HSG65 and ISO 45001, UK wide
Health and Safety Management Systems
Good health and safety does not happen by chance. It needs a system: clear policies, defined responsibilities and proper processes that make safe working the norm rather than an afterthought. AL23 Safety designs and builds health and safety management systems across the UK that are practical, proportionate and genuinely used, not left on a shelf.
What is a management system?
One coherent whole, not scattered parts
A health and safety management system is the structured framework an organisation uses to manage health and safety in a consistent, joined up way. Instead of reacting to problems as they arise, it sets out how you plan, organise, deliver, monitor and improve your health and safety, with clear responsibilities at every level.
Done well, it brings all your health and safety activity, your policy, risk assessments, training, monitoring and records, together into one coherent whole so nothing falls through the cracks.
Why you need one
Not just good practice, a legal expectation
This is not only sensible. Several legal duties already require the substance of a management system, whether or not you call it one.
Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999
You must make arrangements for the effective planning, organisation, control, monitoring and review of your health and safety measures. That is a management system in all but name.
Five or more employees
You must also have a written health and safety policy. A system is where that policy lives, sets out responsibilities and gets put into practice rather than filed away.
A good system turns those legal duties into something workable so meeting them becomes part of how you run the business rather than a constant scramble.
A recognised framework
Built on the frameworks regulators recognise
We build systems around the approaches the regulators and industry know and trust. The HSE's HSG65, Managing for Health and Safety, sets out the Plan, Do, Check, Act cycle that underpins good health and safety management. It is practical, well understood and suits organisations of every size.
- P
Plan
Set your policy, decide what good looks like and plan how you will deliver, resource and measure it.
- D
Do
Put the plan into action. Assess risks, organise people, train them and control the risks day to day.
- C
Check
Measure how you are doing through monitoring, inspection, audit and investigating what goes wrong.
- A
Act
Review performance, learn the lessons and act to improve, then begin the cycle again.
Want formal certification?
ISO 45001:2018 is the international standard for occupational health and safety management systems. We can build your system to align with it and support you all the way to certification.
What your system includes
Everything, pulling in the same direction
A complete health and safety management system typically brings together:
- A clear health and safety policy setting out your commitment and how it is delivered
- Defined roles and responsibilities at every level
- Risk assessments and safe systems of work
- Training and competence arrangements
- Consultation and communication with your people
- Incident reporting and investigation procedures
- Inspection, monitoring and audit
- Record keeping that proves what you do
- A built in cycle of review and continual improvement
How we build it
Built around how you actually work
No two organisations are the same so we never hand over an off the shelf manual full of information that does not apply to you. We take time to understand your business, your risks and the way you actually work, then build a system that fits.
From scratch
A complete system built from the ground up, shaped around your business, your risks and the way you actually work.
Overhaul what is not working
We strip out the parts no one uses, fix what has drifted out of date and make the rest practical and clear.
Expand what you have
We build on what already works, fill the gaps and join it up so nothing falls through the cracks.
We do not stop at the documents. We can help you embed the system, train your people so they understand their part and keep it current as your business and the law change.
The benefits
What a working system gives you back
Done well, a management system pays back across safety, compliance and the day to day running of the business at the same time.
- Fewer accidents and cases of ill health through proactive, structured risk management
- Clear evidence of compliance for regulators, insurers and clients
- A stronger safety culture, with everyone clear on their part
- Less duplication and wasted effort, with everything in one place
- A solid foundation for ISO 45001 certification if you want it
Why AL23 Safety
A system people use, not a binder no one opens
A management system is only worth having if people use it so we keep ours clear, practical and proportionate to your real risks. You get a system your managers understand and your staff can follow, not a binder no one opens.
Because we cover health and safety, fire safety and environmental management, we can build a system that pulls all your compliance together and we can stay on as your competent advisers to help run it. We work with organisations of every size right across the UK.
Build a system that works
From scratch, a review of what you have or a route to ISO 45001?
Whatever you need, we can help. Get in touch for a straightforward conversation about your organisation and its needs.
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