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Initial Health & Safety Review

The Initial Safety Review (ISR) is often the first step in setting up a full health and safety management system, it can also be used to measure existing systems compliance with legislative requirements.

Essentially it is a high level review of the organisation, its people, premises and activities to identify both specific hazards and aspects that are potentially hazardous but which require further assessment to determine the exact nature and/or extent of the risks involved.

The organisation’s existing health and safety practices, working environment and culture are reviewed, including the effectiveness of any existing Occupational Health Strategy, its procedures and arrangements.

Legal Requirement
The Management of Health & Safety at Work Regulations 1999 requires that:
"Every employer shall make a suitable and sufficient assessment of risks to Health & Safety of employees, and of risks and safety of persons not employed" and "Every employer shall make a suitable and sufficient assessment of risks to Health & Safety of employees, and of risks and safety of persons not employed" and
“Shall appoint one or more competent persons to assist him in undertaking the measure to ensure compliance with the requirements placed upon them”. “Shall appoint one or more competent persons to assist him in undertaking the measure to ensure compliance with the requirements placed upon them”.
In short this means that you need to conduct risk assessments and appoint a competent person to manage health and safety. In short this means that you need to conduct risk assessments and appoint a competent person to manage health and safety.


Method

The review usually involves some or all of the following activities:
CObservation of the organisation’s premises, including buildings and location. Observation of the organisation’s premises, including buildings and location.
Observation of the activities performed by or on behalf of the organisation, to assess their essential nature and inherent hazards. Observation of the activities performed by or on behalf of the organisation, to assess their essential nature and inherent hazards.
Interviews with selected personnel, representing each of the organisation’s major activities to assess the degree of risk associated with each of them. Interviews with selected personnel, representing each of the organisation’s major activities to assess the degree of risk associated with each of them.
Interviews with selected personnel, representing the different levels of management to assess the level of health and safety awareness and practice Interviews with selected personnel, representing the different levels of management to assess the level of health and safety awareness and practice
Special attention to anything that is known to be significantly hazardous Special attention to anything that is known to be significantly hazardous
Examination of existing policies Examination of existing policies
Identification of statutory, industry and company training requirements. Identification of statutory, industry and company training requirements.
Examination and review of the Procedures and Measures already in place for controlling risks to Health & Safety. Examination and review of the Procedures and Measures already in place for controlling risks to Health & Safety.


Results

The results are collated in to a comprehensible report with recommendations for further action.

The client may then choose to develop a prioritised plan of actions (complete with allocated responsibilities and target dates) needed to address the deficiencies.

Assistance with the development of the plan is available upon request.