Health and Safety Policy

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Seascale Parish Council

Policies

Health and Safety Policy

Policy Statement

Draft – July 2026

Seascale Parish Council is committed to ensuring, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of its Clerk, councillors, contractors, volunteers and members of the public who may be affected by the Council’s activities.

The Council recognises its duties under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and other relevant health and safety legislation. It will take all reasonable steps to prevent accidents, injuries and work-related ill health by maintaining safe systems of work, undertaking suitable risk assessments and ensuring that appropriate information, training and support are provided.

Health and safety is the responsibility of everyone undertaking work on behalf of the Council.

Scope

This policy applies to:

The Clerk.
All councillors when carrying out Council business.
Contractors engaged by the Council.
Volunteers undertaking activities on behalf of the Council.
Members of the public who may be affected by Council activities.

Legal Responsibilities

The Council will comply with all relevant health and safety legislation, including:

Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974
Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999
Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR)
Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 2022
Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992
Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER)
Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, where applicable

Responsibilities

The Parish Council

The Council has overall responsibility for health and safety and will:

Adopt and review this policy annually.
Ensure sufficient resources are available to meet its legal duties.
Consider health and safety when planning Council activities.
Ensure suitable risk assessments are carried out where required.
Monitor health and safety matters reported by the Clerk.

The Clerk

As the Council’s sole employee, the Clerk will:

Work in accordance with this policy.
Keep up to date with relevant health and safety guidance and legislation.
Arrange and maintain suitable risk assessments.
Keep records of accidents, incidents and risk assessments.
Report health and safety concerns to the Council.
Liaise with contractors and relevant authorities where required.
Report incidents under RIDDOR where legally required.

Councillors

Councillors will:

Take reasonable care of their own health and safety while undertaking Council business.
Consider health and safety when making Council decisions.
Report hazards or concerns to the Clerk.
Follow any agreed safety procedures when attending meetings, events or site visits.

Contractors and Volunteers

Anyone carrying out work on behalf of the Council must:

Work safely and comply with relevant health and safety legislation.
Take reasonable care of themselves and others.
Report hazards or accidents to the Clerk.
Use equipment safely and only for its intended purpose.
Wear appropriate personal protective equipment where required.

Homeworking

The Clerk’s main place of work is their home.

The Council will:

Ensure appropriate equipment is available to enable the Clerk to work safely.
Review homeworking arrangements periodically.
Encourage regular breaks from screen-based work.

The Clerk is responsible for maintaining a safe home working environment, including keeping their workspace tidy, ensuring electrical equipment is used safely and maintaining suitable fire safety precautions within their home.

Risk Assessments

Suitable and sufficient risk assessments will be completed for activities where there is a foreseeable risk, including:

Council events.
Community activities.
Site inspections.
Council assets where appropriate.
Lone working.
Homeworking.
Manual handling where applicable.

Risk assessments will be reviewed:

Annually.
Following an accident or near miss.
When work activities change significantly.
When legislation or guidance changes.

Contractors

The Council will appoint competent contractors who hold appropriate insurance and are capable of carrying out work safely.

Where appropriate, contractors may be asked to provide:

Public liability insurance.
Risk assessments.
Method statements.
Evidence of relevant qualifications or competence.

Contractors remain responsible for the health and safety of their employees while carrying out work for the Council.

Council Meetings and Events

Council meetings are held in venues not owned by the Council.

When organising meetings or public events, the Council will:

Consider any health and safety risks.
Ensure emergency exits are known and accessible.
Carry out event-specific risk assessments where necessary.
Take reasonable steps to protect attendees, volunteers and contractors.

Lone Working

The Clerk and councillors may occasionally work alone when carrying out Council duties.

Where lone working is necessary, reasonable precautions will be taken, including:

Informing another person of the location and expected return time where appropriate.
Carrying a mobile telephone.
Avoiding unnecessary risks.
Reporting any concerns or incidents promptly.

Accidents and Incident Reporting

All accidents, near misses and hazardous incidents occurring during Council activities should be reported to the Clerk as soon as reasonably practicable.

The Clerk will:

Record accidents and incidents.
Investigate where appropriate.
Recommend measures to prevent recurrence.
Report incidents to the Health and Safety Executive where required under RIDDOR.