HEALTH & SAFETY POLICY STATEMENT

Co-operative Financial Services (CFS) will ensure that all reasonable steps are taken to:

1. Safeguard the health, safety and welfare of all members of staff when they are at work.
2. Protect all non-employees from any potential hazards created by CFS operations.

To meet these responsibilities CFS will assess health and safety risks within all its operations and develop, adopt and monitor safe working practices to minimise such risks as far as is reasonably practicable.

All employees are required to be involved in achieving these objectives.

The Chief Executive will:

1. Accept ultimate responsibility for the health, safety and welfare standards within CFS and strive to exceed minimum standards.
2. Regularly review the CFS health and safety performance, taking action as appropriate.
3. Provide adequate resources to ensure that CFS policy is effectively achieved and that competent health and safety advice is available.

The Executive Team will:

1. Show commitment to CFS health and safety and welfare objectives and define individual responsibility for health, safety and welfare within their business area.
2. Ensure that CFS health and safety standards are implemented within their respective business area.
3. By seeking competent advice, assess the health and safety risks within their business area and develop and implement safe working practices to minimise such risks.
4. Ensure that all employees are aware of any health and safety risks which they may face and that they have received adequate training to be able to perform their duties in a safe manner.
5. Monitor the effectiveness of health and safety management within their business area and make improvements as appropriate.

The Resources Director will:

1. Utilise HR, training, property and facilities personnel within the respective business area to provide competent health and safety advice and training to employees in order to assist in meeting the health and safety objectives of CFS.
2. Keep the Chief Executive and Executive Team informed of the health and safety performance, new standards or arrangements that should be implemented to achieve our health, safety and welfare objectives.

All Managers/Team Leaders will:

1. Be aware of the arrangements detailed within the health and safety procedures that are specific to their area of work and ensure that they are adhered to.
2. Review their area of work to control and identify significant risks that may affect health, safety and welfare of employees or others, and develop and adopt safe working methods as appropriate.
3. Ensure that employees under their control are informed of all health, safety and welfare matters relevant to their work or the building in which they work. Adequately train employees to enable them to meet their individual responsibilities and perform their duties in accordance with agreed safe working practices.

All Co-operative Financial Services Employees will:

1. Take reasonable care of their own and colleagues' health and safety and that of other people that might be affected by their actions at work.
2. Make themselves aware of and follow the safe working procedures for their place of work. Advise their team leader/manager of any circumstances that could affect health, safety and welfare within the work environment.

M K Pedelty
Chief Executive
February 2004