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Health & Safety Policy

The OCM recognises and accepts its responsibility as an employer to maintain, so far as is reasonably practicable, the safety and health of its employees, apprentices and of other persons who may be affected by its activities.

Scope

This policy applies to all apprentices on OCM programmes and OCM employees.

Our principles

The OCM will comply with relevant legislation, regulations and best practice. As far as it is reasonably practicable, The OCM will: 

  • provide safe, secure and healthy learning environments.
  • promote a safe learning environment for all apprentices, and ensure that appropriate arrangements are in place to protect apprentices from harm. 
  • provide apprentices, employees and workers with adequate and sufficient information, instruction, training and supervision to enable them to understand and fulfil their responsibilities and to be safe. 
  • demonstrate an ongoing and determined commitment to improving apprentices’ health and safety; and 
  • promote health and well-being for all apprentices. Where part of the learning takes place in an environment outside the direct control of The OCM (i.e., approved The OCM workshop venues and employer premises); The OCM will take all reasonable steps to ensure that adequate arrangements are in place to ensure the health and safety of learners. The OCM cannot be responsible for the health and safety of learners using public areas to access online learning (e.g., internet cafes, public spaces with Wi-Fi access).

In working with other organisations/bodies, The OCM will make arrangements to co-ordinate and cooperate effectively for reasons of learner health, safety and welfare. In particular, respective responsibilities shall be clearly identified and documented as appropriate, to ensure understanding.

Roles & responsibilities

Board

The OCM Board carry ultimate responsibility for health and safety and for ensuring that the company allocates sufficient resources in terms of staff, training, and funding to fulfil its legal obligations. Their principal responsibilities include: 

  • Approve objectives and targets, ensuring they take account of stakeholders
  • Monitor and evaluate performance against objectives
  • Approve Health and safety Policy
  • Conduct an annual review of Health and Safety Performance.

Chief Executive

  • Accountable to Board for:
    • implementation of Health and Safety Policy 
    • monitoring performance
  • Has executive authority to set specific health and safety policy
  • Agree performance standards for management of health, safety, and welfare matters
  • Where responsibilities are shared, ensure coordination and cooperation
  • Ensure communication channels are present to resolve matters or allow escalation to leadership
  • Appoint health and safety champions to oversee implementation of health and safety policy
  • Provide clear and visible leadership on health and safety matters
  • Challenge unsafe and unhealthy behaviours.

Health & Safety Lead (Apprenticeship Manager)

Accountable for promoting a positive health and safety culture throughout the Company by: 

  • Communicating conditions, practices or arrangements for health, safety and welfare at work that may expose others to risk or cause harm
  • Attending health and safety meetings
  • Assisting with the investigation of potential hazards, dangerous occurrences, and complaints; and examine the causes of accidents in the workplace
  • Assisting with inspections of the workplace.  

Delivery Team

Accountable for health and safety performance across their area of responsibility. They shall:

  • Communicate control measures in place for minimising risk to colleagues, apprentices, contractors and visitors
  • Complete behavioural observations, inspections, and audits
  • Report potential concerns, incident reports and accidents promptly.
  • Suspend activities where safety, health or the environment is being, or is likely to be compromised.
  • Ensure: 
  • work is being carried out in accordance with specified controls
  • activities involving risk to the safety, health or well-being of employees, apprentice/learners and others are appropriately risk assessed and controlled
  • effective arrangements are in place for responding to emergency situations, providing first aid and reporting incidents.
  • Inform their line manager of any dangers or shortcomings in the health.

Apprentices

All Apprentices are responsible for looking after their own health and safety and that of others affected by their academic and leisure activities. Apprentices have the following specific responsibilities:

  • Comply with all policies, guidance and procedures which are in place to control health and safety risk as well as risk to wellbeing
  • Ensure that their activities do not present unnecessary or uncontrolled risks to themselves or to others.
  • Attend appropriate induction and training
  • Report any accidents, unsafe circumstances, or work-related ill-health
  • Not interfere with any equipment provided to protect people from hazards.
  • Where an apprentice is not confident of their ability to complete a task or leisure activity safely, inform the tutor person in charge of the activity rather than compromise their own safety or the safety of others.

Promoting and gaining Commitment to the Policy 

The OCM will ensure that this Health & Safety Policy is promoted and commitment via the following activities.

This is not an exhaustive list, as other mechanisms will be used as and when the situation arises. This policy will be agreed by The OCM Executive Team with promotion and commitment to this policy gained through: 

  • Staff Induction/Training/CPD/Online learning modules
  • Intranet section on Health and safety, and what it means for staff and apprentices/learners
  • Visible media in and around office and employer locations
  • Learning resources for all apprentices and other learners
  • Learner reviews – carried out on a 6-weekly basis. 

We will ensure that we measure the promotion and commitment within The OCM to this Health & Safety Policy by: 

  • Monitoring the outcomes from online and interactive training for both staff and apprentices
  • All staff and apprentices will be asked to sign that they have seen and understood relevant training and updates
  • Managers will produce evidence (e.g. meeting notes) staff training and 1-2-1 reviews, that this policy has been discussed
  • Monitoring of apprentice review documentation
  • Through our use of internal Health and Safety checks and reviews and through audits checks

Policy Awareness, Implementation and Training Colleagues 

  • Mandatory training module as part of colleague induction 
  • Refresher mandatory training on an annual basis 
  • Read and understand this policy at induction (confirmed through colleague induction checklist), and following a policy review 
  • Reminders and CPD at regular all colleague briefings
  • Documents available on the Company website 

Health and Safety Policy Health and Safety is a standing agenda item at The OCM Board meetings and at monthly Executive team meetings and report on any incidents, issues, or training required. 

 Reporting

All accidents/incidents must be reported and recorded. If any member of staff has had an accident/incident or has been made aware of an accident/incident regarding an apprentice, they must immediately complete the Health and Safety Incident Form available electronically in the staff handbook and send it to H&S Lead who will take any appropriate action that may be needed, this may involve an accident/indecent investigation. 

In the event of an accident/incident happening whilst the apprentice is at their place of work (place of work being their normal place of work or third-party premises), The OCM will need to be notified immediately by the employer and/or the apprentice/ with full details of the accident/incident being recorded and sent to the H&S Lead who will liaise with the appropriate member of the delivery team and others as required.

The H&S Lead will take any appropriate action that may be needed, this may involve an accident/indecent investigation. If any member of staff, apprentice has a health and safety concern, the information is recorded, and an email notification sent to the H&S Lead. The concern is actioned by the H&S Lead who will provide information, advice, support, and guidance as required to ensure that any concerns are mitigated and rectified. The H&S Lead will conduct follow up visits/testing as deemed necessary. 

In the event of ill health whilst the apprentice is at their place of work (place of work being their normal place of work or third-party premises), The OCM will need to be notified immediately by the employer and/or the apprentice with full details being sent to the H&S Lead to share as appropriate.

The OCM will continue with regular communication throughout the period of ill health or until the apprentice is recovered providing any information, advice, and guidance along with any support for both the apprentice and the employer. The employer is responsible for the health and safety of its employees and The OCM recognises that it has an important role to play in ensuring the health and wellbeing of its apprentices.