Risk Assessment Guiding Principles – Baseline Audit

It is common practice for Organisations to develop and implement a health, safety and environmental management system. The driving force is to put the organisation in a frontal position in tendering for contracts and for managing contractors, suppliers etc. in meeting and maintaining your own organisations high standards.

The first stage is to evaluate with a baseline audit those areas where they already meet the requirements of a corporate operation of a standard management system.

Whereas the implementation of an Occupational Health and Safety Management system is a crucial part in an organisations ability to meet the health and safety legislation and setting targets to meet policy. It is not at present a legal requirement for the organisation to be certified to OHSAS 18001, but organisations with ISO 9001 will find common elements in all three systems 9001 – 18001 and 14001.

The baseline audit sets out to establish the effectiveness of what is and evaluate closely the present system and documentation meet the Health and Safety at Work Act sections 2, 3, 4, and 7 primarily general duties of Employers to their employees, the environmental legislation and Corporate Social Responsibility. Each with their own policy statements and arrangements for carrying out and monitoring the arrangements.

Areas for Review. Health and Safety at Work Act Section 2

Prepare and revise as appropriate a written policy statement, its operation and arrangements.

Comprehensive Risk Assessments of the following:
Regulations and one all embracing Act that require a Risk Assessment.
• The Health and Safety (Display screen equipment) Regulations 1992
• The Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992
• The Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992
• The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992
• The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 1994
• The Construction (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1996
• The Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998
• The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998
• The Management of Health and Safety at work Regulations 1999
• The Control of Lead at Work Regulations 2002
• The Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005
• The Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005
• The Work at Height Regulations 2005
• The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006

Maintenance of a safe working environment.
S.F.A.R.P. regards any place of work, provision and maintenance of means of access and egress.

Provision and maintenance of equipment and safe systems of work.

Safety and absence of risk to health with use, handling, storage and transport of articles and substances.

Provision of such information, training and supervision. S.F.A.R.P. for the Health and Safety of employees.

Environmental, pollution prevention and control.

Control and maintenance of air quality.
Use and maintenance of water – drinking etc.
Waste streams – packaging – recycling etc.
Chemical use and disposal
Statutory nuisance and noise.
Land contamination.
Environment work place assessment.
Corporate social responsibility.

Typical Topics
Staff Support – The Community – The Environment

Corporate Social Responsibility) The Board
Published and operating

Society – Environmental impact
Measure reduction in cost
Economy in use of fuel
Vehicles – Plants/Equipment – lighting – Heating

Energy management & consumption reduction
Reduce – reuse- recycle- eliminate waste

Set up a C.R.S. Group
Consideration of existing core values
Prepare a written strategy plan
Agree and adopt a mission statement
Set Targets
Appoint a Support Team – senior members

Target key elements

Environmental Considerations ) Senior Management

Economy Fuels: – heat – light – vehicles

Regular internal audits followed by compliance certification.

Directors/Senior managers.

Responsibilities and accountability.

Corporate Governance ACA – IoD – External audits.
Records Management, Statutory retention.
Monitoring by senior management and independently.

Contact Us for more information on a baseline audit, 020 3432 2854.

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Robert Clements
Robert Clements
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