The Safety Policy and Assurance Team role includes coverage of occupational health and safety, radiological protection, and environmental noise issues.
The occupational health and safety role is delivered through Joint Service Publication (JSP) 375 - Health and Safety Handbook. The radiological protection role is delivered through JSP 392 - Radiation Safety Handbook.
Guidance on the MOD's environmental noise policy is delivered through Leaflet 4.1 in JSP 418 - The Sustainable Development and Environment Manual. The environmental noise role was in the past partly delivered by the Noise Insulation Grant Scheme (NIGS) which has now been suspended indefinately. Information relating to the scheme can be found at the National Archives - please see the link to this information under NIGS Archived Material
An audit programme is agreed annually by the DESB and follows a three year rolling programme of Top Level Budgets (TLB)/ Trading Fund Agency (TFA) audits. The annual programme can be varied as required. In addition to the audits of TLB/TFAs, SSDCD also undertakes or commissions studies that primarily focus on a single aspect of safety management.
These studies may arise as a result of audit findings, as requests from TLBs/TFAs or from enquiries from external agencies e.g. Health and Safety Executive (HSE), or Environment Agency (EA) or Scotish Enviromental Protection Agency (SEPA).