Managing health & safety

Professional Support and Advice

The Head of Service is the “competent person” appointed by the University under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999.  Her role is to provide specialist advice to the University on all aspects of occupational safety and health and to put in place systems to monitor the health and safety performance of the University.  Should the need arise she has the authority to take emergency mitigating action on behalf of the Vice-Chancellor in order to remedy a situation which poses a serious risk to safety or health. 

The Head of Service leads a team of professional Health & Safety Advisers who provide:

• Advice and guidance on all health and safety matters

• Interpret and disseminate relevant legislation

• Deliver training to enable health and safety responsibilities to be met

• Manage a system for the control and use of radioactive substances

• Investigate and report on accidents and incidents to prevent reoccurrence

• Coordinate and manage an Occupational Health service

• Manage an on-going programme of audits and inspections to help ensure legal compliance and improve health and safety practice

• Liaise with the Health & Safety Executive, the Environment Agency, Police, Fire & Rescue Service and other regulatory authorities on matters of health and safety

Professional expertise exists within the University Health, Safety and Environment Service which includes:

• General Health & Safety

• Fire Safety

• Health & Wellbeing

• Construction Safety

• Hazardous Waste Management

• Radiation Protection

• Environmental Management

The Service also benefits from access to specialist advisers in respect of Biological Safety, Microbiological Safety, Laser Safety and Chemical Safety.  

Departmental support

A raft of core policies have been developed and are available for all to use.  These are in the process of being updated to provide key factual information in a bulleted form.  Each policy relates to a specific subject area which will be covered within the Staying Safe and Well webpages and accompanied by comprehensive guidance and additional supportive information.  This additional support will include checklists, templates and self-help training whenever possible.  

Departments are expected to develop local arrangements using the University's policies and guidance as a framework although additional support can be provided by the University Health, Safety & Environment Service upon request.

Directory

The Staying Safe and Well web pages are divided by subject matter, the navigation of which is as follows:

Accidents & emergencies

• First aid

• Emergency Invacuation

Biological Hazards

• Legionella

Chemical Hazards

• Confined Spaces

• Asbestos

Fire Safety

• Fire Prevention & Protection

• Fire Evacuation

Health & wellbeing

• Ergonomics including Manual handling and Workstations

• Occupational health including Health surveillance and Counselling

• Stress management including Managers toolkit and Employees toolkit

• Vulnerable people including Lone working, Work experience and Expectant & new mothers

Physical Hazards

• Work equipment & machinery including Laboratory equipment and Lifting equipment

• Physical hazard management

• Chemical hazard management including Asbestos

• Biological hazard management including Legionella

• Construction & demolition including Work at height

• Electrical safety

• Risk assessments

• Good housekeeping

• Confined spaces

Environmental Management

• Biodiversity

• Hazardous waste

• Pollution/contamination

• Radiation

Working off site

•  Fieldwork

• Placements

• Home visits