The
Health and Safety Executive has launched an internet-based audit package to
help textiles companies manage their health and safety risks.
The
package is made up of a series of audit-style questions with accompanying
information and reference material.
There
is a quick-start route to help users, steering them to the priority topics that
HSE inspectors will concentrate on at their visits.
Steve
Kay of HSE’s Textiles Sector, said: "The most important part of this
package is that it sets out the control standards that inspectors will be using
to measure a company’s performance for these priority topics, together with the
scale they will use for scoring the company’s performance.
"Employers
and employee representatives will have the opportunity to score themselves
before the inspector comes in."
Roger
Johnson of the Confederation of British Wool Textiles, said: "This free,
web-based audit package will be a valuable aid, particularly to small and
medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in managing health and safety in the industry.
"It
has the added benefit of being a flexible resource which can be used by safety
committees, safety representatives and managers alike."
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The
Textiles Health and Safety Audit package is available at www.hse.gov.uk/fod/polymers/audit.htm