We give notice of our corporate responsibility for all health and safety matters, as set out in the Health and Safety at Work etc., Act 1974 and all other specific health and safety legislation applicable to our undertakings. We will maintain a working environment where the health and safety of our staff and students is assured. We will not only comply with the relevant legislation, but will take whatever positive action is required to prevent ill health, injury and loss and to promote good health and good practice.
This health and safety policy statement assigns managerial and functional responsibilities, to facilitate the implementation of our Health and Safety objectives. The Board of Governors; Vice Chancellor and Corporate Management Team (CMT) are committed to ensuring that high standards of health and safety are achieved. This policy statement, together with the sub-policies, guidance and procedures published in the Health and Safety Handbook, comprise our Health and Safety arrangements.
We will take all reasonably practicable steps to promote and maintain a positive safety culture and high standards of safety throughout our premises, paying particular attention and empowering our managers to achieve the following objectives:
Professor Sir Deian Hopkin Interim Vice Chancellor |
Mark Stephens Chair of Board of Governors |
Effective health and safety management depends on commitment, co-operation and effort by all. The identification of responsibility and accountability for health and safety, within our university, is a key part of both the safety management system and the development of a positive safety culture.
All staff, whether with or without managerial positions, have responsibilities to comply with this Health and Safety Policy. Supervisors in laboratories, workshops, and practical classrooms, at whatever level, have obligations to ensure that they do not endanger the health and safety of students and staff. School or service Safety Co-ordinators have responsibilities detailed within this Health and Safety Policy. Managers are both responsible and accountable for the health and safety of staff, students and visitors within their area of responsibility. All staff and students have a duty to take care of their own health and safety, not to endanger others and co-operate fully with these health and safety arrangements.
All schools and services are required to produce their own documentation, systems and procedures to implement or supplement this policy and the further guidance in the Health and Safety Handbook.
As detailed in Regulation 14 of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, all staff must report to their line manager or Occupational Health and Safety Manager, without delay, any work situation that could pose an imminent and serious danger.
3.1 The Board of Governors
The Board of Governors is ultimately responsible for providing a healthy and safe environment for its staff, students and visitors. The Governors have stipulated that all schools and services must be committed to achieving utter compliance with the requirements of our Health and Safety Management system and relevant policies and procedures. The Board receive an Annual report on all matters pertaining to occupational health and safety.
3.2 The Vice-Chancellor
The Vice-Chancellor (VC) is responsible to the Board of Governors for ensuring, so far as is reasonably practicable, compliance with the health and safety policy framework laid down by the Board and for ensuring full management commitment. The VC is a member of the Board of Governors and Chair of the Corporate Management Team, which means that all Occupational Health and Safety reports are brought to the VC’s attention, along with regular progress reports regarding follow-up actions.
3.3 The Secretary and Registrar
The Secretary and Registrar is our ‘Health and Safety Champion’ at Board level, thus responsible for providing our Governors with the necessary assurances on our health and safety performance and seeking their support on future initiatives.
The Secretary and Registrar is also responsible to the Vice-Chancellor for implementing the necessary organisation, allocating staff responsibilities and making detailed arrangements, to ensure that the objectives of the Policy are met and that standards continually improve. The Secretary and Registrar is the Chair of the Health and Safety Committee, which provides advice and direction on health and safety to our Corporate Management Team.
3.4 The Health and Safety Committee
The Health and Safety Committee acts as a forum, to focus communications and consultation on health, safety and welfare matters and provide leadership in effective management of health and safety.
The Health and Safety Committee Terms of Reference require it to:
3.4 Occupational Health and Safety Unit
The Occupational Health and Safety Unit (OHSU) is part of HR Services and its role is to assist us in meeting our obligations in relation to health and safety legislation. The OHSU includes the Occupational Health and Safety Manager and Assistant Manager, Occupational Health Advisor, Fire Safety Officer and an Administrator; supported by an external Occupational Health Physician and specialist Occupational Health support staff. The OHSU:
Where necessary, the Occupational Health and Safety Manager and Assistant Manager will have the authority to stop, or suspend, any activity which poses a serious imminent danger.
3.6 Deans of Schools and Directors of Services
Deans / Directors are responsible and accountable for health and safety matters affecting staff, students and visitors within their school or service. They are the key health and safety managers within our university in terms of delivering our health and safety objectives. They are required to delegate duties for day-to-day management of health and safety responsibilities to their Health and Safety Co-ordinators and other nominated staff. They must ensure that:
1. School or Service Health and Safety Co-ordinator
i. a member, or members, of staff are nominated as “School / Service Health and Safety Co-ordinator”, that the UEL Occupational Health and Safety Manager is informed of the nomination in writing and the name or names are displayed on notice boards;
ii. they have nominated an appropriate number to reflect the size or complexity of the school or service;
iii. such Health and Safety Co-ordinators and others with health and safety responsibilities have sufficient authority and resources to undertake their safety duties;
iv. the Health and Safety Co-ordinator has sufficient authority to act on behalf of the Dean / Director, which includes the remit to stop activities which pose immediate danger, pending investigation.
2. Risk Assessment
i. risks to health and safety are assessed consistently and that appropriate control measures are used in accordance with the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 (as amended), together with any additional relevant regulations, such as the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002. That work is not permitted to start, in any activity with attendant risks, unless a suitable and sufficient risk assessment has been completed and suitable control measures implemented;
ii. risk assessments are reviewed regularly - risk assessment forms and related guidance can be found in the Health and Safety Handbook or on the Occupational Health and Safety Unit’s web pages www.uel.ac.uk/hs;
3. Inspection Teams
i. inspection teams are appointed (to include school/service Health and Safety Co-ordinators);
ii. School/Service inspections are undertaken at least once per semester with a record of all inspections and remedial actions maintained for 3 years;
iii. Sufficient time is allocated to inspection team members to enable them to carry out their duties.
4. Local arrangements
i. a written school or service health and safety policy and arrangements, which outlines local arrangements for health and safety, is current and in force;
ii. appropriate and timely remedial action occurs on being alerted to hazards with unacceptable levels of risk;
iii. an up-to-date set of health and safety records is kept;
5. Accidents, Incidents and Reporting arrangements
i. the Dean / Director must ensure that arrangements are in place so that all incidents, accidents, dangerous occurrences, hazards, fires, malicious fire alarms, violent incidents and ill-health are reported, in a retrievable form, to the Occupational Health and Safety Manager on the appropriate form;
ii. the facts of any reportable accident/incident are established, wherever possible, before the site is disturbed or evidence removed;
iii. ill-health, accidents, or incidents, are investigated and the investigation recorded, to ensure lessons are learned and measures implemented to prevent recurrence;
iv. accidents or incidents which result in certain major injuries and or over 3 days of sickness absence must be reported to the Health and Safety Executive (www.hse.gov.uk). It is the responsibility of the Deans / Director to check whether the accident or incident must be reported to the HSE; further information is available in the sub-policy ‘Accidents, Dangerous Occurrence, Ill Health & Violent Incident Management & Reporting Procedure’; A copy of this report must be sent to the Occupational Health and Safety Manager.
6. Information, instruction and training
i. both existing and new staff are given appropriate health and safety information and induction training;
ii. information on health and safety hazards is provided for everyone who undertakes work within the school or service. This includes contractors, cleaners and maintenance staff;
iii. students are given induction and relevant training in health and safety matters, including fire safety, which can be verified (e.g. by signing off);
iv. relevant safety information and instructions issued by the Occupational Health and Safety Manager are provided to all staff and students;
v. safety training needs are identified and that staff and students are provided with training relevant to their area of work, with refresher or further training at appropriate intervals;
vi. that contractors are provided with appropriate information prior to commending work in their school or service.
7. Consultation
i. that there is effective communication and adequate consultation concerning health and safety with all members of staff and staff representatives, including recognised trade union representatives.
8. Staffing and Supervision
i. arrangements for deputising are made to ensure adequate cover is made for staff absences, including ensuring that alternate supervision is available for students.
9. Fire
i. fire precautions and fire procedures are observed and that the fire evacuation procedure is prominently displayed at suitable points within the school and service areas e.g. adjacent to all fire alarm call points.
10. Electrical
i. all portable electrical appliances are regularly inspected and tested (in accordance with current regulations) and labelled and that fixed installations are tested at least every five years.
3.7 School or Service Health & Safety Co-ordinators
1. Policy and procedures
i. be fully familiar with our university’s Health and Safety Policy and their school or service Health and Safety Policy;
ii. periodically review health and safety procedures within their area of responsibility.
2. Monitor and review
i. monitor that safe working practices and procedures, together with any necessary risk assessments for project work (especially for postgraduate students), are complied with;
ii. monitor that adequate precautions are taken regarding any special hazard in, or about to be introduced into the school or service;
iii. monitor that plant, equipment and processes within their areas are being maintained, as required by any relevant statutory provision, and that staff and students are suitably informed, instructed, trained and supervised to avoid risks to their health and safety;
iv. monitor that a high standard of housekeeping is maintained within their areas;
v. monitor that sufficient suitable personal protective equipment is available and used within their areas.
3. Inspections and investigations
i. conduct or co-ordinate systematic health and safety inspections and accident investigations, to identify unsafe or unhealthy conditions or work practices, and monitor that preventative action is recommended and pursued.
4. Advice, liaison and communication
i. Liaise with the Occupational Health and Safety Manager and OHSU;
ii. advise and assist their Dean / Director on any revision of the school or service health and safety policy;
iii. disseminate health and safety information and reports and pass such reports to appropriate to members of staff and students within their School or Service;
iv. act with the delegated authority of the Dean / Director in matters of urgency;
v. refer promptly to their Dean / Director, or Occupational Health and Safety Manager any health and safety problems which cannot be resolved locally on a timescale commensurate with the risk.
5. Records
i. maintain adequate health and safety records where appropriate, as required by relevant statutory provisions or university or school / service safety policy.
3.8 Radiation Protection
The Dean is responsible for ensuring suitable and sufficient arrangements for radiation protection. These arrangements are to be detailed in the school health and safety policy and are to include the responsibilities of the Radiation Protection Advisor and appointed Radiation Protection Supervisors, in accordance with the Ionising Radiation Regulations Approved Code of Practice 1999.
3.9 Biohazards Committee
The Biohazards Committee meets as and when necessary to advise our university on measures necessary to ensure the health and safety of all persons engaged in work covered by legislation on Genetic Manipulation and Radiation, including risk assessments.
3.10 Other Committees
Schools and services are encouraged to include a safety committee or management group in their arrangements for health and safety.
3.11 Students’ Health and Safety
We have obligations towards our students and Deans / Directors are expected to ensure that students are given sufficient information, instruction and induction and that there is effective communication of safety aspects where relevant. All students should take reasonable care for their health and safety. They must abide by our university’s rules and regulations and co-operate with supervisors to enable them to fulfil their obligations. They must not interfere intentionally, or recklessly misuse, anything provided for health and safety.
3.12 Children on University Premises
Children may be denied access to general teaching areas and certain high risk areas (e.g. laboratories) to prevent disruption to teaching and/or to minimise the risk to children, parents must ensure compliance with any such restrictions. Where permission has been granted by the School or Service, it is the responsibility of parents/visitors to supervise and accompany children and young persons at all times during their stay on the premises, except when children or young persons have been placed in the care of duly appointed UEL nursery staff.
Members of staff who have contact with children and, or, vulnerable adults, must undergo CRB checks on a regular basis.
3.13 All employees
MONITORING
Arrangements for monitoring have been described in the previous section “Organisation and arrangements for implementation”, with specific roles assigned functions and responsibilities for monitoring.
REVIEW
This Policy will be subject to an annual review and changes will be brought to the attention of all staff.
HEALTH AND SAFETY SUB-POLICIES AND CODES OF PRACTICE
UEL produces as appendices to this policy, detailed sub-polices and codes of practice, some of which are listed below, available from the following link http://www.uel.ac.uk/hs/hs-handbook.htm
Deans / Directors may need to develop specific codes of practice (CoP) to cover special hazards in their areas where these are not adequately covered in the general policies and codes of practice, the OHSU can on request assist in the development of such CoP’s.
Approved by the Board of Governors 17th March 2009
Review date: March 2010
© 2008
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