The Health and Safety Service has published updated versions of five Somerset Council health and safety policies, together with updated or new supporting guidance where applicable.
The policies have been reviewed as part of the Council’s scheduled Health and Safety Policy Forward Plan to ensure they remain legally compliant, reflect current organisational, risk management arrangements, and provide clear expectations for those responsible for implementing them.
The updated policies are:
- HS05 Food Safety Policy
- HS06 Safety Action Notice Policy
- HS27 Working Safely at Height Policy
- HS33 Working Outside in the Extremes of Heat and Cold Policy
- HS42 Confined Spaces Policy
What has changed?
Most of the changes improve the clarity, consistency, and practical application of existing arrangements rather than fundamentally changing the Council’s approach to managing these risks.
Some key changes include:
- Food safety: the policy reflects the new statutory framework for allergy safety in schools, including allergy safety policies and Individual Healthcare Plans where appropriate.
- Safety Action Notices: the policy more clearly explains how serious health and safety concerns involving contractors should be addressed, including the role of the relevant Contract Owner or commissioning manager and the use of contractual management arrangements.
- Working safely at height, working outside in extremes of heat and cold, and confined spaces: these policies have been reviewed and updated, including strengthened risk controls.
- The HS33 policy is now called Working Outside in the Extremes of Heat and Cold Policy.
What do I need to do?
Managers and colleagues whose work is covered by these policies should familiarise themselves with the updated documents and ensure that the relevant requirements, guidance, and templates are reflected in their local arrangements.
All of the above are now available on the Health and Safety internet page.
