Health and safety at work is something we take very seriously at Plymouth Community Homes and to manage, direct and guide the organisation, we have a dedicated health and safety team of professional advisors.
The Health and Safety team includes a Head of Health and Safety, Health and Safety Manager, Health and Safety Advisor and a Health and Safety Technician, and sits within the Director of Corporate Services.
Our friendly team are all competent health and safety practitioners and are qualified to Level 6 Diploma, Level 6 NVQ or NEBOSH National General Certificate, and hold either Chartered, Certified or Affiliate membership with the Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH).
Between them the team have over 50 years’ experience of managing health and safety risks in a variety of sectors including schools, manufacturing, Local Authorities and Housing Associations.
Keith Harris, Health and Safety Manager at PCH, said: "Our overall aim is to ensure we meet our legal obligations and keep staff safe and well while at work.
"No two days are the same and the scope of things we get involved in is very varied which keeps jobs fresh, exciting and at times challenging.
"We consider ourselves enablers rather than preventers. Anything is possible but it has to be done the right and safest way."
So, what does the team get involved in?
- Provide competent general health and safety advice, to managers and staff
- Provide advice guidance on managing work related hazards
- Listen and respond to staff concerns, providing advice, guidance or follow up with line managers to resolve issues raised
- Complete risk assessments for work activities, teams or personal risk assessments for staff
- Complete site inspections on works carried out by staff and contractors
- Undertake site visits to discuss issues raised by staff or just generally check in with staff to make sure things are OK
- Investigate or follow up on accidents and incidents reported on OSHENS
- Attend a variety of meetings including Board, EMT, Departmental Management, quarterly and monthly team meetings, briefings and contractor meetings
- Develop and provide health and safety performance reports for Board to team briefings containing relevant information for each meeting
- Maintain, develop and improve our safety management systems and processes across the organisation
- Review and feedback on internal and external documentation, such as contractor method statements, training matrices, third party risk assessments, Pre-Qualification Questionnaires (PQQ), occupational health reports and much more
- Liaise with outside organisations, including the Health and Safety Executive, contractors, other health and safety professionals and tenants
- Monitor, review and implement any changes in health and safety legislation.
