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Health and Safety

Summary of the organisation structure within the school

‌‌health & safety organisation chart

School arrangements for carrying out the health and safety policy

The following are hyperlinks to school policies relevant to health and safety.  These are complimentary to the existing University policies but are specific to the activities carried out within the School of Health, Sport and Bioscience.

  •  Fire Evacuation Policy  ***all members of the School must read this***
  •  Laboratory Safety Code for Staff and Students
  •  Lone worker policy
  •  Use of Human Subjects
  •  Code of practice for animal users
  •  Animal Users: Health and Safety Regulations
  •  Code of Practice for Field work

Risk Assessment

Under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations (1999) a risk assessment must be carried out. This needs to consider the hazards posed by the activity, who could be affected, the likelihood and severity of the occurrence and measures put in place to control and reduce the risk.  This is detailed in the document ‘Introduction to risk assessment’. It is requires that the risk assessment is recorded and approved.  Additionally, an assessment of any chemical or biological organism is required using the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) form.

  •  Introduction to risk assessment
  •  Blank Risk Assessment Form
  •  COSHH and Risk Assessment
  •  COSHH risk assessment form

University Arrangements for carrying out the health and safety policy

http://www.uel.ac.uk/hrservices/hs/handbook/

Organisational Responsibilities for Health and Safety

The organisation for implementing the Health & Safety Policy in the School of Health, Sport and Bioscience is based on delegation to managers and supervisors as follows:-

  • Dean of School - Prof. Neville Punchard
  • Health & Safety Co-ordinator - Mr Gary Doyle
  • Biohazard Protection Advisor - Dr David Guiliano
  • Genetic Manipulation Advisory Group Chair - Dr David Bringloe
  • Technical Manager - Prupti Malde

School Health & Safety Committee:

Dean of School, School Health & Safety Co-ordinator, Biohazards Protection Advisor, GMAG Chair, Technical Manager, Professorial Representative, School Administrator, University H&S Advisor (ex-officio)

Safety Inspection Team:

School Health & Safety Co-ordinator, A member of the School H&S Committee, Trade Union Representative

First-Aiders

  • Dr Roger Carpenter

Fire Marshalls                                                         

  • Mr Kevin Clough
  • Prof N. Punchard
  • Dr D. Rowley                                                                                   

Risk Assessments     All staff within the school are responsible for carrying out risk assessments - see "Risk Assessments - Staff Responsibilities".

Dean of School

The Dean of School is responsible for health and safety at a school level and must demonstrate commitment to the UEL Health & Safety Policy, by ensuring that effective school arrangements for proper management of health and safety are in place by:

  1. Formally delegating tasks and their associated record keeping aspects to key individual (s) such as School Health & Safety Co-ordinator and the School Safety Inspection Team.
  2. Developing a School Health & Safety Policy with the help of the Health & Safety Co-ordinator.
  3. Setting up a School Health & Safety Committee if the risks justify it or placing health and safety as a standing item on the agenda of the school management committee if a school health and safety committee is not justified.
  4. Allocating the necessary resources, both in terms of time and money, to those staff with appointed school health and safety responsibilities.
  5. Seeking, receiving and taking health and safety advice from the University Safety Advisor as appropriate, and from the School Health & Safety Co-ordinator or other school safety staff as appropriate.
  6. Making full and complete use of the technical knowledge, professional advice and skills available.
  7. Encouraging and supporting the attendance of appropriate members of the school on relevant internal and external health and safety training events.
  8. Ensuring that each individual is aware and convinced of the importance of their particular role in the health and safety arrangements within the school and also in the overall scheme within the university.
  9. Ensuring that good lines of communication are established to allow for the dissemination of information to, from and between all relevant persons.
  10. Devising and implementing phased order of priority plans for expenditure of finance or effort to solve problems that cannot be resolved at one particular time.
  11. Supporting the carrying out of school risk assessments and reacting to the "significant findings" identified.
  12. Monitoring that school health and safety tasks, such as inspections are being carried out to a satisfactory standard.
  13. Taking personal action, or empowering members of school staff to act, to suspend or stop any school activity that is dangerous or not carried out within school health and safety policy.
  14. Co-operating fully with the University's central monitoring, auditing and review arrangements as they affect the school and as pursued by an informed outsider to the school, such as the University Safety Advisor.

School Health & Safety Co-ordinator:

The responsibilities of the School Safety Co-ordinator are to:

Be fully familiar with the University's Health & Safety Policy and School Health & Safety Policy.

  1. Liaise with the University Health & Safety Advisor.
  2. Periodically review health and safety procedures within the school.
  3. Advise and assist the Dean of School on any revision of the School Health & Safety Policy.
  4. Monitor that safe working practices, rules and procedures are complied with, and ensure that risk assessments are also complied with.
  5. Disseminate health and safety information and reports, and pass such reports to appropriate members of staff and students within the school.
  6. Monitor that adequate precautions are taken regarding any special hazard in, or about to be introduced into, the school.
  7. Conduct and 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.
  8. Monitor that plant, equipment and processes within the school 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.
  9. Maintain adequate health and safety records where appropriate, as required by relevant statutory provisions or University or School safety policy.
  10. Monitor that a high standard of housekeeping is maintained within the school.
  11. Monitor that suitable and sufficient personal protective equipment is available and used where appropriate, and that it is maintained and such records kept, as required by relevant statutory provisions or University or School safety policy.
  12. Act with the delegated authority of the Dean of School in matters of urgency.
  13. Refer promptly to the Dean of School or University Health & Safety Advisor any health and safety problems that cannot be resolved locally on a timescale commensurate with the risk.

Biohazard Protection Advisor:

The responsibilities of the Biohazard Protection Advisor are to:

  1. Be fully familiar with the School Health & Safety Policy and Biohazards Policy.
  2. Liaise with the School Health & Safety Co-ordinator and with the University Health & Safety Advisor as appropriate.
  3. Advise and assist the Dean of School and School Health & Safety Co-ordinator on any revision of the School Health & Safety Policy.
  4. Periodically review the Biohazards Policy and biohazard procedures within the school.
  5. Provide professional advice on health and safety of work with biological material including advice on the relevant regulations that apply to biological work, design of work areas and waste disposal.
  6. Advise on codes of practice, protocol, and local rules for work involving biological materials.
  7. Advise on the acquisition of licenses or authorisation.
  8. Advise on COSHH risk assessments where biological hazards exist.
  9. Advise on cleaning and disinfecting regimes.
  10. Investigate biological accidents, incidents, and spillages and take appropriate action.
  11. Monitor the transport, safe storage and disposal of all modified organisms and maintain adequate records.
  12. Disseminate information relating to changes in regulations and good practise in biological work.
  13. Participate in the organisation and provision of appropriate staff training.
  14. Act as a member of, and report to, the School Health & Safety Committee.
  15. Carry out and/or participate in periodic health & safety audits and inspections, reporting to School Health & Safety Committee and University Consultative Committee for Health & Safety as appropriate.
  16. Co-ordinate and co-chair the School Biohazards, Radiation and GMO Committee meeting on an annual basis

Genetic Manipulation Advisory Group Chair:

The responsibilities of the GMAG are to:

  1. Examine proposals of GM work within the School..
  2. Co-ordinate notifications of GM work and apply for consent from the HSE.
  3. Decide on containment levels according to categorisation (ACDP).
  4. Oversee the risk assessment process for work involving genetically modified organisms.
  5. Ensure that records of assessment and review are kept for at least 10 years.

School Health & Safety Committee:

The responsibilities of the School Health & Safety Committee are to:

  1. Assist the Dean of School and Health & Safety Co-ordinator to effectively manage health & safety within the school.
  2. Assist with the development and review of school health & safety policy, codes of practice and procedures.
  3. Assist with regular formal school health & safety audits and inspections.
  4. Examine and consider safety audit reports.
  5. Examine and consider reports from internal and external safety inspections, specialist health & safety committees (biohazards, GMAG), and safety representatives.
  6. Consider the adequacy of health & safety communication within the school.
  7. Consider the health & safety training needs of the school, how they should be met and monitor their effectiveness.
  8. Review school accident and incident reports and address any trends.

Staff Responsibilities

The University Health and Safety Handbook states that:

“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 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.”

Staff are thus responsible for:

  1. understanding their own legal responsibilities for any student or staff that they are responsible for.
  2. ensuring that they have received appropriate health and safety information and induction training.
  3. Identifying any safety training needs for any student and staff that they are responsible for, and that any such students or staff are given induction and provided with training in health and safety matters relevant to their area of work, with refresher or further training at appropriate intervals as needed.

Policy Revisions

This policy will be reviewed by the Health and Safety Committee by September 2014. Revisions and updates will be brought to the attention of all members of the school.

 

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