1. Policy

1.1 The Company is committed to providing, so far as practicable, for the health, safety and welfare of all employees and to the provision and maintenance of a working environment which is safe and without risk to health.
1.2 The Company aims to maintain standards at least equal to the best practice in the Telecommunications industry.
1.3 The Company will observe the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 and all relevant regulations and codes of practice made under it from time to time. The Company will take into account any recommendations made by the Health and Safety Executive with regard to health and safety issues and, where appropriate, will liaise with the Health and Safety Executive on particular health and safety issues which are of particular relevance to the Company.
1.4 This commitment to Health and Safety is a management responsibility equivalent to that of any other management function. It will be the duty of the Company’s directors to ensure that policy is upheld at all times.
1.5 A copy of our Natilik Insurance is detailed in section 14. All employees must read and have access to this document.
1.6 If our people are working on client sites we expect our people to follow our client’s health and safety procedures and for these to be referenced in our project statement of works and project plan.

2. Company’s responsibilities

The Company is responsible for:
2.1 Assessing the risk to the health and safety of employees and others who may be affected and identifying what measures are needed to comply with its health and safety obligations;
2.2 Providing and maintaining locations, equipment, protective clothing and systems of work that are safe and without risks to health;
2.3 Ensuring that all necessary safety devices are installed and maintained on equipment;
2.4 Providing equipment, instruction, training and supervision in safe working methods and procedures;
2.5 Providing and maintaining a healthy and safe place of work and providing a means of access;
2.6 Promoting the co-operation of employees to ensure safe and healthy conditions and systems of work by discussion and effective joint consultation;
2.7 Establishing emergency procedures as required;
2.8 Monitoring and reviewing the management of health and safety at work;
2.9 Keeping the safety policy under review and making any revision it deems necessary from time to time. All such revisions will be brought to the attention of employees.
2.10 Ensuring that our people working on client sites adhere to the health and safety guidelines and policies of our clients and covered in our scope of works.

3. Responsibilities of all employees

The above policy needs the full co-operation of all employees who are expected to give all possible assistance aimed at its successful implementation, to take reasonable care for their own safety and that of others. In order to achieve this end, every employee must:
3.1 Comply with any safety instructions and directions issued by the Company;
3.2 Take reasonable care for their health and safety and the health and safety of other persons (e.g. other employees, contractors, customers, workmen etc) who may be affected by their acts or omissions at work, by observing safety rules which are applicable to them;
3.3 Co-operate with the Company to ensure that the aims of the health and safety policy statement are achieved, and any duty or requirement imposed on the Company by or under any of the relevant statutory provisions complied with;
3.4 Report and co-operate in the investigation of all accidents or incidents that have led to or may lead to injury;
3.5 Use equipment or protective clothing provided in accordance with the training you have received;
3.6 Report any potential risk or hazard or malfunction of equipment to the appropriate staff.
3.7 To ensure they adhere to onsite client health and safety polices and understand the requirements set out in the scope of works.

4. Consequences of breach of employees obligations

Any failure by an employee to comply with any aspect of the Company’s health and safety procedures, rules or duties specifically assigned to the employee with regard to health and safety may be regarded by the Company as misconduct which will be dealt with under the terms of the Company’s disciplinary procedure. This also applies if working on a client site and local health and safety policies and have breached.

5. Managers with specific responsibilities

5.1 Whether the final level for responsibility for ensuring health and safety at work lies with Mike Danson, the CEO and each and every individual employee at work, certain members of management and staff have specific responsibilities to ensure that the Company’s health and safety policy is maintained at all times.
5.2 Mike Danson has overall and final responsibility for giving effect to this health and safety policy.
5.3 Kelly White, Chief People Officer is responsible for ensuring there is consultation on health and safety matters with staff in order to maintain health and safety at work and is also responsible for the implementation and monitoring of health and safety procedures.
5.4 Managers of individual divisions are responsible for the implementation of the health and safety policies in the areas under their control.
5.5 All employees have the responsibility to observe all safety rules and to co-operate with the manager charged with responsibility for the implementation of the Company’s health and safety policy to achieve a healthy and safe workplace and to take reasonable care of themselves and others.
5.6 Your Dedicated PSM is responsible for the maintenance of the premises and equipment. You should report to Your Dedicated PSM any of the following:
5.6.1 A smell of gas or fire;
5.6.2 An accumulation of inflammable material;
5.6.3 Obstruction of gangways, fire doors or means of escape.
5.7 If you are working on a client site you must be aware and adhere to the client’s health and safety policies and ensure you are aware of the process for H&S as stipulated in the statement of works and project plan.
PLEASE NOTE IN JESSICA’S ABSENCE YOU SHOULD REPORT ANY ISSUES TO KELLY WHITE

6. Employees legal rights regarding health and safety matters

The Company confirms that any employee has a legal right not to be subjected to any detriment (including selection for redundancy or dismissal) because he or she:
6.1 Carries out or proposes to carry out any health and safety activities for which he or she has been designated by the Company;
6.2 Performs or proposes to perform any functions that he or she has as an official or employer acknowledged health and safety representative or committee member;
6.3 Brings to the employer’s attention, by reasonable means and in the absence of a safety representative or committee who could do so on the employee’s behalf, a reasonable health or safety concern;
6.4 In the event of danger which he or she reasonably believed to be serious and imminent and which he or she could not reasonably be expected to avert, leaves or proposes to leave the workplace or any dangerous part of it or – while the danger persists – refuses to return;
6.5 In circumstances of danger which he or she reasonable believes to be serious and imminent takes or proposes to take appropriate steps to protect himself or herself or other persons from the danger.

7. First aid and accidents

7.1 If someone is taken ill or is injured in the office and requires medical treatment immediately, inform the first aiders:
Sophie Kerwood
Lesley Penney
If necessary, call an ambulance on [9] 999.
7.2 If you call an ambulance, make sure that you advise the DSQ receptionist so that the ambulance staff can find you.
7.3 First Aid boxes containing small quantities of plasters, bandages etc are located in each of the office areas. The contents of these boxes must only be used by qualified First Aid staff. Please see section 14 for their location within the office.
7.4 Once the emergency/incident is dealt with please can you ensure the incident is report to Your Dedicated PSM.
7.5 If onsite at a client site you must inform your client contact of any accident or H&S issue as well as your Natilik project contact and Leader.
7.6 If working on a client site please ensure you are informed of the onsite first aid point of contact.
PLEASE NOTE IN JESSICA’S ABSENCE YOU SHOULD REPORT ANY ISSUES TO KELLY WHITE

8. Reporting a dangerous occurrence

8.1 If you suffer an accident on the Company’s premises, you (or someone on your behalf) must report that fact to your manager as soon as practicable after the event. All accidents should be reported, however trivial. The accident will be recorded in the Company’s accident book which is kept by Your Dedicated PSM.
8.2 It sometimes happens that an accident occurs which has not caused an injury but could have done so. Your Dedicated PSM should always be notified of any such occurrence.
8.3 Each accident will generally be investigated with the aim of introducing measures to prevent any recurrence.
8.4 You must also report any H&S occurrence if onsite with a client.PLEASE NOTE IN JESSICA’S ABSENCE YOU SHOULD REPORT ANY ISSUES TO KELLY WHITE

9. Fire precautions

Please see separate details of Fire Precautions.
9.1 Relevant information relating to fire precautions and emergency evacuation is issued to you upon joining the Company and fire drills are held on a regular basis. Departmental fire wardens are appointed to assist Your Dedicated PSM in ensuring an efficient evacuation of the offices when appropriate. Their details are on notice boards around the office and please see the appendix of exit routes for DSQ.
9.2 The following simple rules minimise the risk of fire:

  • Put all waste paper and other combustibles in the bins provided.
  • If you smoke, use a proper ashtray and never dispose of smoking materials in waste bins.
  • Keep clothing, tea towels etc away from heaters. Never cover a fan heater.
  • When removing an electrical plug from the socket, hold the plug and not the lead.
  • Keep all containers of flammable materials closed. This includes screen cleaning fluids and correction fluid thinners.

9.3 If working onsite at a client site you must be aware of the clients fire precautions and points of exits.
Fire Wardens:

  • 1st Floor Gerda Kurpyte
  • 3rd Floor Richard Savage, Gabriela Fedejko, Hamzah Malik
10. Work stations

The Company is committed to ensuring that all employees enjoy a safe and comfortable work station. If you encounter any discomfort or have any concerns regarding your work station please refer to Your Dedicated PSM. Please also note we have a clear desk working policy that requires everyone to remove personal items at the end of the working day and place in your allocated locker or take home. This policy also applies when working on a client site.

11. No smoking policy

11.1 The Company operates a no smoking policy anywhere within the building.
11.2 Please ensure e-cigarettes are not charged within the office or anywhere in the building.
11.3 Our no smoking policy applies to working on client sites.

12. Liability insurance

COVID-19 Response

16.1 The company has carried out a COVID-19 risk assessment which has been communicated to all members of staff and is available to external persons upon request.
16.2 The company is committed to ensuring the health of its staff and anyone who should enter the building is made a priority and has enforced strict measures to support this. The measures are:

  • Hand washing- upon entering the building you are required to wash your hands at the designated station for that floor or use the sanitising station provided. This process is also expected before exiting the building.
  • PPE disposal- upon entering the building, you are required to safely remove your PPE and dispose of it in the designated contaminated waste bin, or your bag if it is reusable, remembering to wash or sanitise your hands after doing so.
  • Enhanced cleaning
  • Sickness- If you should present any symptoms of COVID-19, i.e. a new, continuous cough, a high temperature and/or a loss/change in sense of smell or taste, you must inform your leader and stay at home and isolate for 14 days.
  • Social distancing- You must maintain the appropriate distance between colleagues, clients and any other persons who may enter DSQ which is currently two metres. This applies whilst entering and exiting the building, using the lift and stairs access, moving around the offices, in the toilets and whilst sitting at a desk. It is also necessary to sit back to back or side to side, never face to face. Please use designated working stations to ensure this is achieved.
  • These measures are the minimum the company expects from its staff and therefore apply to working on client sites. In the instance they have their own measures which are more stringent or specific to their needs, you must follow their policies.

16.3 Should there be a COVID-19 specific incident where you must make a report under RIDDOR (The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013), please inform your Leader and Your Dedicated PSM immediately. Reportable incidents under RIDDOR are when:

  • An accident or incident at work has, or could have, led to the release or escape of coronavirus. This must be reported as a dangerous occurrence.
  • A person at work (a worker) has been diagnosed as having COVID-19 attributed to an occupational exposure to coronavirus. This must be reported as a case for disease.
  • A worker dies as a result of occupational exposure to coronavirus. This must be reported as a work-related death due to exposure to a biological agent.