ESTATE SERVICES DEPARTMENT PRESCRIPTION SAFETY GLASSES PROCEDURE Reference Number:

Transcription

1 ESTATE SERVICES DEPARTMENT PRESCRIPTION SAFETY GLASSES PROCEDURE Reference Number: NHSCT/08/83 Responsible Directorate: Strategic Planning and Performance Management Replaces (if appropriate): Legacy Homefirst Safety Glasses Procedure Policy Author/Team: Joanna Dougherty Estates Officer (Fire, Health & Safety) Type of document: Departmental Procedure Craig Green Health & Safety Advisor Review Date: 31 October 2009 Approved by: Alistair Donaldson Assistant Director of Estate Services Date Policy disseminated by Equality Unit: 18 November 2008 Date Approved: 31 October 2008 NHSCT MISSION STATEMENT To provide for all the quality of services we would expect for our families and ourselves

2 Estate Services Department Prescription Safety Spectacles Procedure Mr A Donaldson Assistant Director for Estate Services October 2008

3 Introduction The Estate Services Department recognises its duties and accepts its responsibilities for the health, safety and welfare of its employees and of other people who may be affected by Trust activities so far as reasonably practicable. Purpose and scope In the discharge of those duties and responsibilities as determined by the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) at Work Regulations (NI) 1993 this procedure describes the arrangements by which the Estate Services Department will make available prescription safety glasses for members of its staff identified as requiring them. These arrangements are diagrammatically displayed at Annex A. Objectives As well as detailing responsibilities this procedure is intended to demonstrate the Trust s commitment to ensuring the health, safety and welfare of its employees through the provision of appropriate PPE. Identification of staff who are entitled to prescription safety glasses A member of staff shall be entitled to apply for prescription safety glasses if the following criteria are met: a task which he/she is required to perform has been risk assessed and safety spectacles offering protection against low or medium impact have been identified as an appropriate control measure; the task is one which he/she will undertake frequently and will require the wearing of safety spectacles for more than 30 minutes continuous. In all other circumstances over goggles are to be worn over normal spectacles; the member of staff wears spectacles with a prescription for long-sightedness; Temporary, including agency, staff who meet the requirements as detailed above will be entitled to eyesight testing if it is expected that their employment with the Trust will exceed 3 months. Request for prescription safety spectacles voucher and subsequent management action When a member of staff meets the criteria as detailed above they should bring this to the attention of their Line Manager. If after confirming that the member of staff requires, and is entitled to, prescription safety spectacles, the Line Manager will request a voucher from the Finance Department by ensuring that Part A of the form (sample attached) at Annex B is completed. A record of the request will be maintained by the Line Manager. Following receipt of the voucher from the Finance Department it must only issued to the member of staff upon production of a spectacles prescription which is less than 1 month

4 old. Where an appropriate prescription is not provided the voucher must be returned to the Finance Department at the earliest opportunity and before the expiry date. Line Managers must ensure that Part B of the request form is completed and returned to the Finance Department. A copy of the request form will be maintained as a record by the Line Manager. Information for staff a voucher must be obtained before attending the Opticians for fitting for prescription safety spectacles, reimbursements will not be given to staff attending the Optician without a voucher; a spectacles prescription which is less than 1 month old must be produced in order to receive a voucher; the voucher will act as full repayment for the prescription safety spectacles from Specsavers Opticians; the voucher is to be used before the indicated expiry date; there is no entitlement to a further free pair of spectacles within two years unless they become damaged during the course of work activities or because of other extraordinary circumstances; and should there be any dispute regarding the provision of prescription safety spectacles the final decision will rest with the Assistant Director for Estate Services. Finance Department responsibilities and procedures The Special Payments Section of the Finance Department is responsible for holding a stock of vouchers for prescription safety spectacles. The section will order new vouchers from the supplier as and when required and will be responsible for accounting for all vouchers, which will necessitate the use of a Voucher Stock Record Sheet. All vouchers and the Voucher Stock Record Sheet must be securely stored in a locked safe at all times. The Special Payments Section will issue vouchers upon the receipt from an employee s Line Manager of written authority to issue a voucher. This authorisation must include the employee s name and staff number, and be signed by the Line Manager. The Special Payments Section will record the employee s name and staff number and type of voucher issued on a monthly record sheet. At end of each month the Special Payments Section will charge issued vouchers to relevant cost centres. Copies of the application form should be used as supporting documentation.

5 Annex A Employee meets criteria for prescription safety glasses? YES Request rejected by Line Manager Prescription Safety Spectacles Flowchart Line Manager requests voucher from Special Payments Section, Finance Dept using request form Request processed and voucher and request form to be forwarded to Line Manager making the request Voucher issued to individual along with Part B of request form Part B of request form completed and returned to Finance Department Record of request maintained Record of voucher issue recorded Record maintained by Line Manager Member of staff attends Specsavers Opticians for fitting

6 Prescription Safety Spectacles Voucher Request Form Annex B Part A to be completed by Line Manager and user and to Special Payments Section, Finance Dept. I confirm that: Name.. Department Staff number.. has requested and is entitled to prescription safety spectacles: Manager s name Department. Manager s workbase address.. Contact telephone number.. Signature.. (Head of Operational Engineering/Operational Building/Support Services) delete as applicable Cost Centre Date... Part B to be completed by member of staff on receipt of voucher. I confirm that I: Name... Department. Signature. Date.. Voucher expiry date.. have received a voucher entitling me to prescription safety spectacles. To: Special Payments Section Finance Department Northern Health and Social Care Trust Braid Valley Hospital Site Cushendall Road Ballymena