Benenden Hospital Trust is committed to developing a positive health and safety culture where the inherent risks in healthcare provision are controlled and reduced through the involvement and commitment of all staff in delivering a quality service. 

It is the policy of the Hospital to do all that is reasonably practicable to prevent personal injury, damage to property, harm to the environment or any other form of harm or loss to staff, patients or others in conducting its business.

In particular we recognise our responsibility to:

• Comply with relevant health, safety, welfare and fire regulations
• Provide and maintain a safe and healthy working environment
• Do all that is reasonably practicable to eliminate all major hazards from the workplace
• Avoid any unnecessary risk to staff and others and control those risks that are necessary
• Provide information, instruction and training to staff and others to enable them to perform their work safely and efficiently
• Provide the necessary safety equipment and supervision to ensure safe systems of work are employed at all times
• Consult staff, or their representatives, on matters relating to health and safety

We wish to foster the total commitment, co-operation and involvement of all staff in developing and implementing health, safety and welfare programmes.  We seek to channel the ideas, experience and enthusiasm of staff into continually improving health and safety standards. An Occupational Health and Safety Committee has been established as a forum for joint consultation on health and safety and occupational health matters.

• Responsibility for implementing our health & safety policy is delegated through the line management structure to operational managers.
• Relevant health and safety policies and procedures have been produced to specify regulatory requirements and safe working practices. They are available to operational managers to ensure consistent implementation of policy.
• All staff are required to read and understand these policies and procedures and to have them explained if in doubt.
• Risk assessments are conducted and used to define appropriate control measures and improvement activities with a view to reducing risk to a practical minimum level.
• All contract, agency or temporary staff are issued with a summary of this policy statement and are expected to comply with it at all times.

Hospital Director 
The Hospital Director has overall accountability and responsibility for compliance with the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and other relevant health and safety legislation throughout the Hospital.  Although day-to-day responsibility is delegated through directors and line management, the Hospital Director has responsibility for keeping the Hospital Executive informed, and alert to, relevant health and safety management issues.

Directors 
Directors have responsibility for defining the responsibilities of their staff in relation to this Health and Safety Policy and ensuring, by appropriate monitoring, that safe systems of work have been specified and are being implemented.

Service Leads and Managers 
Service Leads and Managers are constantly required to set an example in safe behaviour and maintain a permanent and continuing interest in the safety of their staff, patients and the general public.  In particular they are expected to make every reasonable attempt to:

• acquire such knowledge of Health and Safety Regulations and Codes of Practice as is appropriate to their work, and to acquaint and advise their staff in relation to these;
• ensure that they are aware of their responsibilities in relation to this Health and Safety Policy and the subject-specific health and safety policies which are applicable to their areas and that they carry out these responsibilities;
• ensure health & safety inspections are carried out in all areas of their responsibility on a routine basis and the results recorded;
• ensure that health and safety advice and instructions are implemented and adhered to by their staff;
• monitor the plant, equipment and systems of work under their control and make recommendations, or take action, as appropriate, in order to further the aims of this Policy; and
• ensure all incidents reported to them by their staff are investigated and acted upon to prevent any risk of recurrence.

All Staff 
Each member of staff must ensure that they:

• Report all matters which they consider a hazard to health and safety to their line manager.
• Report any incident in accordance with the Open Incident Reporting Policy and seek first aid treatment for injury, if appropriate.
• Assist, where required, in the investigation of accidents or near misses to discover cause and prevent recurrence.
• Use and maintain safety equipment and facilities provided in a proper manner and to report any defects noted.
• Are aware of the correct procedure in the event of fire or other emergency.
• Are fully conversant with the local health and safety rules and procedures and comply with the responsibilities specified.

Role of Specialist Advisors
The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 require employers to appoint competent persons to assist in meeting statutory health and safety requirements.  In order to fulfil this obligation and the requirements of other legislation, the following advisory posts have been established at Benenden Hospital:

• Health & Safety Lead
• Fire Safety Consultant
• Lead Infection Prevention and Control Practitioner
• Occupational Health Advisors
• Radiation and Laser Protection

The Health and Safety Policy Statement is subject to continuous review and is reviewed formally every three years.  

Benenden Hospital welcomes feedback from staff, patients and other interested parties on health and safety matters. If you have any comments please write to:

Health and Safety Lead, Benenden Hospital, Benenden, Cranbrook, Kent, TN17 4AX

Policy issued by: Health & Safety Lead.         
Review date: June 2024.