COMPANY RULE BOOK
Contents Company Rule Book issue & updates page
3
Introduction
4
Joining our organisation
5
Salaries and wages, etc.
6
Holiday entitlement and conditions
9
Sickness/injury payments and conditions
10
Safeguards
12
Standards
17
Health, safety, welfare and hygiene
18
General terms and procedures
20
Anti-bribery policy
23
Whistle-blowers
25
Capability procedures
27
Disciplinary procedures
29
Capability/disciplinary appeal procedure
35
Grievance procedure
36
Personal harassment policy and procedure
37
Equal opportunities policy
40
Termination of employment
42
APPENDIX 1 - Employee Safety Handbook APPENDIX 2 - Drivers Handbook
Issue 2
Page
43-57 58-68
2
COMPANY RULE BOOK ISSUES AND UPDATES
Issue 2
Pages
Issue/Update
Date
1-58
Issue 1
March 2020
1-47
Issue 2
April 2022
3
INTRODUCTION
WELCOME TO OUR TEAM
We would like to wish you every success during your employment whether you recently joined us or whether you are an existing employee. We hope that your experience of working here will be positive and rewarding. This Company Rule Book is designed both to introduce you to our organisation and to be of continuing use during your employment. It is not an express part of your Contract of Employment but failure to abide by the rules and regulations may result in disciplinary action, so we therefore ask that you study carefully the contents. it also contains information on some of the main employee benefits that may be available to you and the policies and procedures relating to your employment. If you require any clarification or additional information please refer to Vincent Jack or Tom Winstanley, the Directors. Please note that we provide equal opportunities and are committed to the principle of equality in accordance with legislative provisions. We expect your support in implementing these policies. We will not condone any unlawful discriminatory act or attitude in the course of your employment or in your dealings with our clients, suppliers, contract workers, members of the public or with fellow employees. Acts of unlawful discrimination, harassment or victimisation will result in disciplinary action.
General amendments to the Company Rule Book will be issued from time to time.
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JOINING OUR ORGANISATION A) PROBATIONARY PERIOD You join us on an initial probationary period as detailed in your Contract of Employment. During this period your work performance and general suitability will be assessed and, if it is satisfactory, your employment will continue. However, if your work performance is not up to the required standard, or you are considered to be generally unsuitable, we may either take remedial action (which may include the extension of your probationary period) or terminate your employment at any time. We reserve the right not to apply our full contractual capability and disciplinary procedures during your probationary period. B) EMPLOYEE TRAINING At the commencement of your employment you will receive guidance/training for your specific job, and as your employment progresses your skills may be extended to encompass new job activities within the business. It is a condition of your employment that you participate in any training deemed necessary by us for you to reach the required levels of attainment standards. C) INDUCTION At the start of your employment with our company you are required to complete an induction programme, during which all our policies and procedures (including Health and Safety) will be explained to you. Information relating to these will be given to you at the induction. D) JOB RESPONSIBILITIES Amendments may be made to your job responsibilities from time to time in relation to our changing needs and your own ability. E) STAFF REVIEW We have an annual staff review in place for the purpose of monitoring staff performance levels with a view to maximising the effectiveness of individuals. F) JOB FLEXIBILITY It is an express condition of employment that you are prepared, whenever necessary, to transfer to alternative departments or duties within our business. During holiday periods, etc. it may be necessary for you to take over some duties normally performed by colleagues. This flexibility is essential for operational efficiency as the type and volume of work is always subject to change.
G) MOBILITY It is a condition of your employment that you are prepared, whenever applicable, to travel to any other of our sites or those of our clients within reasonable travelling distance on a temporary basis. This mobility is essential to the smooth running of our business. H) TRAINING
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The company has a policy of encouraging its employees to undertake Company paid training in order to further their career within the organisation. However, in the event of termination of employment, for whatever reason training certificates will remain the property of the Company and if either party terminates employment, a financial settlement for any certificates required, will be discussed.
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SALARIES AND WAGES ETC A) ADMINISTRATION 1)
Payment a) The pay month ends on the 21 st of each month at 4pm. Payment will available on the last working day of the month. b) You will receive a payslip showing how the total amount of your pay has been calculated. It will also show the deductions that have been made and the reasons for them, e.g. Income Tax, National Insurance, etc. c) Any pay queries that you may have should be raised with the Directors.
2)
Overpayments If you are overpaid for any reason, the total amount of the overpayment will normally be deducted from your next payment but if this would cause hardship, arrangements may be made for the overpayment to be recovered over a longer period.
3)
Income Tax and National Insurance At the end of each tax year you will be given a form P60 showing the total pay you have received from us during that year and the amount of deductions for Income Tax and National Insurance. You may also be given a form P11D showing non-salary benefits. You should keep these documents in a safe place as you may need to produce them for tax purposes.
4)
Pay Reviews Pay is reviewed annually in March/April; however, there is no guarantee of an automatic increase in your pay as a result of any review.
B) LATENESS/ABSENTEEISM 1)
You must attend for work punctually at the specified time(s) and you are required to comply strictly with any time recording procedures relating to your work.
2)
All absences must be notified in accordance with the sickness reporting procedures laid down in this Company Rule Book.
3)
Lateness or absence may result in disciplinary action. You will only be paid for the hours that you work.
C) SHORTAGE OF WORK If there is a temporary shortage of work for any reason, we will try to maintain your continuity of employment even if this necessitates placing you on short time working, or alternatively, lay off. If you are placed on short time working, your pay will be reduced according to time actually worked. If you are placed on lay off, you will receive no pay other than Statutory Guarantee Pay. Statutory Guarantee Pay is paid in line with government legislation (further details and current rates can be found at www.gov.uk).
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D) PENSION SCHEME We have a Workplace Pension Scheme that you will be able to join subject to the conditions of the scheme. Further details of this are available separately.
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HOLIDAY ENTITLEMENT AND CONDITIONS A) ANNUAL HOLIDAYS 1)
Your annual holiday entitlement is shown in your Contract of Employment.
2)
It is our policy to encourage you to take all of your holiday entitlement in the current holiday year. We may not permit holidays to be carried forward. Payment in lieu will be made in respect of untaken holiday which is above the statutory minimum or in the event of termination of your employment.
3)
You must seek permission from the Directors before you make any firm holiday arrangements.
4)
Holiday dates will normally be allocated on a "first come - first served" basis whilst ensuring that operational efficiency and appropriate staffing levels are maintained throughout the year.
5)
You should give at least two weeks' notice of your intention to take holidays or odd single days.
6)
You may not normally take more than two working weeks consecutively.
7)
Your holiday pay will be at your normal basic pay.
8)
The Company will reserve sufficient days from your annual entitlement to cover the Company shut-down periods. These shutdown periods will be notified at the beginning of each year. If you have not accrued sufficient holiday entitlement to cover this period you will be given unpaid leave of absence.
B) PUBLIC/BANK HOLIDAYS Your entitlement to public/bank holidays is shown in your Contract of Employment.
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SICKNESS/INJURY PAYMENTS AND CONDITIONS A) NOTIFICATION OF INCAPACITY FOR WORK 1)
You must notify us by telephone on the first day of incapacity at the earliest possible opportunity and by no later than half an hour before your start time. Text messages, e-mails and telephone calls are all an acceptable method of notification and must be sent directly to either one of the Directors.
2)
You should try to give some indication of your expected return date and notify us as soon as possible if this date changes. The notification procedures should be followed on each day of absence unless you are covered by a doctor’s medical certificate.
3)
If your incapacity extends to more than seven days you are required to notify us of your continued incapacity once a week thereafter, unless otherwise agreed.
B) EVIDENCE OF INCAPACITY 1)
Doctors’ certificates are not issued for short-term incapacity (under 7 days).
2)
If your sickness has been (or you know that it will be) for longer than seven days (whether or not they are working days) you should see your doctor and make sure he/she gives you a ‘fit note’ (sometimes called a sick note) and forward this to us without delay. Subsequently you must supply us with consecutive doctors’ medical certificates to cover the whole of your absence.
C) PAYMENTS 1)
You are entitled to statutory sick pay (SSP) if you are absent for four or more consecutive days because of sickness or injury provided you meet the statutory qualifying conditions. SSP is treated like wages and is subject to normal deductions.
2)
Qualifying days are the only days for which you are entitled to SSP. These days are normally your working days unless otherwise notified to you. The first three qualifying days of absence are waiting days for which SSP is not payable. Where a second or subsequent period of incapacity (of four days or more) occurs within 56 days of a previous period of incapacity, waiting days are not served again.
3)
Where the circumstances of your incapacity are such that you receive or are awarded any sum by way of compensation or damages in respect of the incapacity from a third party, then any payments which we may have made to you because of the absence (including SSP) shall be repaid by you to us up to an amount not exceeding the amount of the compensation or damages paid by the third party and up to, but not exceeding, any amount paid by us.
D) RETURN TO WORK 1)
You should notify the Directors as soon as you know on which day you will be returning to work, if this differs from a date of return previously notified.
2)
If you have been suffering from an infectious or contagious disease or illness such as rubella or
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hepatitis you must not report for work without clearance from your own doctor. 3)
Upon returning to work after any period of sickness/injury absence, you may be required to attend a “return to work” interview to discuss the state of your health and fitness for work. Information arising from such an interview will be treated with strictest confidence.
E) GENERAL 1)
Submission of a medical certificate, although giving us the reason for your absence may not always be regarded by us as sufficient justification for accepting your absence. Sickness is just one of a number of reasons for absence and although it is understandable that if you are sick you may need time off, continual or repeated absence through sickness may not be acceptable to us.
2)
In deciding whether your absence is acceptable or not we will take into account the reasons and extent of all your absences, including any absence caused by sickness/injury. We cannot operate with an excessive level of absence as all absence, for whatever reason, reduces our efficiency.
3)
We will take a serious view if you take sickness/injury leave which is not genuine, and it will result in disciplinary action being taken.
4)
If we consider it necessary, we may ask your permission to contact your doctor and/or for you to be independently medically examined.
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SAFEGUARDS A) RIGHTS OF SEARCH 1)
Although we do not have the contractual right to carry out searches of employees and their property (including private vehicles) whilst they are on our premises or business, we would ask all employees to assist us in this matter should we feel that such a search is necessary.
2)
Where practicable, searches will be carried out in the presence of a colleague of your choice who is available on the premises at the time of the search. This will also apply at the time that any further questioning takes place.
3)
We reserve the right to call in the police at any stage.
B) CONFIDENTIALITY 1)
All information that:-
a) is or has been acquired by you during, or in the course of your employment, or has otherwise been acquired by you in confidence; b) relates particularly to our business, or that of other persons or bodies with whom we have dealings of any sort; and c) has not been made public by, or with our authority; shall be confidential, and (save in the course of our business or as required by law) you shall not at any time, whether before or after the termination of your employment, disclose such information to any person without our prior written consent. 2)
You are to exercise reasonable care to keep safe all documentary or other material containing confidential information, and shall at the time of termination of your employment with us, or at any other time upon demand, return to us any such material in your possession.
C) COMPANY PROPERTY AND COPYRIGHT All written material, whether held on paper, electronically or magnetically which was made or acquired by you during the course of your employment with us, is our property and, where appropriate, our copyright. At the time of termination of your employment with us, or at any other time upon demand, you shall return to us any such material in your possession.
D) STATEMENTS TO THE MEDIA Any statements to reporters from newspapers, radio, television, etc. in relation to our business will be given only by the Directors. E) GDPR
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GDPR was introduced to regulate personal data held either electronically or within a manual filing system. As an employer it is our responsibility to ensure that the documentation held is relevant, accurate and where necessary, kept up to date. Any data held shall be processed fairly and lawfully and in accordance with the rights of data subjects under the regulations. As an employee you will have the right, upon written request, to be told what personal data about you is being processed. You will also have the right to be informed of the source of the data and to whom it may be disclosed. We are not obliged to supply this information unless you make a written request and for such requests, a fee may be payable. F) INVENTIONS/DISCOVERIES An invention or discovery made by you will normally belong to you. However, an invention or discovery made by you will become our property if it was made:a) in the course of your normal duties under such circumstances that an invention might reasonably be expected to result from those duties; b) outside the course of your normal duties, but during duties specifically assigned to you, when an invention might reasonably be expected to result from these; and c) during the course of any of your duties, and at the time you had a special obligation to further our interests arising from the nature of those duties, and your particular responsibilities.
G) VIRUS PROTECTION PROCEDURES In order to prevent the introduction of virus contamination into the software system the following must be observed:a) unauthorised software including (but not limited to) public domain software, magazine cover disks/CDs, Internet/World Wide Web downloads or APP Downloads must NOT be used.
H) USE OF COMPUTER AND TELEPHONE EQUIPMENT In order to control the use of the company’s computer and telephone equipment and reduce the risk of contamination the following will apply:a) the introduction of new software must first of all be checked and authorised by the Directors before general use will be permitted; b) only authorised staff should have access to the company’s computer/telephone equipment; c) only authorised software may be used on any of the company’s computer/telephone equipment; d) only software that is used for business applications may be used;
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e) no software may be brought onto or taken from the company’s premises without prior authorisation; f) unauthorised access to the computer/telephone facility will result in disciplinary action; and g) unauthorised copying and/or removal of computer equipment/software/telephones will result in disciplinary action and such actions could lead to dismissal. I) E-MAIL AND INTERNET POLICY 1)
Introduction The purpose of the Internet and E-mail policy is to provide a framework to ensure that there is continuity of procedures in the usage of Internet and E-mail within the company. The Internet and E-mail system have established themselves as an important communications facility within the company and have provided us with contact with professional and academic sources throughout the world. Therefore, to ensure that we are able to utilise the system to its optimum we have devised a policy that provides maximum use of the facility whilst ensuring compliance with the legislation throughout.
2)
Internet Where appropriate, duly authorised staff are encouraged to make use of the Internet as part of their official and professional activities. Attention must be paid to ensuring that published information has relevance to normal professional activities before material is released in the company name. Where personal views are expressed a disclaimer stating that this is the case should be clearly added to all correspondence. The intellectual property right and copyright must not be compromised when publishing on the Internet. The availability and variety of information on the Internet has meant that it can be used to obtain material reasonably considered to be offensive. The use of the Internet to access and/or distribute any kind of offensive material, or material that is not work-related, leaves an individual liable to disciplinary action which could lead to dismissal.
3)
Procedures – Acceptable/Unacceptable Use a) Unauthorised or inappropriate use of the internet system may result in disciplinary action which could result in summary dismissal.
b) The internet system is available for legitimate business use and matters concerned directly with the job being done. Employees using the internet system should give particular attention to the following points:
i) Comply with all of our internet standards; ii) Access should be for business use only;
c) The company will not tolerate the use of the Internet system for unofficial or inappropriate purposes, including:-
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i) Accessing websites which put our internet at risk of (including but not limited to) viruses, compromising our copyright or intellectual property rights; ii) Non-compliance of our social networking policy;
iii) connecting, posting or downloading any information unrelated to their employment and in particular pornographic or other offensive material;
iv) Engaging in computer hacking and other related activities, or attempting to disable or compromise security of information contained on the company's computers.
You are reminded that such activities (iii. and iv.) may constitute a criminal offence. 4)
E-mail The use of the E-mail system is encouraged as its appropriate use facilitates efficiency. Used correctly it is a facility that is of assistance to employees. Inappropriate use however causes many problems including distractions, time wasting and legal claims. The procedure sets out the company's position on the correct use of the E-mail system. 5)
Procedures - Authorised Use a) Unauthorised or inappropriate use of the E-mail system may result in disciplinary action which could include summary dismissal. b) The E-mail system is available for communication and matters directly concerned with the legitimate business of the company. Employees using the E-mail system should give particular attention to the following points:i) all comply with company communication standards; ii) E-mail messages and copies should only be sent to those for whom they are particularly relevant; iii) E-mail should not be used as a substitute for face-to-face communication or telephone contact. Flame mails (i.e. E-mails that are abusive) must not be sent. Hasty messages sent without proper consideration can cause upset, concern or misunderstanding; iv) if E-mail is confidential the user must ensure that the necessary steps are taken to protect confidentiality. The company will be liable for infringing copyright or any defamatory information that is circulated either within the company or to external users of the system; and v) offers or contracts transmitted by E-mail are as legally binding on the company as those sent on paper. c) The company will not tolerate the use of the E-mail system for unofficial or inappropriate purposes, including:i) any messages that could constitute bullying, harassment or other detriment;
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ii) personal use (e.g. social invitations, personal messages, jokes, cartoons, chain letters or other private matters); iii) on-line gambling; iv) accessing or transmitting pornography; v) transmitting copyright information and/or any software available to the user; or vi) posting confidential information about other employees, the company or its customers or suppliers.
6)
Monitoring We reserve the right to monitor all E-mail/Internet activity by you for the purposes of ensuring compliance with our policies and procedures and of ensuring compliance with the relevant regulatory requirements and you hereby consent to such monitoring. Information acquired through such monitoring may be used as evidence in disciplinary proceedings.
J) USE OF SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES Any work related issue or material that could identify an individual who is a client or work colleague, which could adversely affect the company, a client or our relationship with any client must not be placed on a social networking site. This means that work related matters must not be placed on any such site at any time either during or outside of working hours and includes access via any computer equipment or mobile device. K) KEYHOLDING/ALARM SETTING If you are an allocated key/alarm holder, you must ensure that all procedures and guidelines are followed when securing the building/site prior to leaving. The keys/alarm fob and any security measure such as alarm codes must be kept safe at all times. You must not give the keys or alarm code to any third party unless authorisation is obtained from the Directors. Any loss or damage caused as a result of your failure to follow procedures or your negligence in ensuring the safekeeping of the keys and alarm code will result in disciplinary action which could lead to your summary dismissal. Any breaches or security issues including the loss or theft of keys/alarm fobs must be reported immediately to the Directors. The last key holder to leave the premises must ensure lights and appropriate electrical equipment are switched off, windows, doors and entrance gates are secure, and alarms are set accordingly.
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STANDARDS A) WASTAGE 1)
We maintain a policy of "minimum waste" which is essential to the cost-effective and efficient running of our organisation.
2)
You are able to promote this policy by taking extra care during your normal duties by avoiding unnecessary or extravagant use of services, time, energy, etc. The following points are illustrations of this:a) handle machines, equipment and stock with care; b) turn off equipment when idle, unless required for operational use; c) turn off any unnecessary lighting and heating. Keep doors closed whenever possible; d) ask for other work if your job has come to a standstill; and e) start with the minimum of delay after arriving for work and after breaks.
3)
The following should be noted: a) any damage to stock or property (including telephones and non-statutory safety equipment) that is the result of your carelessness, negligence or deliberate vandalism will be assessed on an individual basis and may lead to disciplinary action being taken against you and may render you liable to pay the full or part of the cost of repair or replacement; b) any loss to us that is the result of your failure to observe rules, procedures or instruction, or is as a result of your negligent behaviour or your unsatisfactory standards of work will be assessed on an individual basis and may lead to disciplinary action being taken against you and may render you liable to reimburse to us the full or part of the cost of the loss; and
B) STANDARDS OF DRESS Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) is provided and must be worn at all times whilst at work and where applicable, laundered on a regular basis. C) HOUSEKEEPING Both from the point of view of safety and of appearance, work areas must be kept clean and tidy at all times.
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HEALTH, SAFETY, WELFARE AND HYGIENE A) SAFETY 1) You should make yourself familiar with our Health and Safety Policy and your own health and safety duties and responsibilities, as shown in Appendix 1. 2)
You must not take any action that could threaten the mental/physical health or safety of yourself, other employees, customers or members of the public.
3)
Protective clothing and other equipment which may be issued for your protection because of the nature of your job must be worn and used at all appropriate times. Failure to do so could be a contravention of your health and safety responsibilities. Once issued, this protective wear/equipment is your responsibility.
4)
You should report all accidents, injuries, near misses, dangerous occurrences, damage/loss of company property/third party property at work, no matter how minor, on a Report Form. Copies available in the office.
5)
You must ensure that you are aware of our fire and evacuation procedures and the action you should take in the event of such an emergency.
B) ALCOHOL & DRUGS POLICY Under legislation we, as your employer, have a duty to ensure so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety and welfare at work of all our employees and similarly you have a responsibility to yourself and your colleagues. The use of alcohol and drugs may impair the safe and efficient running of the business and/or the health and safety of our employees. If your performance or attendance at work is affected as a result of alcohol or drugs, or we believe you have been involved in any drug related action/offence, you may be subject to disciplinary action and, dependent on the circumstances, this may lead to your dismissal. C) ALCOHOL AND DRUG TESTING 1.
The company reserve the contractual right to carry out alcohol and drug testing on employees during their normal working hours. These tests are random and do not imply suspicion in relation to any individual.
2.
Additionally our clients reserve the right to carry out alcohol and drug testing on anyone working on their premises or sites.
3.
If you are required to submit to a test, you will have the right to be accompanied by a fellow work colleague available at the time of the request.
4.
You retain the right to refuse to be tested, however, you should be aware that your refusal may be regarded as breach of contract which may lead to disciplinary action and result in your dismissal.
D) FITNESS FOR WORK
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If you arrive for work and, in our opinion, you are not fit to work, we reserve the right to exercise our duty of care if we believe that you may not be able to undertake your duties in a safe manner or may pose a safety risk to others, and send you away for the remainder of the day with or without pay and, dependent on the circumstances, you may be liable to disciplinary action. E) NO SMOKING POLICY Smoking on the premises, inside or outside at a clients’ property (unless prior client permission is obtained) is not allowed. If working in the yard, you can only smoke in the designated smoking area. F) HYGIENE 1)
Any exposed cut or burn must be covered with a first-aid dressing.
2)
If you are suffering from an infectious or contagious disease or illness such as rubella or hepatitis you must not report for work without clearance from your own doctor.
3)
Contact with any person suffering from an infectious or contagious disease must be reported before commencing work.
G) MANUAL HANDLING You are required, in accordance with the Manual Handling Regulations 1992, to advise us of any condition which may make you more vulnerable to injury.
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GENERAL TERMS AND PROCEDURES A) CHANGES IN PERSONAL DETAILS You must notify us immediately of any change of name, address, telephone number, etc., so that we can maintain accurate information on our records and make contact with you in an emergency, if necessary, outside normal working hours.
B) OTHER EMPLOYMENT 1)
If you already have any other employment or are considering any additional employment you must notify us so that we can discuss any implications arising from such employment i.e. working time legislation, health and safety issues, conflict of interest.
2)
You may not under any circumstances, whether directly or indirectly, undertake any other duties of whatever kind during your hours of work.
C) TIME OFF Circumstances may arise where you need time off for medical/dental appointments, or for other reasons. Where possible, such appointments should be made outside normal working hours. If this is not possible, time off required for these purposes may be granted at the discretion of the Directors and will be without pay. 48 hours notice is required for these requests. D) MATERNITY/PATERNITY/ADOPTION LEAVE AND PAY You may be entitled to maternity/paternity/adoption leave and pay in accordance with the current statutory provisions. If you (or your partner) become pregnant or are notified of a match date for adoption purposes you should notify the Directors at an early stage so that your entitlements and obligations can be explained to you. E) PARENTAL LEAVE If you are entitled to take parental leave in respect of the current statutory provisions, you should discuss your needs with the Directors who will identify your entitlements and look at the proposed leave periods dependent upon your child’s/children’s particular circumstances and the operational aspects of the business. F) TIME OFF FOR DEPENDANTS You may be entitled to take a reasonable amount of unpaid time off during working hours to take action that is necessary to provide help to your dependants. Should this be necessary you should discuss your situation with the Directors who, if appropriate, will agree the necessary time off.
G) BEREAVEMENT LEAVE Reactions to bereavement may vary greatly according to individual circumstances and the setting of fixed rules for time off is therefore inappropriate. You should discuss your circumstances with the Directors and agree appropriate time off.
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H) EMPLOYEES' PROPERTY We do not accept liability for any loss of, or damage to, property that you bring onto the premises. If any personal item/s of value are brought to work, please note that these items will not be insured by the Company and you are requested, in particular, not to leave any items overnight. I) PARKING Where parking facilities have been made available to you on our premises you must ensure that you observe all of our traffic requirements e.g. speed limits, etc. To avoid congestion, all vehicles must be parked only in the designated parking areas. No liability is accepted for damage to private vehicles, however it may be caused. You are required to reverse park into the parking spaces. J) MAIL All mail received by us will be opened, including that addressed to employees. Private mail, therefore, should not be sent care of our address. No private mail may be posted at our expense except in those cases where a formal re-charge arrangement has been made. K) FRIENDS AND RELATIVES CONTACT / TELEPHONE CALLS / MOBILE PHONES You should discourage your friends and relatives from either calling on you in person or by telephone except in an emergency. Incoming personal telephone calls are allowed only in the case of emergency. Outgoing personal calls should only be made during authorised breaks unless an emergency. Personal mobile phones should be switched to silent during working hours. L) COMPANY TOOLS The Company provides tools necessary to carry out your duties and also acknowledges that some employees may use their own tools to carry out their work duties. You should keep these in good repair and take all reasonable steps to ensure that they are secure at all times. You must report any Company tools that have been lost, damaged or mislaid to the Directors. You must return all Company tools upon termination of employment by either party.
M) BUYING OR SELLING OF GOODS You are not allowed to buy or sell goods on your own behalf on our premises or during your working hours. N) CLIENT RELATIONS Our business may involve the provision of services to clients and some of our employees may be employed to perform work on behalf of those clients, sometimes on the client’s own premises. Due to this relationship, our clients may, on rare occasions, require that such an employee be removed from a job in accordance with their contract with us. In such circumstances we will investigate the reasons for such requests. However, if our client maintains their stance we will then take all reasonable steps to ensure that alternative work is provided. If this is not possible we may have no alternative but to terminate such an individual’s employment. This procedure is separate from any concurrent disciplinary matter that may need to be addressed.
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O) BEHAVIOUR AT WORK You should behave with civility towards fellow employees, and no rudeness will be permitted towards clients or members of the public. Objectionable or insulting behaviour, or bad language will render you liable to disciplinary action. You should use your best endeavours to promote the interests of the business and shall, during normal working hours, devote your time, attention and abilities to the business and its affairs. Any involvement in activities which could be construed as being in competition with us is not allowed.
P) DRIVING LICENCE If driving is a necessary part of your work duties, it is imperative that you maintain a valid driving licence suitable for the vehicle you operate at all times during your employment. You are required upon request to produce your driving licence to the Directors. Should your licence be removed or become invalid for any reason, your employment may be terminated.
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ANTI BRIBERY POLICY A) INTRODUCTION Bribery is a criminal offence. The company prohibits any form of bribery. We require compliance, from everyone connected with our business, with the highest ethical standards and anti-bribery laws applicable. Integrity and transparency are of utmost importance to us and we have a zero tolerance attitude towards corrupt activities of any kind, whether committed by company employees or by third parties acting for or on behalf of the company. B) POLICY It is prohibited, directly or indirectly, for any employee or person working on our behalf to offer, give, request or accept any bribe i.e. gift, loan, payment, reward or advantage, either in cash or any other form of inducement, to or from any person or company in order to gain commercial, contractual or regulatory advantage for the company, or in order to gain any personal advantage for an individual or anyone connected with the individual in a way that is unethical. C) SUSPICION If we suspect that you have committed an act of bribery or attempted bribery, an investigation will be carried out and, in line with our disciplinary procedure where appropriate, action may be taken against you which may result in your dismissal, or the cessation of our business arrangement with you. D) REPORTING If you, as an employee or person working on our behalf, suspect that an act of bribery or attempted bribery has taken place, even if you are not personally involved, you are expected to report this to the Directors. You may be asked to give a written account of events. Staff are reminded of the company’s Whistleblowing Policy which is available in this Company Rule Book. E) GIFTS AND HOSPITALITY We realise that the giving and receiving of gifts and hospitality as a reflection of friendship or appreciation where nothing is expected in return may occur, or even be commonplace, in our industry. This does not constitute bribery where it is proportionate and recorded properly. No gift should be given nor hospitality offered by an employee or anyone working on our behalf to any party in connection with our business without receiving prior written approval from the Directors. If any gift or offer of hospitality is accepted by an employee or anyone working on our behalf the Directors must be notified by the end of the working day in which it was received. F) RECORD KEEPING A record will be made by the company of every instance in which gifts or hospitality are given or received. G) REVIEW
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As the law is constantly changing, this policy is subject to review and the company reserves the right to amend this policy without prior notice.
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WHISTLE-BLOWERS A) INTRODUCTION Under certain circumstances, employees are protected from suffering any detriment or termination of employment if they make disclosures about organisations for whom they work.
B) QUALIFYING DISCLOSURES 1)Certain disclosures are prescribed by law as “qualifying disclosures”. A “qualifying disclosure” means a disclosure of information that the employee genuinely and reasonably believes is in the public interest and shows that the company has committed a “relevant failure” by:
a) committing a criminal offence;
b) failing to comply with a legal obligation;
c) a miscarriage of justice;
d) endangering the health and safety of an individual;
e) environmental damage; or
f) concealing any information relating to the above.
2)
These acts can be in the past, present or future, so that, for example, a disclosure qualifies if it relates to environmental damage that has happened, is happening, or is likely to happen. The company will take any concerns that you may raise relating to the above matters very seriously.
3)
We encourage you to use the procedure if you are concerned about any wrong doing at work. However, if the procedure has been invoked for malicious reasons or in pursuit of a personal grudge, then you will be liable to immediate termination of employment or such lesser disciplinary sanction as may be appropriate in the circumstances.
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C) THE PROCEDURE
1)
In the first instance you should report any concerns you may have to the Directors who will treat the matter with complete confidence. If you are not satisfied with the explanation or reason given to you, you should raise the matter with the appropriate official organisation or regulatory body.
2)
If you do not report your concerns to the Directors you should take them direct to the appropriate organisation or body.
D) TREATMENT BY OTHERS
Bullying, harassment or any other detrimental treatment afforded to a colleague who has made a qualifying disclosure is unacceptable. Anyone found to have acted in such a manner will be subject to disciplinary action.
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CAPABILITY PROCEDURES A) INTRODUCTION We recognise that during your employment with us your capability to carry out your duties may deteriorate. This can be for a number of reasons, the most common ones being that either the job changes over a period of time and you fail to keep pace with the changes, or you change (most commonly because of health reasons) and you can no longer cope with the work. B) JOB CHANGES/GENERAL CAPABILITY ISSUES 1)
If the nature of your job changes or if we have general concerns about your ability to perform your job we will try to ensure that you understand the level of performance expected of you and that you receive adequate training and supervision. Concerns regarding your capability will normally first be discussed in an informal manner and you will be given time to improve.
2)
If your standard of performance is still not adequate you will be warned in writing that a failure to improve and to maintain the performance required could lead to your dismissal. We will also consider the possibility of a transfer to more suitable work if possible.
3)
If there is still no improvement after a reasonable time and we cannot transfer you to more suitable work, or if your level of performance has a serious or substantial effect on our organisation or reputation, you will be issued with a final warning that you will be dismissed unless the required standard of performance is achieved and maintained.
4)
If such improvement is not forthcoming after a reasonable period of time, you will be dismissed with the appropriate notice.
C) PERSONAL CIRCUMSTANCES/HEALTH ISSUES 1)
Personal circumstances may arise which do not prevent you from attending for work but which prevent you from carrying out your normal duties (e.g. a lack of dexterity or general ill health). If such a situation arises, we will normally need to have details of your medical diagnosis and prognosis so that we have the benefit of expert advice. Under normal circumstances this can be most easily obtained by asking your own doctor for a medical report. Your permission is needed before we can obtain such a report and we will expect you to co-operate in this matter should the need arise. When we have obtained as much information as possible regarding your condition and after consultation with you, a decision will be made about your future employment with us in your current role or, where circumstances permit, in a more suitable role.
2)
There may also be personal circumstances which prevent you from attending work, either for a prolonged period(s) or for frequent short absences. Under these circumstances we will need to know when we can expect your attendance record to reach an acceptable level. This may again mean asking your own doctor for a medical report or by making whatever investigations are appropriate in the circumstances. When we have obtained as much information as possible regarding your condition, and after consultation with you, a decision will be made about your future employment with us in your current role or, where circumstances permit, in a more suitable role.
D) SHORT SERVICE STAFF We retain discretion in respect of the capability procedures to take account of your length of service and to vary the procedures accordingly. If you have a short amount of service, you may not be in receipt
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of any warnings before dismissal but you will retain the right to a hearing and you will have the right to appeal.
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DISCIPLINARY PROCEDURES A) INTRODUCTION 1)
It is necessary to have a minimum number of rules in the interests of the whole organisation.
2)
The rules set standards of performance and behaviour whilst the procedures are designed to help promote fairness and order in the treatment of individuals. It is our aim that the rules and procedures should emphasise and encourage improvement in the conduct of individuals, where they are failing to meet the required standards, and not be seen merely as a means of punishment. We reserve the right to amend these rules and procedures where appropriate.
3)
Every effort will be made to ensure that any action taken under this procedure is fair, with you being given the opportunity to state your case and appeal against any decision that you consider to be unjust.
4)
The following rules and procedures should ensure that:a) the correct procedure is used when requiring you to attend a disciplinary hearing; b) you are fully aware of the standards of performance, action and behaviour required of you; c) disciplinary action, where necessary, is taken speedily and in a fair, uniform and consistent manner; d) you will only be disciplined after careful investigation of the facts and the opportunity to present your side of the case. On some occasions temporary suspension on contractual pay may be necessary in order that an uninterrupted investigation can take place. This must not be regarded as disciplinary action or a penalty of any kind; e) other than for an "off the record" informal reprimand, you have the right to be accompanied by a fellow employee at all stages of the formal disciplinary process; f) you will not normally be dismissed for a first breach of discipline, except in the case of gross misconduct; and g) if you are disciplined, you will receive an explanation of the penalty imposed and you will have the right to appeal against the finding and the penalty.
B) DISCIPLINARY RULES It is not practicable to specify all disciplinary rules or offences that may result in disciplinary action, as they may vary depending on the nature of the work. In addition to the specific examples of unsatisfactory conduct, misconduct and gross misconduct shown in this handbook, a breach of other specific conditions, procedures, rules etc. that are contained within this handbook or that have otherwise been made known to you, will also result in this procedure being used to deal with such matters. C) RULES COVERING UNSATISFACTORY CONDUCT AND MISCONDUCT (These are examples only and not an exhaustive list.)
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You will be liable to disciplinary action if you are found to have acted in any of the following ways:a) failure to abide by the general health and safety rules and procedures; b) smoking in designated non smoking areas; c) consumption of alcohol on the premises; d) persistent absenteeism and/or lateness; e) unsatisfactory standards or output of work; f) rudeness towards customers, members of the public or other employees, objectionable or insulting behaviour, harassment, bullying or bad language; g) failure to devote the whole of your time, attention and abilities to our business and its affairs during your normal working hours; h) unauthorised use of E-mail and Internet; i) failure to carry out all reasonable instructions or follow our rules and procedures; j) unauthorised use or negligent damage or loss of our property; k) failure to report immediately any damage to property or premises caused by you; l) use of our vehicles without approval or the private use of our commercial vehicles without authorisation; m) failure to report any incident whilst driving our vehicles, whether or not personal injury or vehicle damage occurs; n) if your work involves driving, failure to report immediately any type of driving conviction, or any summons which may lead to your conviction; o) carrying unauthorised goods or passengers in our commercial vehicles or the use of our vehicles for personal gain; and p) loss of driving licence where driving on public roads forms an essential part of the duties of the post. D) SERIOUS MISCONDUCT 1)
Where one of the unsatisfactory conduct or misconduct rules has been broken and if, upon investigation, it is shown to be due to your extreme carelessness or has a serious or substantial effect upon our operation or reputation, you may be issued with a final written warning in the first instance.
2)
You may receive a final written warning as the first course of action, if, in an alleged gross misconduct disciplinary matter, upon investigation, there is shown to be some level of mitigation resulting in it being treated as an offence just short of dismissal.
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E) RULES COVERING GROSS MISCONDUCT
Occurrences of gross misconduct are very rare because the penalty is dismissal without notice and without any previous warning being issued. It is not possible to provide an exhaustive list of examples of gross misconduct. However, any behaviour or negligence resulting in a fundamental breach of contractual terms that irrevocably destroys the trust and confidence necessary to continue the employment relationship will constitute gross misconduct. Examples of offences that will normally be deemed as gross misconduct include serious instances of:a) theft or fraud; b) physical violence or bullying; c) deliberate damage to property; d) deliberate acts of unlawful discrimination or harassment; e) possession, or being under the influence, of illegal drugs at work; f) breach of health and safety rules that endangers the lives of, or may cause serious injury to, employees or any other person. (The above examples are illustrative and do not form an exhaustive list.)
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F) DISCIPLINARY PROCEDURE 1)
Disciplinary action taken against you will be based on the following procedure:-
OFFENCE
1st OCCASION
2nd OCCASION
3rd OCCASION
4th OCCASION
UNSATISFACTORY CONDUCT
Formal verbal warning
Written warning
Final written warning
Dismissal
MISCONDUCT
Written warning
Final written warning
Dismissal
SERIOUS MISCONDUCT
Final written warning
Dismissal
GROSS MISCONDUCT
Dismissal
2)
We retain discretion in respect of the disciplinary procedures to take account of your length of service and to vary the procedures accordingly. If you have a short amount of service you may not be in receipt of any warnings before dismissal but you will retain the right to a disciplinary hearing and you will have the right of appeal.
3)
If a disciplinary penalty is imposed it will be in line with the procedure outlined above, which may encompass a formal verbal warning, written warning, final written warning, or dismissal, and full details will be given to you.
4)
In all cases warnings will be issued for misconduct, irrespective of the precise matters concerned, and any further breach of the rules in relation to similar or entirely independent matters of misconduct will be treated as further disciplinary matters and allow the continuation of the disciplinary process through to dismissal if the warnings are not heeded.
G) DISCIPLINARY AUTHORITY The operation of the disciplinary procedure contained, in the previous section, is based on the following authority for the various levels of disciplinary action. However, the list does not prevent a higher or ALL EMPLOYEES lower level of seniority, in the event of the appropriate level not being available, or suitable, progressing anyFormal action at whatever stage of the disciplinary verbal warning Directorprocess. Written warning
Director
Final written warning
Director
Dismissal
Director
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H) PERIOD OF WARNINGS 1)
Formal verbal warning A formal verbal warning will normally be disregarded for disciplinary purposes after a three month period.
2)
Written warning A written warning will normally be disregarded for disciplinary purposes after a six month period.
3)
Final written warning A final written warning will normally be disregarded for disciplinary purposes after a twelve month period.
I) GENERAL NOTES 1)
If you are in a supervisory or managerial position then demotion to a lower status at the appropriate rate may be considered as an alternative to dismissal except in cases of gross misconduct.
2)
In exceptional circumstances, suspension from work without pay for up to five days as an alternative to dismissal (except dismissal for gross misconduct) may be considered by the person authorised to dismiss.
3)
Gross misconduct offences will result in dismissal without notice.
4)
You have the right to appeal against any disciplinary action.
5)
We reserve the right to allow third parties to chair any formal hearing.
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CAPABILITY / DISCIPLINARY APPEAL PROCEDURE 1)
You have the right to lodge an appeal in respect of any capability/disciplinary action taken against you.
2)
If you wish to exercise this right you should apply either verbally or in writing to the person indicated in your individual Contract of Employment.
3)
It may be necessary, because of the size of our organisation, for the appeal to be heard by the person who took the original action and it is therefore important that your appeal gives details of why the penalty imposed is either too severe, inappropriate or unfair in the circumstances.
4)
If you are appealing on the grounds that you have not committed the offence, it may be necessary for the person conducting the appeal to have a complete re-hearing so that there can be a reappraisal of all matters before a decision is made to grant or refuse the appeal.
5)
You may be accompanied at the appeal hearing by a fellow employee of your choice and the result of the appeal will be made known to you in writing, normally within five working days after the hearing. This is the final stage of the appeal process.
6) We reserve the right to allow third parties to chair any formal hearings.
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GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE 1)
It is important that if you feel dissatisfied with any matter relating to your employment you should have an effective means by which such a grievance can be aired and, where appropriate, resolved.
2)
Nothing in this procedure is intended to prevent you from informally raising any matter you may wish to mention. Informal discussion can frequently solve problems without the need for a written record. However, if you wish to raise a formal grievance you should normally do so in writing from the outset.
3)
You have the right to be accompanied at any stage of the procedure by a fellow employee who may act as a witness or speak on your behalf to explain the situation more clearly.
4)
If you feel aggrieved at any matter relating to your work (except personal harassment, for which there is a separate procedure following this section), you should first raise the matter with the person specified in your Contract of Employment, explaining fully the nature and extent of your grievance. You will then be invited to a meeting at a reasonable time and location at which your grievance will be investigated fully. You must take all reasonable steps to attend this meeting. You will be notified of the decision, in writing, normally within ten working days of the meeting, including your right of appeal.
5)
If you wish to appeal you must inform the Directors within five working days. You will then be invited to a further meeting, which you must take all reasonable steps to attend. As far as reasonably practicable, the company will be represented by a more senior candidate than attended the first meeting (unless the most senior candidate attended that meeting).
6)
Following the appeal meeting you will be informed of the final decision, normally within ten working days, which will be confirmed in writing.
7) We reserve the right to allow third parties to chair any formal hearing.
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PERSONAL HARASSMENT POLICY AND PROCEDURE A) INTRODUCTION 1)
Harassment or victimisation on the grounds of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation is unacceptable.
2)
Personal harassment takes many forms ranging from tasteless jokes and abusive remarks to pestering for sexual favours, threatening behaviour and actual physical abuse. Whatever form it takes, personal harassment is always taken seriously and is totally unacceptable.
3)
We recognise that personal harassment can exist in the workplace, as well as outside, and that this can seriously affect employees' working lives by interfering with their job performance or by creating a stressful, intimidating and unpleasant working environment.
B) POLICY 1)
We deplore all forms of personal harassment and seek to ensure that the working environment is sympathetic to all our employees.
2)
We have published these procedures to inform employees of the type of behaviour that is unacceptable and provide employees who are the victims of personal harassment with a means of redress.
3)
We recognise that we have a duty to implement this policy and all employees are expected to comply with it.
C) EXAMPLES OF PERSONAL HARASSMENT Personal harassment takes many forms and employees may not always realise that their behaviour constitutes harassment. Personal harassment is unwanted behaviour by one employee towards another and examples of harassment include: a) insensitive jokes and pranks; b) lewd or abusive comments about appearance; c) deliberate exclusion from conversations; d) displaying abusive or offensive writing or material; e) unwelcome touching; and f) abusive, threatening or insulting words or behaviour. These examples are not exhaustive and disciplinary action at the appropriate level will be taken against employees committing any form of personal harassment. D) COMPLAINING ABOUT PERSONAL HARASSMENT 1)
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37
We recognise that complaints of personal harassment, and particularly of sexual harassment, can sometimes be of a sensitive or intimate nature and that it may not be appropriate for you to raise the issue through our normal grievance procedure. In these circumstances you are encouraged to raise such issues with a senior colleague of your choice (whether or not that person has a direct supervisory responsibility for you) as a confidential helper. This person cannot be the Directors who will be responsible for investigating the matter if it becomes a formal complaint.
If you are the victim of minor harassment you should make it clear to the harasser on an informal basis that their behaviour is unwelcome and ask the harasser to stop. If you feel unable to do this verbally then you should hand a written request to the harasser, and your confidential helper can assist you in this. 2)
Formal complaint Where the informal approach fails or if the harassment is more serious, you should bring the matter to the attention of the Directors as a formal written complaint and again your confidential helper can assist you in this. If possible, you should keep notes of the harassment so that the written complaint can include:a) the name of the alleged harasser; b) the nature of the alleged harassment; c) the dates and times when the alleged harassment occurred; d) the names of any witnesses; and e) any action already taken by you to stop the alleged harassment. On receipt of a formal complaint we will take action to separate you from the alleged harasser to enable an uninterrupted investigation to take place. This may involve a temporary transfer of the alleged harasser to another work area or suspension with contractual pay until the matter has been resolved. The person dealing with the complaint will invite you to attend a meeting, at a reasonable time and location, to discuss the matter and carry out a thorough investigation. You have the right to be accompanied at such a meeting by your confidential helper or another work colleague of your choice and you must take all reasonable steps to attend. Those involved in the investigation will be expected to act in confidence and any breach of confidence will be a disciplinary matter. On conclusion of the investigation which will normally be within ten working days of the meeting with you, a draft report of the findings and of the investigator's proposed decision will be sent, in writing, to you and to the alleged harasser. If you or the alleged harasser are dissatisfied with the draft report or with the proposed decision this should be raised with the investigator within five working days of receiving the draft. Any points of concern will be considered by the investigator before a final report is sent, in writing,
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to you and to the alleged harasser. You have the right to appeal against the findings of the investigator in accordance with the appeal provisions of the grievance procedure. E) GENERAL NOTES 1)
If the report concludes that the allegation is well founded, the harasser will be liable to disciplinary action in accordance with our disciplinary and disciplinary dismissal procedure. An employee who receives a formal warning or who is dismissed for harassment may appeal by using our capability/disciplinary appeal procedure.
2)
If you bring a complaint of harassment you will not be victimised for having brought the complaint. However if the report concludes that the complaint is both untrue and has been brought with malicious intent, disciplinary action will be taken against you.
3)
We reserve the right to allow third parties to chair any formal meeting.
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EQUALITY OPPORTUNITIES POLICY A) STATEMENT OF POLICY 1)
We recognise that discrimination is unacceptable and although equality of opportunity has been a long standing feature of our employment practices and procedure, we have made the decision to adopt a formal equal opportunities policy. Breaches of the policy will lead to disciplinary proceedings and, if appropriate, disciplinary action.
2)
The aim of the policy is to ensure no job applicant, employee or worker is discriminated against either directly or indirectly on the grounds of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.
3)
We will ensure that the policy is circulated to any agencies responsible for our recruitment and a copy of the policy will be made available for all employees and made known to all applicants for employment.
4)
The policy will be communicated to all private contractors reminding them of their responsibilities towards the equality of opportunity.
5)
The policy will be implemented in accordance with the appropriate statutory requirements and full account will be taken of all available guidance and in particular any relevant Codes of Practice.
6)
We will maintain a neutral working environment in which no employee or worker feels under threat or intimidated.
B) RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION 1)
The recruitment and selection process is crucially important to any equal opportunities policy. We will endeavour through appropriate training to ensure that employees making selection and recruitment decisions will not discriminate, whether consciously or unconsciously, in making these decisions.
2)
Promotion and advancement will be made on merit and all decisions relating to this will be made within the overall framework and principles of this policy.
3)
Job descriptions, where used, will be revised to ensure that they are in line with our equal opportunities policy. Job requirements will be reflected accurately in any personnel specifications.
4)
We will adopt a consistent, non-discriminatory approach to the advertising of vacancies.
5)
We will not confine our recruitment to areas or media sources which provide only, or mainly, applicants of a particular group.
6)
All applicants who apply for jobs with us will receive fair treatment and will be considered solely on their ability to do the job.
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7)
All employees involved in the recruitment process will periodically review their selection criteria to ensure that they are related to the job requirements and do not unlawfully discriminate.
8)
Short listing and interviewing will be carried out by more than one person where possible.
9)
Interview questions will be related to the requirements of the job and will not be of a discriminatory nature.
10) We will not disqualify any applicant because he/she is unable to complete an application form unassisted unless personal completion of the form is a valid test of the standard of English required for the safe and effective performance of the job. 11) Selection decisions will not be influenced by any perceived prejudices of other staff.
C) TRAINING AND PROMOTION 1)
If applicable. senior staff will receive training in the application of this policy to ensure that they are aware of its contents and provisions,
2)
All promotion will be in line with this policy.
D) MONITORING 1)
We will maintain and review the employment records of all employees in order to monitor the progress of this policy.
2)
Monitoring may involve:a) the collection and classification of information regarding the race in terms of ethnic/national origin and sex of all applicants and current employees;
b) the examination by ethnic/national origin and sex of the distribution of employees and the success rate of the applicants; and
c) recording recruitment, training and promotional records of all employees, the decisions reached and the reason for those decisions.
3)
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The results of any monitoring procedure will be reviewed at regular intervals to assess the effectiveness of the implementation of this policy. Consideration will be given, if necessary, to adjusting this policy to afford greater equality of opportunities to all applicants and staff.
41
TERMINATION OF EMPLOYMENT A) RESIGNATIONS All resignations must be supplied in writing, stating the reason for resigning your post. B) TERMINATING EMPLOYMENT WITHOUT GIVING NOTICE If you terminate your employment without giving or working the required period of notice, as indicated in your Contract of Employment, you may have an amount equal to any additional cost of covering your duties during the notice period not worked deducted from any termination pay due to you. You may also forfeit any contractual accrued holiday pay due to you over and above your statutory holiday pay, if you fail to give or work the required period of notice. C) RETURN OF OUR PROPERTY On the termination of your employment you must return all our property which is in your possession or for which you have responsibility. Failure to return such items may result in the cost of the items being deducted from any monies outstanding to you. D) RETURN OF VEHICLES and KEYS On termination of your employment you must return any company keys, in your possession, to our premises. Failure to return the keys may result in the cost of its recovery being deducted from any monies outstanding to you.
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APPENDIX 1
EMPLOYEE SAFETY HANDBOOK Note: For the purposes of our Health and Safety Policy the word ‘employee’ refers to any person in the service of London Bronze Casting Ltd including those who are referred to as Sub-Contractors, Workers, Self-employed, Volunteers etc. This, however, in no way affects their employment status. This Employee Safety Handbook has been produced to provide employees with Health and Safety information. It also includes information about your duties as an employee and will help you to understand Health and Safety issues which affect you at work. It contains the following: . General Policy . Organisation and responsibilities . Employees’ responsibilities, rules and procedures WHAT THE LAW REQUIRES Our organisation, under current legislation, has to have a written Health and Safety General Policy statement for the protection of our employees and others who may be affected by our work activities. Our Health and Safety Policy and Arrangements reflect our commitment to the provision of a safe working environment. We are legally required to identify the duties and responsibilities for employees who have a specific role in managing health and safety in our workplace. We also have a responsibility and duty to ensure that you are: . Aware of and understand the Health and Safety General Policy. . Aware of and understand the health and safety rules relating to your work. . Provided with adequate information, instruction, training and supervision. . Made aware of the significant risks associated with your work activities and how they may affect others. . Provided with Safe Systems of Work. . Provided with a safe and healthy working environment. The policy is reviewed at regular intervals. We provide other documents containing relevant information in addition to training and instruction to help you to carry out your work safely.
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HEALTH AND SAFETY GENERAL POLICY STATEMENT
LONDON BRONZE CASTING LTD
At London Bronze Casting we recognise our duties under current health and safety legislation and we will endeavour to meet the requirements of this legislation and maintain a safe and healthy working environment. The Directors are aware of their responsibilities to ensure they take all reasonable precautions, to ensure the safety, health and welfare of those that are likely to be affected by the operation of our business.
London Bronze Casting Ltd recognises its duty to make regular assessment of the hazards and risks created in the course of our business.
We also recognise our duty, so far as is reasonably practicable:
. to meet our legal obligations to maintain safe and healthy working conditions; . to provide adequate control of the health and safety risks so identified; . to consult with our employees on matters affecting their health and safety; . to provide and maintain safe tools & equipment; . to ensure the safe handling and use of substances; . to provide information, instruction and training, where necessary, for our workforce; taking account of any who do not have English as a first language; . to ensure that all workers are competent to do their work, and to give them appropriate training; . to prevent accidents and cases of work related ill health; . to actively manage and supervise health and safety at work; . to have access to competent advice; . to seek continuous improvement in our health and safety performance and management through regular (at least annual) review and revision of this
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policy; and . to provide the resource required to make this policy and our Health and Safety arrangements effective.
We also recognise:
. our duty to co-operate and work with other employers when we work at premises or sites under their control to ensure the continued health and safety of all those at work; and . our duty to co-operate and work with other employers and their workers, when their workers come onto our premises or sites to do work for us, to ensure the health and safety of everyone at work.
To help achieve our objectives and ensure our employees recognise their duties under health and safety legislation whilst at work, we will also inform them of their duty to take reasonable care for themselves and for others who might be affected by their activities.
In support of this policy a responsibility chart and more detailed arrangements have been prepared.
Note: A signed and dated copy is available.
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HEALTH AND SAFETY ORGANISATION
The Directors has overall responsibility for the implementation of this policy.
The policy is implemented by key personnel who may be allocated specific responsibilities for managing health and safety.
DIRECTORS
EMPLOYED/CONTRACTED STAFF (where/if applicable)
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LONDON BRONZE CASTING LTD
Key Personnel Health and Safety Responsibilities
Introduction
Health and safety legislation places specific duties on employers to make arrangements to protect the health, safety and welfare of their employees whilst at work and others (such as visitors and contractors) that might be affected by their undertakings.
To help us comply with these duties we reserve the right to assign specific health and safety responsibilities to Key Personnel for their areas of work.
In addition, Health & Safety arrangements may include:
. Our Health and Safety Policy. . Safety responsibilities for key personnel, where applicable . Safety arrangements to deal with health and safety issues in our workplace. . Risk assessments. . Procedures to deal with emergencies. . Employee safety rules. . Additional information such as documented Safe Systems of Work, specific safety rules and fire precautions, are also provided.
Other information provided to help employees with health and safety issues includes:
. The displayed Health and Safety Law Poster. . The displayed current Employer’s Liability Insurance Certificate (or electronic version) . Health and Safety literature and information leaflets.
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. Appropriate safety information and the significant findings of risk assessments. . Information relating to Safe Systems of Work.
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EMPLOYEE LEGAL RESPONSIBILITIES
As an employee you have a legal duty to take reasonable care of yourself and others and to co-operate with management on all aspects of health and safety.
You must co-operate with and follow all emergency arrangements.
You must ensure that you report all accidents, near misses or damage to equipment and property as soon as possible. You must co-operate and assist with any accident/ incident investigations when asked.
You must refrain from deliberate acts or interference with anything provided in the interests of health, safety and welfare. This includes alteration, removal or deliberate disablement of guards and other safety devices and unauthorised alteration or repair of equipment.
You must carry out your tasks in a safe manner and follow any instructions or Safe Systems of Work provided to you by Management. Should you identify any hazard or hazardous situation, you must report it to the person in charge immediately, or as soon as possible.
You have a duty to ensure that all personal protective equipment provided for you is worn as directed, kept clean, maintained and stored in the correct manner.
It should be remembered that a breach of health and safety legislation by you may constitute a criminal offence and action may be taken against you by the Enforcing Authority, which can result in heavy penalties, i.e. fines and/or imprisonment.
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SAFETY RULES
This section outlines some of the general health and safety rules. There may be other more specific procedures about how you carry out your tasks for which training / instruction will be provided or specific working practice adopted.
Accident Procedures
You must report all injuries suffered at work (however minor) to management on an 'Accident/Incident Report Form'.
You must report all near misses, dangerous occurrences, damage/loss of company or third party equipment to management immediately and complete the appropriate Report Form which should be handed to the Directors at the earliest opportunity.
Working Practices
You must not operate any equipment or use hazardous substances unless you have been trained and authorised to do so.
You must use all work equipment in accordance with your training and instructions.
You must report any fault, damage, defect or malfunction in any equipment to management immediately or if this is not possible as soon as reasonably practicable.
You must not make repairs to any work equipment unless you have been trained and authorised to do so.
When cleaning work equipment you must use the correct procedure as instructed.
Work equipment must not be left switched on without someone in control of it.
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Employees under 18 years old must not operate (unless under direct supervision) or clean certain dangerous machinery.
You must use all hazardous substances in accordance with written assessments and instructions.
All hazardous, flammable or explosive substances that are not in use must be stored correctly in their designated safe storage areas.
You must obey the Drugs and Alcohol Policy of the organisation.
You must carry out manual handling tasks as instructed.
You must comply with all safe working procedures as detailed by the organisation.
Working Conditions / Environment
You must use the correct tools for the task being undertaken.
You must clear up any spillage within the work area as soon as possible and report any hazardous conditions that exist.
Waste hazardous substances must be disposed of in a safe and approved manner.
Do not allow hazardous substances to enter drains or sewers.
You must keep all areas clean and tidy.
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You must dispose of all rubbish and waste materials as instructed.
You must report any hazardous conditions to management.
Fire Precautions
You must report any use of fire fighting equipment to management.
Do not attempt to fight fires unless you have been trained how to do so.
You must comply with all established emergency procedures.
You must not obstruct any fire escape route, fire equipment or fire doors at any time. Locked or obstructed fire escape routes must be reported immediately to management.
You must not interfere with or misuse any fire equipment provided.
Any fire doors should be kept closed at all times, unless fitted with an automatic release device.
Hygiene
You must maintain high standards of personal hygiene at all times when at work.
You must protect all open wounds with a suitable dressing, whilst at work.
You must not consume food or drinks in a place where it may become contaminated.
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Health
You must report to management any medical condition or use of medication which could affect your safety or the safety of others.
You must co-operate with the organisation’s health surveillance provisions.
You must inform management, as soon as possible, if you are pregnant.
You must inform management of any infections or illness immediately. Decisions to keep you away from work, due to illness, will only be taken after careful consideration.
You must not attend work under the influence of either alcohol or illegal drugs.
Hazard / Warning Signs, Signals and Notices
You must comply with all workplace warning signs, signals and notices displayed.
Vehicles
Do not drive or operate any work vehicles without approval.
You must not allow unauthorised passengers in work vehicles.
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You must not use work vehicles for unauthorised purposes.
You must not overload work vehicles.
You must promptly report to management any medical condition that could affect your ability to drive.
You must promptly report to management any endorsements or changes to your driving licence.
You must not use a hand held mobile phone whilst driving.
Smoking is not permitted in work vehicles.
Protective Clothing and Equipment
You are required to use all personal protective equipment as instructed.
You must not damage or misuse personal protective equipment.
Personal protective equipment must be stored correctly.
You must inform management of any personal protective equipment defects or loss.
Gross Misconduct
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You will be liable to summary dismissal if you are found to have acted in either of the following ways:
• Serious breaches of the preceding health and safety rules, which endanger the lives of or may cause serious injury to employees or any other person.
• Interference with or misuse of any equipment for use at work, such that it may cause harm.
HAZARD REPORTING
You are encouraged to report, directly to the Directors, hazards, unsafe conditions and practices that may affect you or others in order to reduce the possibility of injury/illness at work.
CONSULTATION
To encourage your involvement in the health and safety of the organisation we provide opportunities for consultation with employees through various means. If you have any health and safety concerns you should raise them with the Directors.
Every effort will be made to provide consultation and communication on important health and safety issues such as:
. Risk Assessments and subsequent Safe Systems of Work . Workplace hazards . Emergency procedures . New working practices / new work equipment . Workplace welfare issues
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OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH
Hazards that have the potential to harm you, or anyone connected with our business, are identified in our risk assessments.
Where appropriate, Occupational Health needs will be identified through our risk assessment process. Suitable control measures will be implemented and where necessary, Occupational Health services will be provided. You will be informed of any requirement for you to take part in health monitoring. We anticipate that you will provide full co-operation by attending for health monitoring should this be deemed necessary. Results of such monitoring will be confidential.
RISK ASSESSMENTS
We carry out the process of risk assessment to reduce the risk of injury and ill health, and identify:
. The significant hazards that employees may be exposed to. . Who could be harmed and how. . Identifying existing control measures. . The likelihood of someone being harmed by the hazard. . What (if any) further actions are required. . Appropriate Safe Systems of Work and necessary training.
For further information on the completion of risk assessments and to view those relevant to your specific role you should speak to the Directors.
SAFETY RECORDS
We have a need to maintain records of our activities. Information of these can be obtained on request from the Directors.
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General Safety Rules
Applicable to all Employees, Visitors and Contractors
1. You must obey all rules, signs and instructions 2. You must attend relevant health and safety training 3. Only undertake tasks for which you have been trained 4. Ensure that all equipment used is in a safe condition 5. Wear Personal Protective Equipment as specified 6. Do not enter unauthorised areas 7. All accidents, incidents, hazards, near misses and dangerous occurrences must be reported to the person in charge as soon as possible after the incident 8. Smoking is not permitted in any work vehicle. 9. Maintain good housekeeping at all time. 10. Ensure all pedestrian and vehicle traffic routes are kept clear at all times.
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APPENDIX 2
DRIVERS HANDBOOK CONTENTS SECTION A 1. Policy Statement 2.
Allocation & Vehicle Arrangements
3.
Authorised Drivers
4.
Emergency Authorisation to Drive
5.
Excluded Drivers
6.
Use of Company Vehicles
7.
Private Car Use for Organisational Business Purposes
8.
Accessories Fitted to Vehicles
9.
Wearing of Seatbelts
10. Alcohol and Drugs - Driving 11. Medical Conditions - Driving 12. Smoking in Vehicles 13. Mobile Telephones 14. Satellite Navigation Equipment 15. Reporting of Incidents and Damage 16. Road Traffic Accidents 17. Theft of Vehicles and/or Contents 18. Vehicles Insurance 19. Road Fund Licence 20. MOT Test Certificates 21. Offences and Fines 22. Vehicle Operation and Controls 23. Care and Condition of Vehicles 24. Vehicle Defects and Damage 25. Maintenance Checks by the Driver 26. Standards of Driving 27. Tyre Condition and Punctures 28. Windscreen Damage and Replacement 29. Servicing Arrangements (A Safety Requirement) 30. Breakdown and Recovery 31. Bodywork Repairs 32. Safe Loading of Vehicles 33. Return of Vehicles
SECTION B 1. Winter Driving Precautions
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SECTION A 1. Policy Statement Driving is a risk faced by our employees from time to time and this policy covers the use of all company vehicles. We are committed to the prevention of loss of life and property from driving accidents through: • •
Strict adherence to this policy Adopting any strategy that will minimise accident and incident rates
2. Allocation & Vehicle Arrangements Prior to any company vehicle being driven by an employee, the following procedure and instructions must be followed: a) A copy of the employee's current driving licence must be provided upon request. This will be checked to ensure that the details are correct and that the licence covers the vehicles to be driven. b) The Company Rule Book containing the Drivers Handbook shall be issued to the authorised driver who shall ensure that they are familiar with the instructions and information contained within. c) The authorised driver shall inspect the vehicle for signs of damage or defects and ensure that the ancillary equipment (wheel jack, wheel brace and spare wheel) is in the vehicle before use. d) Any changes to the licence including endorsements and restrictions etc, shall be notified to the Directors as soon as the facts are known. e) An annual check may be carried out on all driving licences and a copy kept in the employees personnel file, for reference.
Falsification of any driving licence documents will be dealt with under the disciplinary measures. 3. Authorised Drivers Only persons who have produced their driving licences for validation will be authorised to drive organisation vehicles. Company vehicles may be used by others only if authorised to do so by the Directors. 4. Emergency Authorisation to Drive In the event of an accident, breakdown or illness, where the driver is unable to proceed, any competent and fully licensed driver is authorised to drive the vehicle directly to its normal base, a garage or place of safety. 5. Excluded Drivers
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• • • • • •
Those not in possession of a full UK driving licence for the category of vehicle to be driven. Learner drivers. Anyone who has been disqualified from driving. Anyone who has been refused motor insurance or renewal, or has had a policy cancelled. Those who suffer from a listed medical condition/s. Anyone under 21 years old, except when specifically authorised by the Directors.
6. Use of Company Vehicles Vehicles shall not be used for any business or purpose of any kind except that of London Bronze Casting Ltd unless authorisation has been given.
Whenever the vehicle is being used for business or private purposes, passengers may only be carried to the maximum seating capacity. No company vehicle shall be used to carry passengers for hire or reward. It is the authorised driver's responsibility to pay any fixed penalty charges or fines. It is the authorised driver's responsibility to maintain driver records, as requested by the Company.
7. Private Car Use for Organisation Business Purposes Employees must seek prior approval before undertaking any journey in their private vehicle on behalf of the organisation. A copy of the private vehicles current MOT Certificate and Insurance Policy Certificate must be placed on file prior to use. The insurance must provide cover for the use of the vehicle for business purposes. Employees can claim reimbursement for authorised business mileage.
8. Accessories Fitted to Vehicles Accessories for work or private use must not be fitted to company vehicles without the authority of the Directors. These items may include any vehicle approved equipment including roof racks, towing brackets and associated equipment, bicycle racks (rear and roof fitted) and ancillary fittings. All fittings, if approved to be fitted, must be fitted correctly by a competent person. Once fitted, they become part of the vehicle and should be covered by the general sections of the Insurance Policy. Private equipment is NOT covered and separate arrangements must therefore be made. Any damage to the vehicle caused by private equipment etc, may be chargeable to the driver.
9. Wearing of Seatbelts
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All drivers and occupants must wear seatbelts when travelling in organisation vehicles. It is the driver's responsibility to ensure that seatbelts or child restraints are worn. The latter, if fitted, must be appropriate for the age and weight of the child.
10. Alcohol and Drugs - Driving Driving a company or private vehicle for business purposes whilst under the influence of alcohol or drugs is strictly forbidden and will be subject to disciplinary action.
11. Medical Conditions - Driving Drivers shall inform the organisation of any medical condition that may affect their driving ability.
12. Smoking in Vehicles Smoking is not permitted in company vehicles. passengers.
Drivers of private vehicles should consider their
13. Mobile Telephones Use of Mobile Phone Policy Scope •
This policy applies to all employees within the organisation
Eligibility •
Mobile phones may be issued to those employees who require them as an integral part of their job.
Mobile Phone Legislation •
• •
It is illegal to use a hand held mobile phone when driving, even when you are stopped at traffic lights or in a queue of traffic. This includes making or answering calls, pictures, text messaging or accessing the internet. You must pull over to a safe location. You can also be prosecuted for using a hands free mobile phone if you fail to have proper control of your vehicle. Driving carelessly or dangerously when using any mobile phone can result in disqualification, a large fine and up to two years imprisonment.
14. Satellite Navigation Equipment
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Drivers should always programme their satellite navigation equipment before they set off, and not input instructions whilst driving. Drivers can be prosecuted for operating satellite navigation equipment if they are not in proper control of their vehicle when doing so. If settings require adjusting during a journey, drivers should pull over to a convenient safe location. Drivers should check the route the satellite navigation chooses, to make sure it is practical. Planning a journey in advance can reduce the driver's reliance of the satellite navigation at dangerous times, and will also prompt drivers to think about issues such as fatigue and the best time to do the journey, if applicable. Drivers should ensure that satellite navigation equipment is kept updated with new maps, new road layouts and new one way systems to prevent it from going out of date. The satellite navigation equipment should be positioned out of the way of airbags, in the line of sight but must not obstruct the driver's vision. If the satellite navigation unit is detachable, drivers should always take it out when they leave the vehicle. Thieves know that when people remove them they tend to keep them in the car, so mounts or suction cap marks also attract thieves.
15. Reporting of Incidents and Damage All incidents, including accidents, thefts, vandalism and damage of any kind must be reported to the Directors.
16. Road Traffic Accidents At the scene of the accident drivers must: • •
Stay calm and act in a manner which does not expose anyone to the danger Inform emergency services for assistance, if required
In the event of an accident drivers must not discuss liability, but they should (if possible) obtain the following information: • • • • • • • • •
Date, time and location of the accident Vehicle registration numbers of third party vehicle(s) Third party driver's name, address and Insurance Company Third Party insurers policy number Name and number of any Police Officer attending the accident Police Incident Number Sketches or photographs of the accident scene showing position of vehicles, road markings etc Names and addresses of any other witnesses Any other applicable information
If the vehicle(s) involved in the accident have only suffered minor damage and it is safe to do so, they can be moved from the immediate scene to a place of safety in order that details can be exchanged. As soon as possible after the accident the details must be reported to the Directors.
If the vehicle can be legally driven you must return to your normal base or home address, as agreed with the Directors.
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If the vehicle cannot be driven, arrangements will be made, as agreed with the Directors, to remove the vehicle. In all cases, the Directors should be advised and will assist, or arrange assistance, in any required arrangements. Depending on the circumstances, the recovery company may take the vehicle to a holding compound. Any valuables (organisation and personal) should be removed from the vehicle.
17. Theft of Vehicle and/or Contents If your vehicle is broken into, stolen or vandalised the circumstances must be immediately reported to the Directors and/or Police. A Police Crime Number must be forwarded to the Directors, if they are not assisting with the matter. Whenever an company vehicle is left unattended it must be locked and all alarms, immobilisers and anti-theft devices must be fully used. Under the terms of the insurance policy, private items are not covered whether on or in the vehicle. Valuable items including mobile telephones, computers, briefcases, handbags, jackets etc, must not be left on display whilst the vehicle is unattended. Where possible they should be removed from the vehicle or placed in the boot. Detachable radios and control panels shall be removed when the vehicle is parked unattended for extended periods.
When refuelling and the vehicle is unoccupied, ensure that all windows are closed, keys are removed from the ignition and all doors are locked. All drivers of vans should ensure that spare wheels, ladders, tools etc are secured in position by a security device, and tools and equipment shall not be left in vehicles when parked overnight.
18. Vehicle Insurance If you are asked to produce a certificate of insurance by the Police an original can be obtained from the Directors. Individuals should ensure that adequate insurance cover is provided for personal items, including tools and equipment.
19. Road Fund Licence All company vehicles will be supplied with a current Road Fund Licence.
20. MOT Test Certificates
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All company and private vehicles must comply with the MOT Test Certification.
21. Offences and Fines Responsibility for parking offences and other road traffic offences remain the responsibility of the driver. If the Company receives a summons on your behalf, we may pay the fine and deduct the cost from any monies owing to you. It must also be remembered that London Bronze Casting Ltd may also be prosecuted for their operations affected by an illegal action of a driver (see Legal and General Information).
22. Vehicle Operation and Controls It is the driver's responsibility to ensure that they are fully aware of the vehicle controls and their functions including the location and operation of the vehicle spare wheel, jack and brace, and the security system before driving the vehicle. 23. Care and Condition of Vehicle In addition to other relevant sections the driver must ensure that the vehicle is kept clean and presentable both inside and out.
24. Vehicle Defects and Damage All defects/damage will be advised to the Directors who will make arrangements for them to be rectified accordingly. Casual drivers of the vehicle should report any defects or concerns to the Directors.
25. Standards of Driving London Bronze Casting Ltd expects high standards of care from any employee or authorised person driving a company vehicle.
Drivers of company vehicles must fully understand that they must not become involved in any incident that may provoke a reaction from other drivers. Should an incident occur, it must be diffused immediately and under no circumstances shall organisation drivers react by using signs, foul language, aggressive behaviour or driving to intimidate. Any incident that is reported will be fully investigated and appropriate action taken. Drivers must adhere to the Highway Code at all times and they must ensure the safety of others whilst on client's sites.
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27. Tyre Condition and Punctures Drivers should ensure that the vehicle tyre pressure is correct for the type of load and driving conditions. The Directors should be told, so that arrangements can be made, to take the vehicle to an authorised repairer if the driver has any concerns over the legality of the tyres. In the event of a puncture notify the Directors and change the vehicle wheel if possible and you are confident to do so. Defective tyres will normally be identified at service intervals with a recall period/estimated mileage being given for any changes. The driver should discuss this with the Directors so that arrangements can be made for any remedial work to be carried out.
28. Windscreen Damage and Replacement If a vehicle windscreen suffers serious damage the driver shall make immediate arrangements to have it replaced by contacting the Directors. In the event of minor damage and if the vehicle can be safely driven, the vehicle can be returned to base where arrangements will be made to see if it can be repaired. If not, a windscreen replacement will be ordered. 29. Servicing Arrangements The Directors will organise the servicing of company vehicle. However, the driver should discuss with the Directors any concerns about the vehicle that they have been authorised to drive.
30. Breakdown and Recovery In the event of a breakdown the driver shall contact the Directors who will make arrangements for the vehicle to be repaired/recovered.
31. Bodywork Repairs The course of action will be dependent on the circumstances and the extent of the damage to a vehicle.
32. Safe Loading of Vehicles Whenever any vehicle is loaded with materials or equipment etc., the load must be secured and this must not damage either the load or the vehicle, or cause a danger to other road users or pedestrians. The maximum gross weight of the vehicle must not be exceeded. The load must not affect the stability of the vehicle when braking, cornering or when acceleration takes place. The transported items must be spread evenly, where possible, to reduce the height and strain on the roof, side rack and any securing straps. These straps should be of a sound and substantial construction,
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inspected before use and advised to the Directors when worn or damaged, so that replacements can be issued. The load must not extend beyond the front or rear end of the vehicle unless it is identified by an adequate warning device. Although there is no legal restriction on the height of loads, any load that falls into this category must be safely secured. It must be ensured that all items are secured before driving off. If the vehicle load appears to be unsafe when being driven the driver must stop and take remedial action to make the load safe.
33. Return of Vehicles Whenever a vehicle is returned, the driver shall ensure that the interior and exterior are reasonably clean and tidy and that all equipment etc. belonging to London Bronze Casting is returned to the relevant place and not left in or on the vehicle. Ignition keys must be returned.
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SECTION B 1. General Winter Driving Precautions During winter, additional driving hazards have to be considered. These include adverse weather (rain, snow, frost, standing water) and longer hours of darkness. Following the advice given below will help to ensure your safety when driving in these conditions: 1.
Make sure you have plenty of fuel.
2.
Allow extra time for the journey and reduce speed.
3.
Increase the distance between your vehicle and the vehicle in front - in ice and snow, stopping distances are ten times larger.
4.
In reduced visibility such as driving in rain or fog, use dipped headlights and rear fog lights. Use the windscreen wipers to keep the windscreen clear, even in fog.
5.
Remember to turn fog lights off when no longer required as they can distract other road users in normal visibility.
6.
Remember snow is visible but ice, especially black ice, is often invisible.
7.
Avoid sudden breaking or harsh acceleration or steering manoeuvres.
8.
Keep all windows and mirrors clean, clear of snow and ice and free of mist. Keep lights and indicators clean.
9.
Carry a torch, a spade, extra warm clothing, wellington boots, a blanket, a snack and a hot drink, especially if you are driving through isolated areas.
10. If you are planning a long journey advise someone of your destination and approximate expected arrival time. If you have one, carry a mobile phone with you, ensuring it is fully charged. However, remember not to use it when driving. 11. If you feel unsafe or uncomfortable driving in adverse weather conditions, consider whether your journey is necessary at that time or whether it can be postponed. Consider whether an alternative method of transport would be better. 12. If stranded by bad weather try to ensure that you are not blocking access for emergency vehicles.
Remain with the vehicle unless there is shelter nearby.
Maintain your
circulation by moving your body. If you can, use the engine to keep warm; but do not use the engine if the exhaust cannot vent safely. If you are snowed over ensure that an airway is maintained.
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END OF DOCUMENT
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