Health and Safety Policy - The Norths Group Ltd White Collar Staff and Blue Collar Labour Supply

Policy Statement

The Company: The Norths Group Ltd (TNG), is committed to ensuring the health, safety and welfare of its employees, temporary workers and contractors, and it will, so far as is reasonably practicable, establish procedures and systems necessary to implement this commitment and to comply with its statutory obligations on health and safety.

It is the responsibility of each employee, temporary worker and contractor to familiarize themselves and comply with the Company’s and host Client’s procedures and systems on health and safety.

While the Company will take all reasonable steps to ensure the health and safety of its employees, temporary workers and contractors health and safety at work, is also the responsibility of these individual themselves. It is the duty of each individual to take reasonable care of their own and other people’s health, safety and welfare and to report any situation which may pose a serious or imminent threat to the well being of themselves or of any other person. If an individual is unsure how to perform a certain task or feels it would be dangerous to perform a specific job or use specific equipment, then it is their duty to report this as soon as possible to their line manager, their health and safety representative or the safety officer. Alternatively, an individual may, if they prefer, invoke the Company’s formal grievance procedure or they may make a complaint under the Company’s provisions on Disclosures in the Public Interest.

Disciplinary action under the Company’s disciplinary procedure may be taken against any individual who violates health and safety rules and procedures or who fails to perform their duties under health and safety legislation. Depending on the seriousness of the offence, it may amount to potential gross misconduct rendering the employee liable to summary dismissal. During the employment or engagement, the individual is bound to comply with the duties imposed upon employees by the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 (“the Act”) and the Health and Safety Regulations made to under Section 7 of the Act which requires an employee to:

Take reasonable care for the health and safety of himself/herself and others who may be affected by his/her acts or omissions at work. To co-operate with his/her Employer or any other person so far as is necessary to enable that duty to be performed or complied with. In the case of fire, the individual must evacuate the building in accordance with the Fire Instructions. It is the individual’s responsibility to be aware of these instructions and where the nearest Fire Exit and Fire Appliances are located. The individual should familiarise himself/herself with the first aid facilities available at the office where they are working.

Dan Carter
Managing Director

Health and Safety Policy

The Company will provide and maintain a healthy and safe working environment with the objective of minimising the number of instances of occupational accidents and illnesses.

The Company will pay particular attention to:

Maintaining the workplace in a safe condition and providing adequate facilities and arrangements for welfare at work.
Conducting risk assessments with host Clients and making temporary workers and contractors aware of any potential risk
Providing a safe means of access to and egress from the workplace. The provision and maintenance of equipment and systems of work that are safe. Arrangements for ensuring safety to health in connection with the use, handling, storage and transport of articles and substances. 4. The provision of such information, instructions, training and supervision as is necessary to ensure the health and safety at work of its employees and other persons. The Company recognises its duty to protect the health and safety of all visitors to the Company, including members of the public who might be affected by the Company’s work operations.

Organisation

The Board of the Company has overall responsibility for health and safety in the Company. Dan Carter and Carl Watson (Operations Director), are the safety officers and has responsibilities for overseeing, implementing and monitoring health and safety procedures in the Company and for reporting health and safety matters. The Directors and/or Branch Consultants conduct regular inspections of the host Client’s workplace, will inform temporary workers and contractors of any potential risk and will maintain safety records and investigate accidents at work. Training Safety training is an integral part of an effective health and safety program. It is essential that every employee, temporary worker and contractor is able to perform their job safely. All employees, temporary workers and contractors will be inducted in safe working practices and procedures. Training will include instruction on the safe use of any equipment provided.

Employees at special risk

The Company recognises that some workers may from time to time be at increased risk of injury or ill-health resulting from work activities. The Company therefore requires that all employees, temporary workers and contractors advise their line manager if they become aware of any change in their personal circumstances which could result in their being at increased risk. This could include medical conditions, permanent or temporary disability, taking medication and pregnancy. First aid and reporting accidents at work First aid boxes are located at strategic points around TNG offices and at host Client’s workplaces.

All employees, temporary workers and contractors will be shown the location of the nearest first aid box and will be given the names of the designated first aid personnel. This information is also displayed on works notice boards.

All injuries, however small, sustained by a person at work must be reported to their TNG or host Client line manager or the safety officer and recorded in the accident book. Accident records are crucial to the effective monitoring of health and safety procedures and must therefore be accurate and comprehensive. The safety officer will inspect the accident book on a regular basis and all accidents will be investigated and a report prepared, with any necessary action being taken to prevent a recurrence of the problem.

Fire

Fire is a significant risk within the workplace. All employees, temporary workers and contractors have a duty to conduct their operations in such a way as to minimise the risk of fire and they are under a duty to report immediately any fire, smoke or potential fire hazards, such as faulty electric cable or loose connections. Employees, temporary workers and contractors should never attempt to repair or interfere with electrical equipment or wiring themselves. TNG and/or host Client’s safety officer is responsible for the maintenance and testing of fire alarms and fire fighting, prevention and detection equipment. Smoke detectors and manually operated fire alarms are located at strategic points throughout TNG and host Client’s workplace. If a smoke detector sounds or fire is discovered, it is the responsibility of any employee, temporary worker or contractor present to activate the alarm and evacuate the building. Fire extinguishers are also located at strategic points throughout the workplace. Employees, temporary workers and contractors are expected to tackle a fire themselves only if it would pose no threat to their personal safety to do so. If the situation is dangerous or potentially dangerous, the individual should activate the fire alarm and evacuate the building immediately. Fire doors designed to slow the spread of fire and smoke throughout TNG and host Client’s workplace may have been installed at strategic points. Fire doors are designed to close automatically after opening and must never be blocked or wedged open. Fire exits are also located at strategic points throughout the workplace. Fire exit doors and corridors must never be locked, blocked or used as storage space.

All employees, temporary workers and contractors must ensure they are familiar with their evacuation route and designated assembly point in case of fire. Practice fire drills will be conducted on a regular basis to ensure employee familiarity with emergency evacuation procedures.

Company safety rules

all employees, temporary workers and contractors should be aware of and adhere to the Company’s and/or host Client’s rules and procedures on health and safety
all employees, temporary workers and contractors must immediately report any unsafe working practices or conditions to their line manager, their health and safety representative or to the safety officer
horseplay, practical joking, running in the workplace, misuse of equipment or any other acts which might jeopardise the health and safety of any other person are forbidden
any person whose levels of alertness are reduced due to illness or fatigue will not be allowed to work if this might jeopardise the health and safety of any person
employees, temporary workers and contractors must not adjust, move or otherwise tamper with any electrical equipment or machinery in a manner not within the scope of their job duties • all waste materials must be disposed of carefully in the receptacles provided and in such a way that they do not constitute a hazard to other workers
no employee, temporary worker or contractor should undertake a job which appears to be unsafe
no employee, temporary worker or contractor should undertake a job until they have received adequate safety instruction and they are authorised to carry out the task
all injuries must be reported to the Directors, line manager or to the safety officer
all materials must be properly and safely used and when not in use properly and safely secured
work should be well-planned to avoid injuries in the handling of heavy materials and while using equipment
employees, temporary workers or contractors should take care to ensure that all protective guards and other safety devices are properly fitted and in good working order and must immediately report any defects to their line manager or to the safety officer
suitable clothing and footwear must be worn at all times. Personal protective equipment must be worn where appropriate
work stations and work sites must be kept clean and tidy and any spillage must be cleaned up immediately
employees, temporary workers and contractors should use handrails when going up and down stairs, should never read while walking, must close filing cabinet drawers when not in use and must keep all floor areas free of obstruction. Access
walkways and passageways must be kept clear and free from obstructions at all times
if a walkway or passageway becomes wet it should be clearly marked with warning signs and any liquid spilt on the floor should be wiped up immediately
trailing cables should not be left in any passageway
where objects are stored in or around a passageway, care must be taken to ensure that no long or sharp edges jut out into the passageway
where a passageway is being used by vehicles or other moving machinery, an alternative route should be used by pedestrians where possible. If no alternative route is available, the area must be clearly marked with warning signs.

Tools and equipment

company machinery, tools and equipment are only to be used by qualified and authorised personnel
it is the responsibility of all individuals to ensure that any tools or equipment they use are in a good and safe condition. Any tools or equipment which are defective must be reported to a line manager or to the safety officer
all tools must be properly and safely stored when not in use
no tool should be used without the manufacturer’s recommended shields, guards or attachments
approved personal protective equipment must be properly used where appropriate
persons using machine tools must not wear clothing, jewelry or long hair in such a way as might pose a risk to their own or anyone else’s safety
employees, temporary workers and contractors are prohibited from using any tool or piece of equipment for any purpose other than its intended purpose.

Manual handling

lifting and moving of objects should always be done by mechanical devices rather than manual handling wherever reasonably practicable. The equipment used should be appropriate for the task at hand
the load to be lifted or moved must be inspected for sharp edges and wet patches
when lifting or moving a load with sharp or splintered edges, gloves must be worn
the route over which the load is to be lifted should be inspected to ensure it is free of obstructions
employees, temporary workers and contractors should not attempt to lift or move a load which is too heavy to manage comfortably. Employees, temporary workers and contractors should ask for assistance if there is any danger of strain
when lifting an object off the ground, employees, temporary workers and contractors should assume a squatting position, keeping the back straight. The load should be lifted by straightening the knees, not the back
employees, temporary workers and contractors should not attempt to obtain items from shelves which are beyond their reach. A ladder or stepping stool should be used. Individuals should not use chairs or any makeshift device for climbing and should never climb up the shelves themselves.

Dan Carter, Managing Director
The Norths Group Ltd