Statement of intent
Bacland Limited, trading as Baclands, carries out construction, refurbishment, maintenance and repair work, and often acts as principal contractor or contractor under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM 2015). Site work is carried out through vetted subcontractor firms.
The Director accepts the company's responsibility for the health, safety and welfare of everyone affected by our work: subcontractors and their operatives, clients, residents, visitors and members of the public. Our policy is to:
- comply with the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, CDM 2015, the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 and all other relevant law, as a minimum standard;
- plan, manage and monitor work so that, so far as is reasonably practicable, it is carried out without risk to health or safety;
- appoint only subcontractors who have been checked for competence, capability and insurance, and give them the information they need to work safely;
- provide safe sites, safe systems of work, suitable welfare and effective emergency arrangements on every project;
- prevent accidents and work-related ill health, and record, investigate and learn from any incident that does happen;
- consult the people doing the work through inductions, toolbox talks and site meetings;
- maintain access to competent health and safety advice, and review this policy and its arrangements at least every year.
Health and safety has equal status with our other business objectives. Where safety and programme conflict, safety comes first.
Responsibilities
The Director
The Director has overall responsibility for health and safety and for this policy. The Director sets the standard and leads by example on site; provides the time and money needed for surveys, welfare, protective equipment and specialist advice; approves every subcontractor before it starts; signs off the construction phase plan for each project; makes sure accidents and reportable events are reported, investigated and closed out; and reviews this policy, the accident record and the company's risks at least every year.
Project or site manager
For each project the Director names the person who manages the site day to day. This may be the Director, a manager, or the supervisor of the lead subcontractor by written agreement recorded in the construction phase plan. That person keeps the construction phase plan current and enforces the site rules; delivers inductions and toolbox talks and keeps the sign-in register; checks that method statements are in place and followed before each activity starts, and stops unsafe work immediately; inspects the site weekly and closes out actions; controls high-risk work through permits; maintains first aid, fire, emergency and welfare arrangements; and records accidents, incidents and near misses, telling the Director the same day.
Subcontractor firms
Subcontractors are employers in their own right and keep their own legal duties to their workers. As a condition of appointment, every subcontractor must:
- hold current employers' liability insurance (minimum £5 million) and public liability insurance, and provide certificates before starting;
- provide suitable risk assessments and method statements for its work, and brief its operatives on them before work starts;
- use competent operatives holding the relevant CSCS or equivalent card and task-specific qualifications, such as IPAF, PASMA, Gas Safe or NICEIC/NAPIT registration where applicable, and provide evidence;
- supply, inspect and maintain its own tools, plant and protective equipment unless agreed otherwise in writing;
- follow the site rules, induction, permits and construction phase plan, and cooperate with the principal contractor and other trades;
- report every accident, near miss, dangerous occurrence and defect to the site manager immediately.
Competent health and safety advice
Yasin Lazizi is the company's appointed competent person for health and safety, under regulation 7 of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999. He holds the Site Management Safety Training Scheme (SMSTS) certificate and first aid qualifications, and advises the Director on planning, monitoring and site safety. The Director keeps overall responsibility for health and safety.
For high-risk or specialist activities, such as asbestos work, structural demolition, deep excavation and temporary works design, we appoint suitably qualified specialists for that work and keep their advice with the project records. This work does not go ahead on our own assessment alone.
Arrangements
The detailed arrangements are set out in our health and safety management system manual and delivered through standard project documents and registers. In summary:
- Planning each project. Every project is assessed at the outset for how CDM 2015 applies, whether it must be notified to HSE and who holds each duty. A health and safety pack is prepared before work starts.
- Construction phase plan. A construction phase plan is prepared for every construction project, however small, before the site is set up, and kept up to date.
- Risk assessments and method statements. Work proceeds only under suitable risk assessments and method statements, either the subcontractor's (reviewed and accepted by us) or our own.
- Hazardous substances. Substances used or created, including silica dust, are assessed under COSHH. Exposure is controlled at source first, for example on-tool extraction and wet cutting, then by respiratory and other protective equipment.
- Induction and consultation. Everyone is inducted before first entering the work area. Toolbox talks run at least weekly, and the workforce is consulted on changes that affect them.
- Site access. A daily sign-in register is kept on every active site and is also used as the fire roll call.
- Accidents and incidents. All accidents, near misses and dangerous occurrences are recorded and investigated. Reportable events are reported to HSE under RIDDOR and tracked to close-out.
- Subcontractor control. No subcontractor starts work until its insurance, competence and method statements have been checked and approved by the Director.
- High-risk work. Hot works, electrical isolation, roof work, confined spaces and other high-risk activities are controlled by permit to work.
- Monitoring. Every active site is inspected at least weekly. Findings and actions are recorded and closed out.
- Plant and equipment. Plant and equipment is checked before first use on site and inspected to the statutory schedule, including PUWER and LOLER. Scaffolds are inspected at least every seven days.
- Personal protective equipment. Protective equipment suited to the task is worn as the last line of defence. The site minimum is safety boots, high-visibility clothing and a hard hat unless the construction phase plan records a justified exception.
- Site rules and emergencies. Site rules and emergency arrangements are displayed at the site entrance and covered at induction.
- First aid. A first aid needs assessment is made for each project. First aid equipment and a first aider or appointed person are in place before work starts.
- Fire. A fire plan is prepared for each site, covering detection, extinguishers, escape routes, control of hot works and storage of flammable materials.
- Asbestos. For buildings built or refurbished before 2000, a refurbishment and demolition survey is obtained before any intrusive work. Licensed or notifiable asbestos work is carried out only by licensed or competent specialists.
- Working at height. Work at height follows the hierarchy: avoid it where possible, prevent falls with platforms and guardrails, then reduce the consequences with nets or fall protection. Ladders are used only for short, low-risk tasks.
- Temporary works. Temporary works such as propping, shoring and scaffold designs are designed and checked by competent people, with a temporary works coordinator named where required.
- Occupational health. Noise, vibration, dust and manual handling are assessed in method statements. Health surveillance is required from subcontractors whose trades need it.
- Welfare. Toilets, washing facilities, drinking water and somewhere to rest and dry clothing are provided from the first day on every site.
- Training and competence. Evidence of competence, including cards, training certificates and insurance, is collected before work starts and kept on a competence register.
- Handover. At completion, the health and safety file or handover pack is compiled and given to the client.
Review
This policy was first issued on 9 July 2026 and is reviewed at least every year, or sooner after a significant change in the business, the law or following an incident. The current signed copy is available on request from contact@baclands.co.uk.