HSE pushing ahead with ACoP plans
It’s happening. A report that summarises the outcome of the HSE’s January board meeting confirms that it’s still planning to overhaul the Approved Codes of Practice (ACoP) that support health and safety legislation (see The next step). For starters, it confirmed that the ACoP which supports the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 will be removed.
In its place? As we stated previously, the HSE will replace the ACoP with a suite of guidance material (yr.11, iss.9, pg.2, see The next step). This includes the Health and Safety Made Simple Toolkit and the Health and Safety Toolbox - both of which are on the HSE’s website. Some time in the next few months, the updated HSG65 - Successful health and safety management document will complete the suite. It’s only once that’s been issued that the ACoP will be withdrawn.
Anything else? The board confirmed that the five ACoPs covering the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002 will be consolidated into a single document. It also stated that the Legionnaires’ disease Code of Practice should be revised. Finally, proposed plans to limit all ACoPs to a maximum of 32 pages have been dropped. The board confirmed that the length of each document will reflect the complexity of the topic covered.
The effects? Although it’s removing and changing the ACoPs, the HSE certainly isn’t leaving employers in the lurch. In fact, quite the opposite. This new guidance is far more explicit in nature. Plus, it includes sample documents, risk assessments, etc.
Tip. If you use the HSE’s new guidance material to develop your health and safety arrangements, you’ll minimise the likelihood of inspectors picking holes and therefore taking enforcement action.
For a copy of the report (HS 11.16.01A) and for the previous article (HS 11.16.01B), visit http://tipsandadvice-healthandsafety.co.uk/download.
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