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Health and Safety Policy
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The British Antarctic Survey (BAS) is a world class polar research organisation based in Cambridge, UK and predominantly operates in the Antarctic and the Arctic. The polar regions present many health and safety hazards not normally encountered in the everyday workplace. For this reason the key to our continued safe operation and success is our highly skilled and experienced staff. The BAS senior management places the highest priority on the health and safety of our staff, and as a consequence is dedicated to strong and active health and safety leadership.
BAS are committed to:
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Developing and maintaining a pragmatic, positive and open culture where health and safety are recognised by all staff to be fundamental in all we do.
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Complying with, and where possible exceeding, all our legal obligations for health and safety, both in the UK and overseas.
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Continuously improving our health and safety performance.
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Maintaining our accreditation to the British Standard OHSAS 18001 and the International Business Aviation Council’s IS-BAO safety management standards, and fulfilling the legal requirements of the International Maritime Organisation’s ISM code.
The parent organisation of BAS is the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), and therefore BAS also operates to the (External)
NERC Health and Safety Policy and arrangements
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BAS will:
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Implement a health and safety management system which sets demanding health and safety objectives and targets. This includes assigning clear health and safety management responsibilities.
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Identify the hazards and assess the risks created by our activities, and so far as is reasonably practicable eliminate or control those risks.
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Provide our staff with the information and training necessary for them to carry out their jobs safely.
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Appoint competent people to provide specialist health and safety advice to line managers and staff.
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Consult our staff, collaborators and union appointed safety representatives on health and safety matters.
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Manage the health and safety of all contractors and visitors (including visiting scientists and students) to our sites and ships.
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Review our health and safety performance at regular intervals to identify where improvements are necessary, and implement plans to achieve those improvements as soon as possible.
As far as is reasonably practicable we will seek to apply the same high standards to our operations overseas as we do to our work in the United Kingdom. In particular, in Antarctica BAS adopts a twenty four hour, seven day a week duty of care for our staff and others working on our stations, ships and in the field.
The organisational arrangements for achieving this policy are set out in the BAS Safety Management Documentation.
Signed:
Directors Signature
Prof. Nicholas Owens, Director
Date: 1 July 2011
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