Comment: RHP

COMMENT

Health and safety must be everyone’s responsibility

Irusha Hewawasamge, Head of Health & Safety, RHP, talks about the importance of health and safety after RHP received a Five Star grading in their recent British Safety Council’s Occupational Health and Safety Audit.

of years this has involved promoting the importance of everyone remaining alert to any signs that our customers, employees or homes could be at risk. This could include signs of disrepair, potential hazards or safeguarding issues. We also run regular focus weeks to bring learning to life in a memorable and fun way with speakers, discussions, games and competitions. We carry out regular ‘Toolbox Talks’ which provide an opportunity to hear about any issues our colleagues might be having and answer their questions. External recognition provides an important benchmark These sessions are also a great opportunity for us to for us to let us know we’re on the right track. However, keep our ears to the ground and spot any emerging what’s more important is keeping our customers, their trends, allowing us to be even more agile when homes, and our employees safe. something does arise.

A key part in achieving this has been making the For us, health and safety spans a range of shift between health and safety just being areas, including wellbeing, and we’ve down to a limited number of individuals, been working closely with our HR to creating a culture where every colleagues to introduce Mind individual believes they have a part Matters Champions – trained to play. At RHP we very much have £16.2bn mental health first aiders who are helping us to make a health and safety culture estimated cost of conversations around mental embedded within the injuries and ill health the norm and signpost organisation. We have a role- health from to support where needed. based training programme to help current working Fairly recently we moved develop leaders and employee’s conditions towards a ‘Plan, Do, Check, Act’ health and safety knowledge. (PDCA) model of managing health

We carry out training throughout and safety. the year and deliver it to everyone from The PDCA model enables us to our executive group through to onsite (during continually improve our arrangements and non-Covid times) training to our caretakers and manage risks to our employees and others. We have scheme managers. an annual health and safety plan, which focuses on

All new starters are expected to complete certain preventing work-related accidents and ill health. health and safety modules, instilling the importance With all that we do, we’re constantly working with for all of us. external bodies such as the British Safety Council,

We’re proud this training empowers our people to HSE, London Fire Brigade and IOSH to make sure we make the right ‘in the moment decisions’ for them and keep up to date with the latest in regulations and our customers. developments.

Instilling this mindset sets the expectation that it’s Whilst we’re proud of our achievements and how truly everyone’s responsibility to spot potential health empowered our people feel, we know the world of and safety issues and/or hazards. health and safety is constantly shifting and changes

To support this, we also look to run regular so we’ll continue to evolve and check in with our campaigns to build awareness. Over the last couple colleagues to see how they best want to engage.