Firstly, you need to ascertain whether you/your organisation has complied with the relevant H&S requirements.  Secondly, you need to identify what you/your organisation needs to do in order to comply. Thirdly, you need to ensure that you understand your duty to care for all relevant persons. Fourthly, you need a Health & Safety Inspection.   What will the Inspection tell you? It will identify all aspects of Health and Safety risks, both positive and negative. It will list all offences, for which you COULD face criminal proceedings if they are not rectified. It will advise you on rectification, good practice and current legislation.   You will need: - 1. A Health & Safety Policy 2. A Health & Safety Assessment on all roles functions and practices. 3. Regular Training for all relevant persons.     if you do not already have them. What can TC TRAINING provide? We will undertake a full inspection of the premises, including workstations, kitchens, Fire and general risks.  A full analysis will be undertaken and a report submitted. The report will include a full list of observations: -   Observations Hazards/unsafe practices & good practice. Priority/Risk (H,M,L) Action to be taken (if any) List any immediate and longer-term actions required Time Scale. (immediate, 1 week, etc.) followed by a concluding report setting out: - Introduction,identifying the organisation, the person undertaking the Inspection and at whose behest the Inspection is conducted. Summary,identifying the general attitude towards H&S from management and the workforce. Also identifying the general standard throughoutthe premises. A General description of the premises, taking into account the surrounding area, the socio-economic factors and physical features that are relevant.      Observations, including the chart above, plus specific risks such as fire or chemicals. Housekeeping,identifying good and bad physical layouts, furniture, lighting, heating, ventilation, hygiene, IT workstations, food preparation areas, storage facilities, general tidiness and whether emergency exits and routes were clear. Specific Locations(if applicable) Where there is a special function held in a particular area, e.g. vehicle maintenance, then it is possible to have a specific section of the report dedicated to that key areas. Specific High Risk areas.Again, if the general condition is sound, but in a hall where children and young people gather regularly, there may be a need for a more detailed report.  Electricity/gas/fire.These issues are the main elements involving breaches of Health & Safety regulations, so special care is taken to be quite clear as to the standard and requirements. Recommendations.This would be in the form of a list, with those that require urgent consideration or MUST CONSIDER at the top, down through SHOULD CONSIDER to COULD CONSIDER at the end. Conclusion will set out the general level of knowledge and understanding discovered, the attitudes of those responsible and the actual standard discovered. It will also give a rough indication as to the likely financial implication of following the recommendations, in general terms only, such as HIGH COST, MEDIUM COST or LOW COST. This is simply because different organisations utilise different agents to undertake their work.  One company may have the necessary skills, resources and knowledge to undertake the task themselves, whereas another organisation may have to employ an outside contractor to do it for them. WHAT ABOUT ASSESSMENTS AND POLICIES? A risk assessment is simply a careful examination of what, in your work, could cause harm to people, so that you can weigh up whether you have taken enough precautions or should do more to prevent harm. Workers and others have a right to be protected from harm caused by a failure to take reasonable control measures. Accidents and ill-health can ruin lives and affect your business too if output is lost, machinery is damaged, insurance costs increase or you have to go to court. YOU ARE LEGALLY REQUIRED TO ASSESS THE RISKS IN YOUR WORKPLACE SO THAT YOU PUT IN PLACE A PLAN TO CONTROL THE RISKS. Similarly, there is a duty of the worker to take reasonable care. However, if the worker is not suitably trained or equipped for a task, this could be regarded as not taking reasonable care of your employee or volunteer. Conducting an assessment is the responsibility of the organisation.   TC TRAINING will, however, assist and advise if necessary, providing the nominated person as much help as he/she needs to assess the hazards and risks involved in every function and aspect of the organision. Then, we can assist you in drawing up your policy, so that you comply with the necessary legal requirements.  It is vitally important that you actually conduct the assessment and write the policy, for that way, you can show a good working knowledge of both features should the HSE Inspector call, or, in the event of an incident, you can show that you have taken reasonable steps to prevent such occurrences from happening.  Your health and safety policy statement is the starting point to managing health and safety in the workplace and sets out how you manage health and safety in your organisation. It is a unique document that shows who does what; and when and how they do it. If you have five or more employees you will need to have a written health and safety policy statement. This should set out how you manage health and safety in your organisation. You must carry out a RISK ASSESSMENT to identify any risks and then make decisions on how to manage such risks, so far as is reasonably practicable, to comply with health and safety law. If you employ five or more employees, you must record:-  the significant findings of the assessment; and any group of employees identified by it as being especially at risk. This would then form part of the general policy of your business on how you deal with health and safety at work and the organisation and arrangements you have for putting that policy into practice. The policy should be specific to your business, and should be clear about arrangements and organisation for health and safety at work. It should influence all your activities, including the selection of people, equipment and materials, the way work is done and how you design goods and services. A written statement of the policy and the organisation and arrangements for implementing and monitoring it shows your staff, and anyone else, that hazards have been identified and risks assessed, eliminated or controlled. When you draw up or review your policy, you should discuss it with your employees, volunteers or their representatives for health and safety. Your health and safety policy statement is the starting point to managing health and safety in the workplace and sets out how you manage health and safety in your organisation. It is a unique document that shows who does what; and when and how they do it.  If this all seems too much, as you have a business to run, a life to lead and you have, after all, no training in this aspect of life, then: - TC TRAINING offers a ONE-DAY Health & Safety Assessor's course.    Including: Fire Risk Assessment Procedure sheet - 13 pages.   Manual Handling Risk Assessment Form Display Screen Equipment / VDU Risk Assessment Form  Guidance on Risk Assessment Colour Risk Assessment matrix and advice  Excel Sheet - Auto calculate your Risk ratings +   Rank them COSHH Risk Assessment Form Driving Risk Assessment   Generic Risk Assessment Form Fire Regulatory Reform Order Guidance