Health and Safety Policy
1. Sandwich Pantry recognises it has an obligation under Health & Safety legislation to ensure the health, safety and welfare of its, volunteers, contractors and members of the public.
Sandwich Pantry has a duty to do all that is reasonably practicable to prevent personal injury and damage to property and to protect everyone from foreseeable work hazards. The Health and Safety Policy is made available to volunteers, visitors and contractors and will be displayed on notice boards in public areas on the premises and made available to those that wish to see it. Volunteers are informed of the Health and Safety Policy and its implications and asked to read it, annual Health and Safety training for volunteers will be provided.
2. Sandwich Pantry aims to provide a safe environment for all its volunteers, visitors and contractors. Sandwich Pantry will comply with all legislation relating to health and safety. All staff and volunteers have legal responsibilities under the Health and Safety at Work Act of 1974 to ensure the health, safety and welfare of themselves, their colleagues and visitors.
It is our aim to:
• establish standards which take account of legal, statutory and other requirements;
• establish and maintain interest in, and awareness of, those standards and provide training which will maintain those standards;
• require the commitment of all personnel to exercise personal responsibility to do everything possible to prevent injury to themselves, other employees, volunteers, hirers and members of the public; and to review this policy every 12 months.
3. The Directors and Management Committee are ultimately responsible for fulfilling all Health and Safety duties, including all statutory Health and Safety requirements. It shall be the responsibility of the Directors and Management Committee to bring to the attention of all necessary parties, the provisions of the guidelines, and to consult as may be necessary for reviewing and updating these guidelines.
Sandwich Pantry will clearly reference safe methods of working;
• provide information about immediate matters of health and safety concern, such as fire drills, fire exits, first aid and assign fire marshalls to each session.
• provide access to training standards;
• the Director will be responsible for organisation and control of work;
• accident reporting procedures;
• safety rules;
• fire procedures;
• and the implementation of policies agreed by both Sandwich Pantry and the Jubilee Centre.
The Directors have responsibility with the Management Committee for ensuring that appropriate and effective Health and Safety management systems are in place: • For the overall management of Health and Safety • To control identified risks through the risk assessment process • To promote a safety culture at all levels.
The Directors have a responsibility to ensure that all necessary procedures and arrangements for Health and Safety are in place and operating efficiently in their area of responsibility, and that all volunteers are aware of them. The Directors and Management Committee also need to ensure that each volunteer understand their responsibilities and are equipped to work effectively and safely.
4. Risk Assessments:
Risks to the Health and Safety of volunteers and visitors will be assessed by the Directors and Management Committee and reported using risk assessment forms. Health and Safety will always be discussed as a separate agenda item during Management Committee Meetings. A folder will be provided to all volunteers detailing all risk assessments that are relevant to the ongoing work of the pantry and volunteers will sign that that they have read them. The findings of the Risk Assessment will be recorded in writing. The pantry teams will assess the centre of new hazards and risks on a daily basis.
Particular attention will be drawn to the risk assessments relating to lifting heavy items and moving things as necessary. Chairs and tables must be set up and dismantled with a minimum of two people physically fit and confidently able to do so. Hazards and incidents must immediately be reported using HSE documentation and there is to be no lone working at any time.
5. Electrical Equipment Site Responsibility Electrical equipment is a potential health hazard. Nobody shall be engaged in any work activity where technical knowledge or experience is necessary to prevent danger or injury unless they possess such knowledge or experience or is under such degree of supervision as may be appropriate having regard to the nature of the work. This provision needs to be interpreted to err on the side of caution. Nobody should attempt to carry out the simplest electrical work such as fitting plugs or changing light bulbs unless they are certain that they know what they are doing. PAT testing of equipment will be carried out to conform to legislative requirements. Pantry fridges will all be annually PAT tested.
6. First Aid It is the policy of the CIC to make provision for First Aid and the training of 'First Aiders' in accordance with the First Aid Regulations (1982). The Directors are responsible for ensuring the Regulations are implemented and for identifying training needs. Staff and volunteers who are qualified first aiders will have their names displayed on the premises.
7. Food Hygiene
The Directors and Management Committee have responsibility for food acquisition, storage, staff induction and hygiene training, and is responsible for ensuring that these functions are undertaken to the necessary legal standards. Any suspected outbreak of food poisoning or other unexplained and possibly food related incidents must be reported to the Directors. Food Standards that secured the Pantry’s 5 star food rating (June 2025) will be maintained at all times. Annual training will be provided and volunteers will keep up to date with the latest guidelines on storage hygiene, handling and allergen awareness. The Pantry’s Food Standards Agency Control Measure folder will be kept updated, volunteers will read it and it will be based on the principles of the Food Standards Agency Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HAACP) guidance.
8. Lifting and Handling Safe practices in the Pantry and the storage and movement of large crates and other heavy items in the Pantry will be risk assessed by the teams responsible who must then inform volunteers of safe lifting techniques. Training will be provided where required to ensure safe practice improvements in manual handling and storage. Where physical work cannot be done, it will not be done until appropriate assistance is available.
9. Sandwich Pantry policy is that there will be no smoking in its buildings. The overall aim is to reduce smoking and so save life, reduce risk of fire, prevent unnecessary illness and chronic disability. This rule also extends to e-cigarettes / vaping.
10. Sandwich Pantry policy is that dogs are not allowed in the building during pantry sessions.
11. Fire drills will be conducted on a quarterly basis and Fire equipment will be independently checked on an annually basis. Special consideration will be taken in the kitchen (if any) to identify risks and any specific training requirements in the use of equipment in these facilities. Designated fire marshalls will be assigned to the morning and afternoon teams.
12. Toilets and washing facilities will be provided in all buildings in accordance with statutory requirements.
13. Reporting of Accidents, Incidents and Near Misses All Accidents, Incidents and Near Misses should be reported to the Directors and Management Committee as soon as possible and always by end of day using the Incident Report Form and accidents should be recorded in the Accident Book.
14. Training Health and Safety training shall be incorporated within annual training programmes, as part of the development of a systematic training plan. Health and Safety training needs will, therefore, be identified and planned for in the same manner as other training needs. Three areas of need shall be given special priority: • training for the Directors, to equip them with an understanding of their responsibilities under this policy, and the role and purpose of safety representatives (where one has been appointed); • training for safety representatives (where one has been appointed) to enable them to discharge their function; • induction and in-service training for volunteers at all levels to acquaint them fully with the main features of this policy, key safety rules and any new requirements and hazards.
17. Sandwich Pantry continually strives to achieve 100% compliance with this policy and its intended outcomes. Where this is not met an action plan will be formulated and agreed by the Directors and reviewed by them until completion.
18. It is the policy of Sandwich Pantry to require a thorough examination of Health and Safety performance against established standards at least annually. The technique to be adopted for such examinations will be the 'Safety Audit'. The Audit requires review of: • standards laid down in the policy; • relevant regulations; • environmental factors; • staff and volunteer attitudes; • staff and volunteer instructions; • methods of work; • contingency plans; • recording and provision of information about accidents and hazards and the assessment of risk. The information obtained by the Audit will be used to form the basis of the plan for the following Year, so that any deficiencies highlighted in the Audit are dealt with as speedily as possible. The responsibility for ensuring that audit activity is carried out as part of this policy rests with the Directors and will be carried out by the Management Committee and Directors.
19. The responsibility for meeting the requirements of the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1985 (RIDDOR) to the Health and Safety Executive, shall rest with the Directors and the Management Committee. A lockable COSHH cupboard will be properly maintained and Fareshare will annually inspect adherence to their guidelines.
20. Specialist Advisory Bodies Certain bodies, and the individual members of those bodies, have always had a Health and Safety role, most notably, the Health & Safety executive, or local Environmental Health Departments. If further specialist advice is required, this may be obtained by the Directors in consultation with the Management Committee.
21. Sandwich Pantry wishes to ensure that as far as is reasonably practicable, the Health, Safety and Welfare of visitors to Company establishments will be of the highest standard. Any volunteer who notices persons acting in a way which would endanger other staff, should normally inform the team leader and the designated safeguarding leads. Vulnerable adult and child safeguarding policies will be followed where appropriate.
22. Sandwich Pantry wishes to ensure that as far as is reasonably practicable, the Health, Safety and Welfare of al working in the pantry will be of the highest standards. In addition, Contractors and their employees have an obligation so far as is reasonably practicable to ensure all equipment, materials and premises under their control are safe and without risks to health. All must also observe the Jubilee Centre’s Fire Safety Procedures and Health and Safety procedures as well as this policy.