Health and Safety Policy

1. Introduction

Carrington Umbrella is committed to ensuring that all employees are provided with a safe and healthy working environment. It is the company’s aim to ensure that: employees are provided with safe and healthy working conditions; safe equipment and systems of work; employees are provided with information relating to health and safety arrangements at the premises to which they are assigned, any risks identified and precautionary measures to be followed; employees are competent to do the work which they are allocated and have adequate training; and employees are aware of emergency procedures at the premises at which they are based; employees have the opportunity to provide feedback on any matters affecting their health and safety; accidents and cases of work-related ill health are avoided.

The organisation relies on its employees to comply with their obligations to cooperate with the company in achieving the aims set out above, to comply with health and safety arrangements in place at the premises to which they are assigned and to notify the organisation in the event of any concerns or any accident arising. The organisation will continue to monitor and review this Health and Safety Policy and the arrangements which are in place and will revise these whenever the need for any change is identified.

2. Responsibilities

The organisation, its employees and the end users/clients for whom they work all have responsibilities with regard to health and safety. The organisation relies on full support and cooperation from employees and end users/clients in ensuring that employees have a safe and healthy working environment. Details of the key responsibilities are set out below with further information provided in the following sections. The organisation has overall responsibility for ensuring, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of all of its employees at work.

Where employees are working at the premises of end users/clients, arrangements are in place to ensure that health and safety obligations are complied with. The organisation relies on the full cooperation of its employees in complying with these arrangements. In the event that an employee has any concern regarding health and safety arrangements at an End User’s/clients premises at any time, he/she should report this immediately to a member of staff at the End User/clients and Nicky Owen or, in her absence, any member of the team at the organisation.

3. End Users/client’s responsibilities

End users have obligations to provide information to the organisation employees on health and safety arrangements, safe systems of work, proper use of equipment and emergency procedures in place for those premises. In particular end users/clients are required: to provide in advance of any assignment details of any special qualifications or skills which will be required for the position and any special features of the work which are likely to affect health and safety; to provide at the start of an assignment:

● information on health and safety arrangements including any risks identified and any safety procedures to be complied with; and

● information on emergency evacuation procedures including the persons nominated by the End User/clients to take charge in the event of an emergency.

● to ensure that any work equipment provided is safe and suitable for use; to ensure that work stations and any display screen equipment are suitable for use and provide an individual assessment where required;

to provide any necessary training, including:

● induction training including key health and safety requirements, safe work practices and emergency procedures in place at the premises; and

● any instruction or training required in connection with use of work equipment provided by the End User or the safe working practises which are in place; to record any accidents, dangerous occurrences, reportable diseases or work related absences in its accident book, pass on details to the organisation and/or make a report to the HSE where required under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 (“RIDDOR”); and otherwise to cooperate with the organisation and its employees to ensure their health, safety and welfare whilst on the End User’s premises.

4. Employees’ responsibilities

All Carrington Umbrella employees are required, at the start of an assignment, to ensure that you have been provided with information from the End User/client on:

● the health and safety arrangements which are in place including any risks which have been identified and safety measures to be followed;

● details of fire marshals or other persons appointed by the End User to assist in implementing health and safety and emergency procedures; and

● the location at the premises of the HSE approved poster setting out information on health and safety in the workplace and local contact details at all times to co-operate and comply with the End User/clients’s health and safety arrangements and instruction from those responsible for compliance;

● to take reasonable care of your health and safety and that of others who may be affected by your actions and not to interfere with anything provided to safeguard your health and safety;

● to assess any risks and stop work immediately if you consider that your working environment is unsafe and raise the matter to the End User/clients and, unless satisfactorily resolved, Nicky Owen or other member of the team; and to report all dangerous incidents, accidents and work related absences to both the End User and to Nicky Owen (or in her absence a member of the team).

Sanctions for non-compliance

Any failure to comply with any aspect of the health and safety arrangements set out by Carrington or the End User/client will be regarded as a matter of misconduct and will be dealt with under Carrington’s Disciplinary Procedure.

Due to the potential consequence of non-compliance, serious or repeated breaches or blatant disregard of health and safety procedures will be regarded as gross misconduct and may result in summary dismissal.

3. Assessment of health and safety risks arising from work activities

End users’ responsibilities

End users/clients are required to carry out an assessment to identify any risks arising in their workplace and put in place measures to eliminate these or reduce them to the lowest level practicable.

End users should provide to Carrington ’s employees information on any risks identified to which they may be exposed whilst carrying out their role, any safety procedures which are to be adopted and provide any instruction or training where required. Nature of activities and associated risks

Where a risk assessment has identified any exposure to hazardous substances, employees should contact a member of the Carrington team before starting work, unless prior authorisation has already been granted.

Where that risk assessment requires use of personal protective equipment employees should contact Carrington in the event that the equipment is not provided by the End User or in the event that they should have any concerns as to its adequacy.

Additional risks may arise for any pregnant or nursing mothers or employees who have any disabilities. Employees should therefore notify any such circumstances to both:

– a member of the team or nominated Health and Safety Manager at the End User; and

– a member of the team at Carrington.

4. Safe equipment

All equipment which is provided for use in the workplace should be fit for purpose and carry no risk to the health and safety of its employees.

End users’ responsibilities

End users are required:

● to carry out an assessment of any risks involved in use of equipment to be used by Carrington employees for the purposes of an assignment;

● to provide information to Carrington employees on any risks to health and safety identified from that assessment, the steps which have been identified to eliminate or otherwise reduce the risks involved in use of that equipment to the lowest level reasonably practicable and the procedures which are required to be followed in using that equipment;

● and to provide any training required in use of that equipment to Carrington employees.

No employee should use any equipment if he/she has any concerns as to the correct use of that equipment or its safety, but should seek further guidance from the End User/clients or failing this notify the issue to Nicky Owen, or a member of the Carrington team.

5. Display screen equipment

Where computers or display screen equipment are not used properly, this can lead to health problems such as back complaints, repetitive strain injuries or eye strain. In the vast majority of cases, these can be avoided quite simply by ensuring that workstations are properly laid out and equipment used by employees in the right manner. Where any of the organisation’s employees are required to use display screen equipment whilst on assignment, the End User is responsible for carrying out and assessment of the workstation and ensuring that the organisation’s employees are provided with:

● an appropriate workstation, equipment and chair;

● information on posture and correct use of equipment to minimise risks to the employee’s health and safety;

● sufficient breaks where computers or display screen equipment are being used for any significant period of time;

● and additional advice, instruction and an individual assessment where required.

If any employee requires any further information or assessment of his/her workstation, he/she should speak to the health and safety representative or their immediate team leader at the End User/client in the first instance. If he/she has any continuing concerns which are not addressed by the End User/client, he/she should contact Nicky Owen or a member of the team.

6. Manual handling

Wherever practicable, no employee should be required to carry lift or carry any loads which might result in any risk of injury. Where manual handling cannot be avoided steps should be taken to minimise the risk of any injury including use of any equipment provided.

End users’ responsibilities

Where End users have identified any risks arising from manual handling in the workplace which may be relevant to the work of the organisation’s employees, they are obliged to identify those risks and provide details of any safe procedures to be followed to minimise risk of injury including use of equipment and/or information on safe lifting procedures.

All employees are required to follow any procedures notified by the End User/clients in the event of having to carry out any lifting or other manual handling operations in the course of an assignment at the End User’s premises.If any guidance on manual handling is required, employees should contact their team leader or the health and safety manager at the End User/client in the first instance.

If an employee has any concerns regarding the health and safety arrangements adopted by the End User/client for manual handling or requires any further information he/she should raise these immediately with Nicky Owen or any member of the organisation’s team and not carry out any further manual handling until the issue is resolved.

7. Safe handling and use of substances

The organisation is responsible for protecting its employees from exposure to substances in the course of their employment which may be hazardous to their health.

No employee should work with any hazardous substance whilst on assignment with end users unless specific authorisation has been received from Nicky Owen or another member of the team and must comply at all times with any instructions provided regarding the use of safe procedures and/or personal protective equipment.

End users’ responsibilities Under the COSHH Regulations (which regulate the use of hazardous substances in the workplace),

End users are required:

● to identify the use of any substances in their workplace which may be hazardous to the health or safety of employees;

● to provide information to employees on:

– any risks identified;

– any procedures to be followed to eliminate or otherwise reduce the risk of exposure including, where appropriate, use of any personal protective equipment;

– any monitoring or health surveillance required to be carried out; and provide any training required to employees.

Employees should contact a member of the HR team at the organisation where:

● he/she is required to carry out any work involving exposure to hazardous substances which has not been authorised in advance by the organisation;

● he/she has any concerns regarding the information and instruction provided by the End User and/or the safety procedures to be followed in dealing with any hazardous substances;

● and use of any personal protective equipment which is required and has not been provided by the End User or he/she has any concerns as to its suitability.

8. Accidents, first aid and work related ill-health

First aid and Emergency facilities

End users should provide details of first aid facilities and any qualified first aid assistance available at the premises together with details of the nearest Accident & Emergency Department or direct employees to where this information is available in the office.

Employees should locate or otherwise request this information at the commencement of a new assignment.

Accident reporting All accidents, dangerous incidents and work related illnesses, no matter how small, must be reported: at the End User to the health and safety manager or other person having responsibility for health and safety or otherwise to a member of the team; and to Nicky Owen at the organisation, or in her absence to any member of the team.

Carrington and the End User/client are obliged by law to report certain dangerous incidents, accidents, reportable diseases or related absences to the HSE under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 (“RIDDOR”).

Carrington also requires this information in order to assess whether the End User has taken adequate steps to comply with its health and safety obligations and, where appropriate, ensure that any steps are taken to reduce the chance of future accidents.

9. Emergency procedures end users’ responsibilities

End users are required: to carry out a risk assessment and put in place fire safety arrangements at their premises including emergency evacuation procedures and appointment of fire marshals or other officers to implement the arrangements in the event of an emergency; and to provide information to the organisation’s employees on the fire safety arrangements and nominated safety officers at the commencement of any assignment Employees’ responsibilities

All employees are required at the commencement of an assignment, to check that they have been provided by the End User with sufficient information on the fire safety arrangements so that they know: the location of and how to raise the fire alarm; the location of fire extinguishers and how to use them; the evacuation procedures for the building including the location of all emergency exists; the fire marshals or safety officers for the office or, where appropriate, the floor or area in which he/she is based. In the event that the above information has not been provided or any further guidance is required, the employee should raise this with their immediate supervisor at the End User or failing this the health and safety manager.

In the event of any continuing concerns as to the fire safety arrangements, employees should contact Nicky Owen or a member of the team.

All employees are also required as a matter of law to ensure that they do not block any fire escape or fire escape route or otherwise cause any obstruction to any staircases, passages, walkways, entrances and exits.

10. Working Time Regulations (WTR)

The Working Time Regulations set minimum daily and weekly rest periods and holiday entitlements and special arrangements with regard to night work. Different limits apply in some cases for workers under 18 years.

End users are required by law to ensure that Carrington employees are given the appropriate rest breaks and are not required to work beyond the limits set out in the Regulations.

If any employee believes his/her working hours are at risk of breaching the Regulations he/she should notify his immediate team leader at the End User/client or where the issue cannot be satisfactorily resolved with the End User/client, a member of the team.

Useful links:

HSE DSE health and safety self assessment checklist

Reviewed by	date
Sue Nancini	01/07/2025