Health and Safety policy

Kaplan is committed to high standards of health and safety. It is our policy, as a company, to maintain high standards and to encourage our staff to contribute to their own welfare and that of their colleagues and learners. Maintaining a safe and healthy working environment places demands on everyone but the resultant benefits are worth the effort.

Ensuring safety awareness, positive attitudes and continuous improvement in safety performance requires the commitment and active involvement of Directors, Managers and staff at all levels.

Our objectives are, so far as is reasonably practicable, to prevent accidents, resulting in injuries, ill health and/or damage to property, and also to conserve the environment.

General Policy

Kaplan’s recognises its obligations under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and related legislation. The company will, in the conduct of its activities and so far as is reasonably practicable:

• Protect the health and safety of its employees and others that may be affected by its activities.
• Limit adverse effects on the physical environment in which those activities are carried out.

Kaplan recognises that the skills and energies of its employees are amongst its greatest assets and it has a responsibility to provide for their welfare and equally for its learners, contractors, vendors and visitors. So far as is reasonably practicable, Kaplan will:

• Provide and maintain safe working environments and practices that do not constitute risks to health, safety and welfare.
• Formulate standards and policies that comply with relevant statutory requirements in respect of health, safety, welfare and the environment, as they affect employees, learners, contractors and the public.
• Actively promote a positive health and safety culture through the development of good practice.
• Safeguard employees, learners and all others from foreseeable hazards with regard to health, safety or the environment, in current processes, practices and working systems.
• Ensure that, when new substances, plant, machinery, equipment, processes or premises are introduced, adequate guidance, instruction and supervision are provided for safe methods of work to be developed.
• Train employees to be aware of their own responsibilities in respect of health, safety, welfare and environmental matters, and to ensure they actively participate in good practice that leads to the prevention of accidents and occupational and non-occupational injuries and diseases.
• Without detracting from the contractor’s own legal responsibility, Kaplan will ensure that contractors are informed of relevant associated risks, have been made aware of safety procedures and are monitored for compliance.
• Use where reasonably practicable advice and guidance to promote good health and to avoid occupational and non-occupational injuries and disease.
• Establish procedures for monitoring compliance with the safety standards and co-operate with authorities and technical organisations, to ensure policies are kept up to date.
• Establish safety forums to maintain effective control of health and safety measures.
• Ensure these objectives are fulfilled through auditing activities, either internally, through competent assessors, or by external consultants.

Application

• This policy, supported by approved procedures and detailed safety rules contained in the company H&S manual, applies to all activities carried out by, or on behalf of Kaplan.
• The Health and Safety Director and all Directors and Managers are responsible for ensuring this policy is applied in the areas for which they are responsible. All employees, at all levels, are required to comply with the requirements of this policy.

Organisation and Responsibilities

Health and Safety Director:

• Has the ultimate responsibility for establishing and maintaining policies on health, safety and environmental matters.
• Is to monitor the effectiveness of the policy and revise as experience and legislation demands.
• Will establish a health and safety committee consisting of appropriate persons to review all issues where minutes are to be recorded, meetings will normally be held quarterly.

Directors, Centre and Departmental Managers:

• Have responsibility to ensure all aspects of the company policy on health, safety and welfare at work, rules, processes and procedures are observed and applied at their respective areas of responsibility.
• To nominate by name a competent person at each location to manage all health, safety and welfare issues.

Head of Estates:

• Responsible for the provision of health and safety advice and guidance within the company.
• Responsible for ensuring that Kaplan provides suitable training on health, safety and related environmental issues, for all its employees, learners, contractors and visitors.

Employees, contractors and vendors:

• Have the responsibility for observing safety policies, rules and procedures and to take reasonable care for their own individual health and safety and that of other persons who may be affected by their activities.
• Every employee has a statutory duty to co-operate with the company policy in the provision and effecting of health and safety at work.
• Are to remain responsible for the health, safety and wellbeing of any learners and visitors in their charge whilst they are on company premises and ensure they comply with the company’s health and safety processes and procedures.

Learners and visitors:

• Are required to comply with the company’s health and safety processes and procedures and should be registered appropriately at relevant locations reception or appropriate person on their arrival and departure.

Implementation

Particular implementation tasks include:

• Issuing a local safety statement; setting out the detail of how this policy is to be applied to all employees and all other visitors to Kaplan locations.
• Allocation of sufficient resources to operate and maintain safe and healthy places of work.
• Provision of protective equipment and clothing, as required for particular work areas and activities, and ensuring its proper use.
• Ensuring adequate information is clearly displayed on specific hazards applicable to each site.
• Promotion of effective participation by all employees in joint consultation on health and safety matters.
• Provision of adequate fire protection, first aid equipment and health monitoring procedures at all sites.
• Actively encourage and take account of feedback on health, safety and environmental issues at the appropriate forums to review and continually improve current policy and procedures.

This statement of general policy on health and safety at work and of the organisation and arrangements for carrying out The Policy is made under Section 2(3) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. It is to be brought to the notice of all employees of Kaplan and is to be included in the Employee Handbook.

Dated: 14 July 2021