Health & Safety Policy

BIG BEAR SOUND Limited (the “Firm”) intends to safeguard the health, safety and welfare of all its employees by all reasonable and practical means. The Firm and its employees must comply with the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Acts 2005 to 2014 (the “Acts”). These Acts apply to all employers, employees (including fixed-term and temporary employees) and self-employed people in their workplaces. The Firm and its employees must also endeavour to conduct its operations in such a way as to ensure that members of the public or other individuals at our place of work (who are not employees of the Firm) are not exposed to unnecessary risks.

The Firm’s policy is to exercise vigilance, detect and, where possible, remove hazards from the workplace, provide training and instruction to ensure employees perform their work safely and correctly, and provide safety equipment and clothing where necessary.
The Firm will promote safety, health and welfare standards that comply with the provisions and requirements of the Acts and other relevant legislation, standards, and codes of practice. The Firm will, insofar as is reasonably practicable, periodically review the system in place for the management of occupational safety and health and, where necessary, improve it. The Firm will also consult with staff on workplace safety, health and welfare.

To prevent workplace injuries and ill health, the Firm is required, among other things, to:

• Provide and maintain a safe workplace that is well designed and maintained and which uses safe plant, machinery and equipment which is well designed and maintained
• Provide a safe means of access to and egress from the place of work
• Provide safe systems of work
• Provide welfare facilities and arrangements that are well-designed and maintained
• Prevent risks from the use of any article or substance and exposure to physical agents, noise and vibration
• Prevent any improper conduct or behaviour likely to put the safety, health and welfare of employees at risk
• Provide instruction and training to employees on health and safety
• Provide suitable and maintained protective clothing and equipment
• Ensure that Emergency Plans are tested and revised regularly

The Firm’s Safety Officer is Michael Browne who has overall responsibility for health and safety at the Firm. The day-to-day management of health and safety is the responsibility of the Firm’s safety officer. .

The Firm expects employees to recognise and undertake their responsibility to work safely and efficiently and to adhere to the Firm’s safety rules and regulations while at work. All employees are obligated under the Acts to do everything they can to prevent injury to themselves and others. Employees are also responsible for reporting hazards or potentially hazardous situations to their manager and the Firm’s Safety Officer.

All employees have the following duties while at work:
1. To take reasonable care for their health and safety and that of other person(s) who may be affected by their acts or omissions at work;
2. To co-operate so far as it is necessary to enable the Firm to perform any duty or comply with any requirement imposed under any statutory provision affecting safety, health and welfare at work;
3. To neither interfere with nor misuse anything provided in the interests of health, safety or welfare;
4. Not to be under the influence of any intoxicant in the workplace to the extent that it is likely to endanger their safety, health or welfare at work or that of any other person;
5. Not to engage in improper conduct or behaviour that is likely to endanger his or her safety or that of any other person;
6. To attend such training and, as appropriate, undergo such assessment as may reasonably be required by the Firm or as may be prescribed relating to safety, health and welfare at work or relating to the work carried out by the employee;
7. To undergo any reasonable medical or other assessment if the Firm requests.

Employees also have a duty to:
1. Avoid taking unnecessary risks.
2. Wear the appropriate safety equipment and clothing.
3. Report defects in vehicles, equipment or appliances without delay.
4. Report all incidents that have led to (or, equally important, MAY lead to) injury or damage without delay.
5. Assist in investigating accidents with the aim of introducing controls to prevent their re-occurrence.
6. Avoid improvising in a manner that may entail unnecessary risks.
7. Suggest ways of eliminating hazards.
8. Set a personal example.
9. Avoid intentionally or recklessly interfering with safety measures provided.

REPORTING OF ACCIDENTS AND INCIDENTS/NEAR MISSES

Accidents
The Firm requires you to immediately report to Michael Browne any accident resulting in loss or injury and any accident that could have resulted in loss or injury. You must also co-operate with the Firm in the investigation of the incident and the completion of the injury/incident report form (available at Newmarket Hall, Newmarket Square, The Liberties, Dublin D08 VYA5, Ireland).
Incidents/Near Misses
Details of all incidents/near misses must be reported on the injury/incident forms, and all details should be accurately recorded.
To encourage all reporting of incidents and near misses, forms may remain anonymous.

First Aid
The First Aid box is strategically located in the kitchen.
Anyone using the first aid boxes should report the items that have been removed to Michael Browne (michael@bigbearsound.com) so that they can be replaced.

First Aiders are available in the Firm as follows:
Michael Browne (michael@bigbearsoud.com}

Fire
In the event of fire alarm activation:
1. Leave the building by the nearest available exit.
2. Do not stop to collect personal belongings.
3. Comply with instructions of the Firm’s fire wardens/security.
4. Assemble at the nearest assembly point for the building.
5. Do not re-enter the building until given the all clear by the Firm’s fire wardens/security.