- Adaptations Mechanical Lift Portfolio Administration
Health and Safety Advisor
The responsibilities of the Health and Safety Advisor are to:
- Promote a positive attitude towards health and safety matters and advise on the development and implementation of BCH’s health and safety policies, procedures and guidance notes.
- Advise the Chief Operating Officer, Directors, Heads of Service, Managers, Team Leaders and all other employees of BCH on the requirements of fulfilling their own health and safety responsibilities.
- Advise on safety training needs and assist with the development of training needs analysis for role specific mandatory training in order to ensure that all employees have the appropriate Skills Knowledge Attitude Training and Experience to successfully manage all health and safety risks that they are responsible for.
- Develop and deliver training to meet the operational and legislative requirements at all levels within BCH.
- Report any injury, disease or dangerous occurrence falling within the scope of Reporting of Injuries, Disease and Dangerous Occurrence Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR) to the Health and Safety Executive where required.
- Review all RIDDOR reportable accidents and incidents to ensure that suitable recommendations have been implemented to prevent any reoccurrence.
- Receive accident reports, maintain records and compile accident statistics for the Chief Operating Officer, Audit Committee and SMT in a timely manner and as requested.
- Take all appropriate action to prevent serious injury or death arising from any employee or contractor work activity or procedure.
- Keep up to date with changes in legislation, technology and methods of work relative to BCH’s business and activities.
- When requested advise line managers, workforce representatives or trade union safety representatives on the suitability of departmental risk assessments and the implementation of control measures.
- Monitor and review the health and safety policy annually as a minimum.
- Advise management on all health and safety statutory requirements in relation to BCH.
- Monitor and review the effective management of health and safety and report accordingly to the Audit Committee, SMT, Chief Operating Officer and Director of Resources.
- Report and advise managers on all improvements that are required to manage health and safety.
- Promote a positive Health and Safety culture and ensure the effective implementation of the health and safety policy.
- Maintain own competence through training, networking, recognised safety memberships and Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) Continued Professional Development.
- Monitor and observe health and safety practices within the workplace and address any unsafe health and safety practices or poor behaviour witnessed.
- Work collaboratively with the Compliance Manager on areas of mutual concern regarding asset related health and safety
Human Resources
The responsibilities of Human Resources are to:
- Request for new starters to BCH to complete a Health Needs Assessment Form on pre-employment.
- Arrange mandatory health and safety training.
- Liaise with the Health and Safety Advisor for the types of delivery and courses required for health and safety training to BCH employees.
- Undertake referrals to Occupational Health following a request by the employee’s Line Manager and/or in line with the sickness policy.
- Undertake referrals to Back Care Solutions following a request by the employee’s Line Manager or the Health and Safety Advisor.
- Attend the Health and Safety Committee.
Union Appointed Health and Safety Representatives
Identify those employee(s) representing the Union and who:
- Will represent their employee group in consultation with management.
- May make representation to management on any matter affecting the health, safety and welfare of those they represent.
- May investigate potential hazards, dangerous occurrences and any health, safety or welfare complaint reported by those they represent.
- May periodically inspect the workplace.
- May examine potential causes of accidents involving those they represent where the affected employee has requested. Following an accident they may inspect the workplace and related statutory documents and represent their employee group.