Health and safety policy statement

As an employer, we are required to report certain workplace accidents, occupational diseases and specified occurrences as part of the RIDDOR 2013 regulations.

We have:

• reported 6 RIDDORs in total in 2022
• had no loss of life caused by our physical environment or work activity ever

We've not had any health and safety enforcement action in 2022. We’ve had one fire safety audit from a Fire and Rescue Service with no issue identified or actions required.

Our processes for emergency response allow us to act with urgency if an incident occurs. For property, we have a Property Services Helpline, accessible through our intranet. For people and health, we have first aiders and mental health champions across the organisation. We also have 24-hour security monitoring to identify where action may be needed.

We’ve developed our How We Work – Hybrid and Homeworking policy with support of the Nationwide Group Staff Union (NGSU). The policy outlines the framework to guide future choices and decisions when it comes to style of working. It reinforces important considerations like inclusivity, how we work together, culture and wellbeing.

However, we also have Administration Buildings, Regional Hubs and Branches to support colleagues who cannot create a suitable working environment at home.

The potential for an increase in muscular skeletal problems remains a key element of our monitoring and we have a reportable metric through our Workplace Adjustment process for ‘Ill health potentially caused or made worse by a work activity’.

We conduct mandatory Health and Safety and Fire Safety online learning for all colleagues in administration buildings and branches. This learning covers home and hybrid working to ensure colleagues consider new hazards. Our annual Fire Safety online learning incorporates our new ways of working and the impact it can have on emergency evacuation. Both online learning modules have a completion rate of around 95%. Alongside the modules, we have a health and safety section on our intranet with support, guidelines and links to our policies.

We've updated our health and safety risk assessments to reflect common hazards associated with hybrid and home working. This allows colleagues to identify risk areas to address with their line managers.

We publish our risk assessments and related criteria on our intranet. Assessments are conducted for branches and administration centres.

Our external health and safety consultants conduct our audit, every 5 years, on how we manage health and safety, under the managing for health and safety (HSG65) standards. The findings are submitted to our health and safety committee.

It is important that we have measures in place to ensure our third parties operate to an expected level of health and safety. This year, our focus was on catering, cleaning and the waste supplier that operate in our premises. Where appropriate, we take action to work with our suppliers to help to close any gaps.

Health and safety is a key focus for the Executive Committee. Our health and safety is governed by the health and safety committee which includes representation from the Nationwide Group Staff Union (Safety Representatives and Safety Committees Regulations 1977). The group is responsible for maintaining a full view and ensuring we stay compliant.

We protect and support our colleague’s mental health and wellbeing. We have a range of tools and support in place to look after their social, mental, physical and financial wellbeing.

To check our progress we’ve introduced wellbeing measures that are reported to our leadership team and board, and are included in our Annual Report and Accounts. These measures enable us to drive action where it is needed most and continue to consider wellbeing into our process and services.

Last updated July 2023