Health and Safety Policy Requirements

Health and Safety Policy

Section 7 of the OHS Act stipulates that there must be a health and safety policy in place which meets certain requirements.  It must:

• be in writing
• address the protection of the employees
• include a description of the school
• contain arrangements for carrying out of the policy
• contain arrangements for reviewing of the policy
• be prominently displayed in the workplace

There are a number of generic policies available that you can modify for your particular school.  The following, however, needs to be ensured:

• It must be appropriate to the nature and scope of the school’s health and safety risks
• The policy must include a commitment to continual improvement
• It must be documented, implemented and maintained
• A statement must be made that a commitment to at least comply with current applicable health and safety legislation shall be adhered to
• The policy must be communicated to all employees and they need to be aware of their individual obligations
• It must be made available to all interested parties
• The policy needs to be reviewed periodically to ensure that it remains relevant and appropriate to the school.

If you have any difficulty compiling your policy, don’t hesitate to give us a call and we will gladly assist you.