Safety Documentation and Record Keeping
A guide to some of the key safety records that we need to keep. It summarises what records are kept and who, in the BBC is generally responsible for keeping them.
Documents and Records
What Records to Keep
There are extensive requirements in legislation to keep records and to dispose of them when they are no longer useful. The BBC's Document Schedule site provides a central register of these and identifies where they are held and for how long. Most records which are required to be kept by law are held centrally i.e. by one department on behalf of the whole BBC. The following list is a summary of those
BBC Safety
- Accident reports and investigations
- Risk assessments
- Safety inspections
- Copies of Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans
- Records of vetting of independent production companies
- Records of vetting of higher risk production suppliers
- Corporate policy and guidance.
Workplace
Keep records related to premises management including
- Asbestos register
- Plant maintenance records – such as lifts, air-conditioning, gas supply, water
- Fire Risk assessments and building fire manuals
- Portable Electrical Equipment tests
BBC HR
- Occupational Health Records
- Sickness Absence
Academy
- Training Records
Insurance
- Information relating to personal injury and other claims
Departments
- Records relating to maintenance of equipment that they own or operate
- Local procedures and rules
Procurement
- Lists of vetted contractors
Document Retention
Unless a specific statutory provision has specified otherwise we have standardised the retention period of safety records to 6 years from the date of the activity. The most important exceptions are that any record pertaining to Asbestos or to Health Surveillance in respect of hazardous substances which must be kept indefinitely.
A fuller list of safety documentation is available in this document and the full retention schedule is on the Delivering Quality site.
Data Protection and Freedom of Information
Safety records containing personal information are covered by data protection legislation including the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR). Records must be kept secure; be accurate; limited to what is necessary; processed lawfully and transparently; and collected for specific purposes. For more information contact your data protection rep.
Safety records may be disclosable by the BBC under Freedom of information legislation. The BBC.co.uk/safety site forms part of the BBCs publication register.
Recommended links
- BBC's Corporate Retention Schedule[BBC network only]
General safety topics
