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Health and Safety Policy for Production Companies
Specimen Policy for the Office

[Name of production company] Health and Safety Policy

Office policy for [address of production company's office]

[Name of production company] is committed to safeguarding the health and safety of its staff and visitors to the office.

Nominated personnel have specific responsibilities, as set out below, but it is the responsibility of all employees to take all reasonable steps to assist [name of production company] in achieving its objective of making the office as safe as possible for its staff and visitors.

Specific responsibilities

Overall responsibility for health and safety rests with [name], Managing Director.

[Name], office manager [or if no office manager, nominate someone else] has responsibility for the implementation of this health and safety policy subject to the overall responsibility of [name of MD] and is hereby designated the Safety Officer. The safety officer shall take all reasonable steps to ensure:

1. All equipment is properly maintained and, in the case of electrical equipment, switched off when not in use.
2. All cables are secured to walls or, if that is not practical, arranged so as not to present a hazard.
3. All exits, corridors and gangways are kept clear.
4. That a safety audit is carried out on or around [date] each year at which each aspect of this policy is reviewed and, if necessary amended.
5. That he/ she considers whether any other laws or regulations are applicable and, if so, that they are complied with, including but not limited to:

• The Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981 (and 1996 revision)
• The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989
• The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 1994
• The Noise at Work Regulations 1989
• The Fire Precautions Act 1971 and replacement regulations 1996
• The Highly Flammable Liquids and Liquified Petroleum Gases Regulations 1972
• The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974
• The new Health and Safety Regulations 1993
• The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1992
• The Manual Handling Regulations 1992
• The Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992
• Display Screen Equipment at Work Regulations 1992
• Construction Design and Management Regulations 1994

Hazards

Staff shall take all reasonable steps to ensure the safety of themselves and of their colleagues and any visitor to [address of office] and shall report any hazard or potential hazard to the Safety Officer immediately.

The office is not particularly hazardous but care must be taken in respect of the following:

1. Videos, monitors, computers and other electrical equipment. If they do not function properly staff should not attempt to fix anything themselves but request help from the service company.
2. Lifting heavy equipment [list any items that staff should not attempt to lift on their own and specify the minimum number of people required to lift them eg the photocopier].
3. The stairs [specify any special care that needs to be taken eg where they are steep].
4. The area in front of the fire exit [is sometimes cluttered with] must be kept clear. The fire exit should not be locked while there is anyone in the building. If there is an occasion on which it must be locked for some exceptional reason then the key is in a box on the wall next to the fire exit and is clearly marked.
5. Care should be taken to make sure that a ladder is secure before it is used.
6. [any other hazards].

Accidents

1. The First Aid box is situated at [ ].
   [name of person] is responsible for ensuring that the First Aid box is properly stocked.
2. The accident book is kept at [ ]. Any incident which requires treatment or which identifies any potential hazard should be recorded in the accident book and reported to the Safety Officer.
3. In the event of a fatality or major injury or other circumstance specified in the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1985, the safety officer shall inform the area office of the Health and Safety Executive at: 1 Long Lane, London SE1 4PG. Telephone: 020 7556 2100.

Fire Safety

Escape routes:
* From [ ] to [ ]
* From [ ] to [ ]
* From [ ] to [ ]

Fire Extinguishers

Fire extinguishers are located at:
1. [ location ]
2. [ location ]
3. [ location ]

The [identify extinguisher] should be used to put out paper fires.
The [identify extinguisher] is a carbon dioxide extinguisher and should be used to put out electrical fires.

The fire extinguishers are maintained by [ ] and are serviced annually in [month].

Fire Alarm

The fire alarm buttons are situated at [ ]. On the alarm sounding everyone in the building must leave it as soon as possible via the nearest escape route and assemble at [describe convenient outside location].

Emergency services

Police: [name, address and telephone number of nearest police station].
Hospital: [name, address and telephone number of nearest hospital].
Fire: [name, address and telephone number of nearest fire station].

This Health and Safety Policy of [name of company] is effective from [date at which policy is prepared] and supercedes such Health and Safety Policy as was previously applicable to [address of premises].

© MVPA 2001
This draft health and safety policy for production companies' premises is the copyright of the Music Videotape Producers Association. Only member companies are permitted to use it.

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