Occupational Health & Safety Policy
The University of Strathclyde is a charitable body, registered in Scotland, number SC015263
Foreword by the Principal The University has an ambitious strategy for 2011-2015 to confirm our position as a leading international technological university. It is critical that all areas of the work of the University are underpinned with a robust and effective occupational health and safety management system as set out by this Policy. The University is committed to ensuring that the working environment and arrangements for all staff, students and visitors, continually improve to support our activities in research, education and knowledge exchange. The rigorous application of the occupational health and safety management system will be an important tool for the delivery of this. The objectives set and measured through this Policy will enable us to demonstrate how we are delivering a high standard of performance that underpins all University activities. A stated objective within the University Strategy (2011-2015) is to strengthen measures that create a positive working environment which in turn ensures the wellbeing of our staff; this Policy supports this aim. The University has an integrated approach to the management of all risk and recognises the strong relationship between the effective management of occupational health and safety, the health and performance of staff and our success in realising our aspirations. It is therefore essential that colleagues across the University fully embrace the principles which are expressed within the Policy and ensure that we all play our part to the full in providing a safe and healthy environment for work and study. Your commitment to such a key strategic activity is appreciated and I acknowledge your support and professionalism in its delivery. Professor Jim McDonald Principal
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Introduction The University engages in a range of diverse activities which creates a research and teaching environment which crosses traditional boundaries. The cornerstone of establishing safe working practices in all of these activities is the evaluation and management of risk. Effective risk management allows the prioritisation of actions to reduce risk and the allocation of appropriate resources. This Policy forms a key part of the University’s Occupational Health and Safety Management System and represents its commitment to, and plan of action for, managing health and safety requirements. It also provides a framework to enable University staff to understand and implement effective occupational health and safety arrangements. It comprises the following interrelated sections as illustrated below:
In preparing this Policy the University:
Has taken cognisance of, and aims to meet the expectations of the Committee of University Chairs (CUC) ‘Guide for Members of Governing Bodies’(section 31);
Has interpreted the Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA) ‘Leadership Actions for Governing Bodies’ as advised in the CUC guide;
Acknowledges UCEA’s Code of Best Practice in Health and Safety Management for Universities.
University Occupational Health and Safety Policy and Arrangements Document Structure
Level 1
Occupational Health & Safety Policy Statement and the Outline Arrangements for implementing and communicating of the Policy
Level 2
University Local Rules and Guidance detailing arrangements on specific subject matter
Level 3
Departmental Occupational Health & Safety Arrangements (inclusive of risk assessments, safe systems of work and standard operating procedures)
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Contents
Page
1
Occupational Health & Safety Policy Statement
4
2
The Occupational Health & Safety Management System
5
3
Leadership and Responsibilities
6
4
Occupational Health & Safety Advisers
12
5
The University of Strathclyde Students’ Association
12
6
Collaborative Research with External Partnerships
12
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1
Occupational Health and Safety Policy Statement
The University is committed to ensuring, so far as is reasonably practicable, the occupational health, safety and welfare of all of its staff members and those affected by its activities including students, visitors, contractors and members of the public. The following represents the University’s general statement of policy: 1.1 The University will establish and maintain an effective occupational health and safety management system to enable it to meet with relevant statutory obligations, to ensure a culture of continual improvement and one which strives towards attainment of a world class standard; 1.2 It will establish an effective organisational structure for implementing this Policy and for integrating occupational health and safety arrangements with other general management systems relating to the University’s undertaking;
1.6 Through excellent risk management practice, the University will aim to minimise occupational health and safety risk; 1.7 The Policy and arrangements will be communicated to all staff and other relevant persons working under the control of the University to ensure they are made aware of their individual responsibility; 1.8 All staff and students are required to take reasonable care for their own health and safety and that of others who may be affected by their acts or omissions and to co-operate with the University in the performance of its statutory duties; 1.9 The University will provide occupational health and safety information, instruction and training relevant to the responsibilities and needs of University staff to support them in their work;
1.3 The Executive Team will demonstrate leadership in occupational health and safety, leading by example, and ensuring managers at all levels fulfil their responsibilities in managing health and safety;
1.10 Occupational health and safety advisers will be engaged, to provide competent advice to both the Executive Team and the University community, proportional to the level and complexity of activities associated with the University’s undertaking;
1.4 Occupational health and safety arrangements will be provided to enable the delivery of objectives in a way that protects the occupational health and safety and welfare of the University’s community;
1.11 A suitable provision of resources will be in place at University, Directorate, Faculty and Departmental level to ensure that occupational health and safety measures can be implemented;
1.5 The University will ensure that staff are properly consulted in all essential aspects of occupational health and safety. To this end, the University encourages partnership working with both Trade Union and employee appointed safety representatives;
1.12 The University will set objectives annually and both monitor and review its performance; and 1.13 The Policy will be reviewed every three years and the written arrangements will be kept under review on a regular basis and changed or updated as necessary. Signed
Date
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Principal 30/11/10
2
The Occupational Health & Safety Management System
The University has adopted the Occupational Health and Safety Management System advocated by the ‘Successful Health & Safety Management’ HSG65’ (Health and Safety Executive publication). This facilitates the provision of a robust framework which enables the University community to promote a positive occupational health and safety culture and to effect continual improvement. Staff at all levels have a clear role in contributing to the successful management of occupational health and safety. The components of the University’s system are summarised as follows:
Policy The University Occupational Health and Safety Policy expresses a clear statement of commitment for managing occupational health and safety and creates a framework for accountability that is led and adopted by senior management that will contribute to the delivery and success of the University’s Strategy.
Organising The organisational structure for managing occupational health and safety is defined in the Policy. Responsibilities are clearly allocated and employees at all levels are involved. The arrangements for ensuring competence, training and consultation are well set out.
Planning and Implementation This involves designing, developing and installing suitable proactive management arrangements, workplace precautions and their associated risk control systems, to protect the University community and to promote continual improvement. By implementing the written occupational health and safety arrangements risks to safety, health and business continuity can be identified and either eliminated or controlled.
Measuring Performance Measuring health and safety performance provides information upon which to judge the implementation and effectiveness of the arrangements for controlling risk. Information is gathered by both active and reactive monitoring systems, at Departmental, Faculty and University levels. Information from active systems includes reports of regular safety inspections for premises and equipment, the results of health surveillance, minutes of safety committee meetings, reports of training needs and the significant findings of risk assessments. Information from reactive systems includes reports of accidents, damage to property or near-misses, analysis of accident trends and reports on weaknesses in performance standards.
Reviewing Performance Periodic review considers the performance of the system as a whole, plus that of individual elements, to ensure its continuing suitability, adequacy and effectiveness. Departments and the University systematically review performance following events such as incidents, accidents, ill-health; changes in activities or organisational structure, safety inspections, in order to consider improvements to management systems.
Audit The University occupational health and safety audit programme will provide an independent, critical appraisal of the effectiveness of all elements of a department’s occupational health and safety management arrangements. The outcome will be reported directly to the Head of Department and to the Chief Operating Officer, the Dean, the University Occupational Health and Safety Consultative Committee and to the Audit Committee.
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3
Leadership and Responsibilities
3.1 Organisation for the Management of Occupational Health & Safety
Responsible Body
Key Personnel
Court
Principal
See Para 3.3
Executive Team
Chief Operating Officer
See Para 3.4
Faculty / Professional Services
Chief Financial Officer / Deans
See Para 3.5
Departments / Schools
Directors / Heads of Dept / Heads of School
See Para 3.6
Managers / Principal Investigators / Academic Supervisors
See Para 3.7
All staff / students
See Para 3.7
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3.2 Court
3.3 The Principal
As the governing body and employer, Court has an overall statutory responsibility for occupational health and safety in the University. Members individually and collectively have a duty to consider health and safety in the course of approving strategy and reviewing the University’s occupational health and safety performance.
The Principal as Chief Executive Officer of the University has appointed the Chief Operating Officer as having oversight of health and safety management within the University. The Principal will be kept informed of occupational health and safety matters as appropriate.
Court will: Consider and authorise the University Occupational Health and Safety Policy and ensure it is regularly reviewed; Take steps to assure itself that management responsibility for health and safety is clearly allocated at all levels; Take steps to assure itself that arrangements are in place for consultation with staff and recognised Trade Union safety representatives; Ensure that it is informed of any major new processes/procedures and consequent occupational health and safety implications Ensure such information, as appropriate, is provided to evaluate the occupational health and safety performance of the University and that this is used to set objectives; Challenge, as necessary, the reports on occupational health and safety provided and if required seek further information to satisfy itself that it is being managed appropriately and adequately resourced; Charge the Principal with the duty to appoint the Chief Operating Officer as having responsibility for the oversight of occupational health and safety; Approve nominations from each Faculty of senior representatives to attend the University’s Occupational Health and Safety Consultative Committee; Nominate a non- executive (lay) member to champion health and safety and attend the University’s Occupational Health and Safety Consultative Committee; and As individual members lead by example, ensuring the requirements of this Policy are implemented within their own areas of responsibility.
3.4 Chief Operating Officer Duties include: Ensuring the implementation of the Occupational Health and Safety Policy and associated written arrangements; Appointing relevant competent occupational health and safety advice as both appropriate to the nature of University activity and required by statute; Ensuring that occupational health and safety arrangements and the management system is maintained and reviewed to both manage and control risk; Ensuring personal visible leadership in occupational health and safety management and being able to demonstrate how this duty is achieved; Ensuring that regular objectives are set and performance measured with an Annual Report being produced for Court so that occupational health and safety may be monitored, reviewed and continually improved; Ensuring that objectives are set in line with the University strategy and integrated into all business decisions, as relevant, at senior management level. Chairing the Occupational Health and Safety Consultative Committee for the University; and Reviewing any serious issues which arise concerning non-compliance with the Policy.
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3.5 Executive Team (includes Principal, Deans, Chief Operating Officer/Chief Financial Officer) Duties include: Considering occupational health and safety as part of all strategic proposals and business decisions both corporately and in own area of responsibility; Reviewing and approving all Local Rules developed to implement the Health and Safety Policy and arrangements; Individual members ensuring visible leadership in occupational health and safety management and being able to demonstrate how this is achieved; Individual members taking personal responsibility to monitor and review health and safety performance in their area of responsibility, which includes the performance of Heads and Directors on this matter. Where directly responsible for an area this will include convening meetings twice per year with relevant Directors and Heads to monitor and review occupational health and safety performance within the relevant Faculty or Professional Services area; and Individual members (Deans/CFO/COO) producing an Annual Statement on occupational health and safety for their area including objectives for the coming year which will be submitted to the Chief Operating Officer.
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3.6 Heads of Departments (includes Directors of Professional Services /Heads of Schools) Heads of Departments have a strategic and operational responsibility for health and safety management within their areas. It is recognised by Court that the ‘Head of School’ position does not have the equivalent strategic responsibility within the HASS Faculty as other Heads of Department in the University; however the duties listed apply fully to all Heads and Directors. Duties include: Ensuring visible leadership in occupational health and safety management, being actively involved in the continual improvement of performance and able to demonstrate how this duty is achieved; Ensuring suitable departmental occupational health and safety structures and arrangements are established and maintained to provide effective implementation of the Policy, in line with the detail provided in the publication University Occupational Health and Safety Management Arrangements and Local Rule on Departmental Occupational Health and Safety Management Arrangements; Ensuring that suitable written departmental safety arrangements are in place, signed, dated, reviewed annually and communicated to all staff; Ensuring management arrangements for staff performance recognise the occupational health and safety duties as assigned by position or role; Attending any specific health and safety training provided for Heads of Department; and Ensuring the University’s Occupational Health and Safety Policy is brought to the attention of all new members of staff and that they are reminded of their responsibilities at regular intervals.
3.7 Individual Responsibility Staff with responsibility for the management or direction of staff/students (this includes Principal Investigators, Academic Supervisor, Managers and can include Supervisors with assigned relevant duties) Duties include: Demonstrating leadership in occupational health and safety for their area of work activity, research and/or training activity, which will include the occupational health and safety performance of the area and ensuring health and safety arrangements are in place for all work activities; Ensuring suitable and sufficient risk assessments are carried out for all work conducted in their area of responsibility and that this covers all staff, students and persons who may be affected by the work; and Ensuring the adequate supervision of all staff, students and visitors as appropriate and in line with the Policy.
Where a staff member knowingly disregards the requirements of this Policy or associated arrangements, they may be subject to the disciplinary process as set out by the University Staff Policy produced by Human Resources. For further information on this aspect staff are requested to refer to Human Resources. Duties of all students Every student is required to follow the instruction and training provided in the interests of their health and safety. Where a student knowingly disregards, interferes or misuses anything provided in the interests of health and safety this will be considered by the department concerned under appropriate University procedures.
Duties of all staff Every staff member engaged to undertake work associated with the University, which includes full time, part time, agency, casual workers, volunteers, and staff under temporary contracts, holds a personal legal duty as set out in section 7 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and also a personal duty through this Policy to:
Follow and abide by all of the instruction, information and training provided; Take reasonable care for their own health and safety and those of others who may be affected by their acts or omissions; Co-operate with their line manager/supervisor and other staff/students to ensure safe systems of work are followed; Not knowingly disregard, interfere or misuse anything provided in the interests of safety; Report all accidents, incidents, near misses and unsafe acts to their line manager or Departmental Safety Convenor; Suggest improvements and support those that are introduced.
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3.8 University Occupational Health and Safety Consultative Committee The function of the Committee is to provide a forum for consultation and engagement on occupational health and safety in the University, recognising our legal duty on this matter. Chaired by the Chief Operating Officer, the Committee will comprise of senior members of staff representing all Faculties and Professional Services with the Trade Union Health and Safety representatives representing all staff and a University of Strathclyde Students’ Association member representing the student body. As permitted, Trade Unions have confirmed that for health and safety matters they will represent all staff for consultation and therefore there are currently no elected employee representatives (non-Trade Union). Individual Committee members will be provided with suitable training to assist them with their role. Terms of Reference The Committee meets four times per year to carry out the following functions: To provide a mechanism for the effective consultation with all staff through the Trade Union Health and Safety representatives staff on new areas of work activities or new hazards associated with work; To review all Occupational Health and Safety written arrangements, with Policy and Local Rules going forward to Court and Executive Team respectively and Guidance approved by the Committee directly; To consider matters raised by Health and Safety Trade Union staff representatives; To consider matters raised by the University of Strathclyde Students’ Association To review the provision of occupational health and safety training for staff; To review information provided relating to the occupational health and safety performance of the University; To ensure effective methods are utilised for the dissemination and communication of occupational health and safety information in the University; (refer to Section 3.9) To consider reports made by enforcement authorities; To review reports submitted by the University’s Occupational Health and Safety Advisers;
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To consider matters raised by Faculty Representatives/Chief Operating Officer escalated from departmental safety committees in their area; Escalating occupational health and safety matters for consideration to the Executive Team where appropriate to ensure Court are informed or advised; and To form sub committees, as appropriate, to consider specific occupational health and safety matters. The Constitution of the Committee is as follows: Chair of the Committee-Chief Operating Officer (in their absence a member of University Executive Team, as nominated by the Chief Operating Officer); Non-executive (lay member) member of Court (appointed by Court); Faculty Representatives nominated by the Dean of each Faulty, appointed by Court; President of the Student Association; and Trade Union Health and Safety Representatives as notified to the Committee Manager (in writing). One representative will be recognised for each Trade Union. In attendance as ex –officio members: Director of Estates Services; Director of Human Resources; and Head of Safety Services. In addition to Committee members and the above identified staff members, any staff member can be invited to attend or support the work of the Committee as required by the Chair of the Committee. The meetings will be recorded and made available to all staff. The Terms of Reference will be reviewed on an annual basis and approved by University Court each year. The Committee will be quorate with 4 members present (two representing management and two representatives for staff/student).
3.9 Communication flow on Occupational Health and Safety Matters
University Court
Executive Team
University Health & Safety Consultative Committee
Safety Services Advice
Departmental Safety Committees
Staff / Students
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4 Occupational Health & Safety Advisers The University has engaged a team of professional advisers to provide competent advice on occupational health and safety. The Chief Operating Officer will review the composition of this team at regular intervals to ensure the right level of support is in place. The team work closely together to deliver a cohesive approach to occupational health and safety, engaging with the University community directly to assist them with challenging new research or activities. The team’s remit includes the following:
Advising and supporting on incident, accident and occupational ill-health investigations and reporting to the relevant authorities as required; Providing specialist advice in Biological, Radiation, Chemical, Fire Safety and Occupational Hygiene; and Integrating the management systems in place for emergency planning and risk management with occupational health and safety.
Advising senior management on the development of the Occupational Health and Safety Management System and its implementation to assist the University achieve its aspirations; Advising University senior management and community on relevant occupational health and safety legislation; Developing and keeping under review the Occupational Health and Safety Policy, plus associated Local Rules and Guidance; Maintaining a procedure for identifying occupational health and safety legal requirements and maintaining these on a legal register; Managing a programme of occupational health and safety management audits; Producing both internal and external reports for the sector, public bodies and enforcement authorities on occupational health and safety; Providing an Occupational Health Service - health surveillance, advice on reasonable adjustments, sickness absence management, self- referral for work related issues, health promotion supporting the University to achieve the Healthy Working Lives Silver Award; Designing and delivering a staff health and safety training programme; Supporting senior management with working partnerships with relevant authorities;
5 The University of Strathclyde Students’ Association
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As a separate business entity to the University, the University of Strathclyde Students’ Association (USSA) engages its own competent advice on occupational health and safety and produces its own Policy. As an organisation involved in providing considerable support and a facility to the USSA, the University takes a role in monitoring the general health and safety arrangements. An annual visit will be made by Safety Services where progress with their annual objectives and targets will be reviewed and reported to Court.
6 Collaborative Research with External Partnerships The University works with many external organisations and individuals which brings a great deal of benefit to all involved with the research outcomes produced. In all such collaborative research projects the University will ensure that the responsible lead in the management of occupational health and safety is identified as appropriate to the project and by working together ensure that the projects are successfully managed.
Occupational Health & Safety Policy
The University of Strathclyde is a charitable body, registered in Scotland, number SC015263
