Business & Computing Examinations (BCE)

Health and Safety Policy Statement

We committed to pursuing excellence in everything we do and this includes the management of health and safety.

General Principles
1. At Business & Computing Examinations (BCE) we are committed to giving health and safety the highest priority in all of our activities.

2. We expect staff, centers, candidates, visitors, contracts and other employers who work at BCE to share this commitment by complying with our policies and, where appropriate, our procedures and to understand that they too have legal and moral obligations to themselves and to one another.

3. We are dedicated to ensuring the health and safety of all persons who may be affected by our activities by:
a. Providing, managing and maintaining a work environment, as well as computer facilities, which are, so far as reasonably practicable, safe and in which risks to health are controlled.
b. Providing adequate and appropriate facilities and arrangements for welfare at work.
c. Providing, managing and maintaining our stair case, front entrance so that they are safe and that risks to health are controlled.
d. Providing, managing and maintaining computers and equipment so that it is, so far as reasonably practicable, safe and that risks to health are controlled.
e. Ensuring that the use, handling, storage and transport of items and substances are carried out safely and that risks to health are controlled.
f. Providing the necessary organisation, expertise and resource, including communication and consultation, planning, monitoring, inspection and auditing procedures to ensure that there is effective management of health and safety throughout the Exam Board.
g. Ensuring that our staff and any contractors we employ are competent and carry out risk assessments for all the work they control.
h. Providing the information, instruction, training and supervision at all levels necessary to ensure that our staff are aware of the hazards at their workplace, together with the appropriate measures to be taken to protect against these hazards.
i. Keeping up to date with best practice in relation to health and safety and complying with all relevant legislation and authoritative guidance.
j. Consulting with and involving our staff candidates in matters relating to their own health and safety.

4. Where there are not existing policies and guidance, we expect our staff, candidates and contractors to meet the highest relevant standards and to comply with relevant legislation. Where no standards exist, we will work with our staff to develop systems which comply with best practice and eliminate or minimise the risks so far as reasonably practicable.

5. It is our stated intention to educate our staff in health and safety management by incorporating fire drills at least twice a year.

Responsibility

All staff have a responsibility to:
• Read any information on safety on notice boards
• Ensure they never attempt to operate unfamiliar equipment, or undertake tasks which may be unsafe
• Know the procedure to adopt in the event of a fire and familiarise themselves with the fire exits
• Report anything hazardous to a member of staff
• Ensure all accidents and incidents are reported to a member of staff
• Take care of their own health and safety as well as others who may be affected by their work
• All members have a responsibility to cooperate with the colleagues to achieve a health and safe workplace, and to take reasonable care of themselves and others. They are required to work in accordance with this policy, and building specific policies, in accordance with the assessments made of activities and the procedures or control measures.

I and the other members of staff are committed to this policy and to the implementation and maintenance of the highest standards of health, safety and welfare across the Exam board. We expect every member of BCE to share this commitment and to work together to achieve it.

Quality Assurance Manager – October 2008