Are Police Officers Exempt From Health & Safety Legislation?
I have had a few comments and emails from either serving or ex-police officers who have told me that they have to follow the manual of guidance and in the police manual of guidance it shows single-person restraint and prone restraint as a primary method of control.
Now I’m not here to knock the police, I just wanted to clarify that the Police (Health and Safety) Act 1997 came into force some time ago and as a result police service areas and police officers have to comply with current Health & Safety Legislation, the associated Regulations, Approved Codes of Practice and the best practice Guidance.
There can be some exceptions, but these have to be greed with the Health & Safety Executive in advance, but if the HSE feel that any exception is putting people at risk, that exception can be revoked.
Also, all police constables are expected to comply with Section 7 of the Health and Safety at Work Act, but not putting themselves or others at risk.
You can see the information on the HSE website here – http://www.hse.gov.uk/services/police/faqs.htm#q1
Also, many people have asked if they can do our course if they are trained by another agency, and the answer to that is yes, anyone is welcome on our course because it is great cpd.
You don’t have to ‘leave your friends’ or ‘leave another system’ behind. What we offer is totally inclusive and it will definitely help you with either improving your knowledge, skill level and practice.
The only downside is that we only run two courses a year and we only have one or two places left for the next course in march at present.
But if you want to find out more go to this link – https://nfps.info/physical-intervention-trainer-course/
Best Regards
Mark Dawes