The Safety Committee of the University is a Committee that is set up in accordance with the Regulations on Safety Representatives and Safety Committees (S1, 1977, No.500) and its associated Code of Practice. It is constituted to include representatives of the University managers and a representative of each formally recognised Trades Union in equal numbers, and two representatives of the students of the University.
Its meetings are attended by those Officers of the University directly responsible for Health and Safety, and by other Officers as may be invited from time to time by the Committee.
The terms of Reference of the Safety Committee are as follows:
(i) To advise the University, through its Vice-Chancellor, on all aspects of health and safety, to draw the attention of the University to its legal obligations relating to health and safety, and to make such recommendations as are necessary to ensure the safety of staff, students, authorised visitors and members of the public lawfully entering University precincts.
(ii) To receive reports from those Officers of the University who are directly concerned with occupational health and safety, and, where appropriate, from other officers, as well as from such Specialist Advisory Groups and Safety Panels as may be set up.
(iii) To report annually to the Vice Chancellor.
Senior Warden and Director of Student Services, University Safety Adviser, Medical Officer(Occupational Health), Radiation Protection Adviser, Director of Estates, Director of Personnel, Senior Security Officer and such other Officers of the University as may be invited by the Committee to attend its meetings.
The Chairperson is appointed annually by the Committee from its members.
The Committee is serviced by the Personnel Division.
There are three specialist advisory groups which advise and report on particular areas of safety. These are:
This Committee has a membership drawn from Professors and senior members of the University with specialist knowledge in the field of ionising radiation together with a Medical Officer, the Radiation Protection Adviser and the University Safety Adviser.
Its terms of Reference are:
This panel has a membership drawn from Council, the Chairman and Dean of the Faculty of Natural and Applied Sciences, and members of the Academic Staff. It is attended on appropriate occasions by those Officers of the University concerned with Health and Safety.
Its terms of Reference are:
(i) To examine the nature, ethics and procedures of any experiment involving human subjects where such experiments may interfere with the normal physiological activity of the body or involve sampling of blood and other body fluids. To review, before its commencement, the use of each specified experiment of this kind within the University or to advise on any additional safeguards which may be considered necessary by the Panel before such an experiment could be accepted. To report to the Safety Committee and the relevant Boards of Studies.
(ii) To maintain a register of approved experiments and report this annually to the Safety Committee.
The Sub-Committee has a membership drawn from the Faculty of Natural and Applied Sciences and is attended on appropriate occasions by Officers of the University concerned with health and safety. It reports to the Safety Committee and to the Faculty of Natural and Applied Sciences.
Its terms of Reference are:
(i) To consider and advise upon the conditions and procedures under which any experimental investigation designed to alter the genetic composition of cells, including micro-organisms, may be carried out.
(ii) To consider and advise upon the implications for health and safety of experiments involving xenografting and to monitor any such experiments conducted within the University.
(iii) To recieve prior notice of the use of dangerous pathogens. As specified in the Advisory Committee on Dangerous Pathogens as Hazard Group 2 and above and materials which may introduce such pathogens as detailed in the Universities 'Code of Practice for Labortory Workers using Human material or Human derived material.'
(iv) To consider the implications of such usage having regard to the circumstances and facilities available for this purpose and to advise on any measures that should be taken to minimize hazard.
(v) To approve such usage and maintain a register of approved application and report this annually to the Safety Committee.
The University has established Safety Panels within Academic and Administrative departments. These panels have a membership drawn from all interested parties and advise the person responsible for safety within the area concerned. The full terms of reference of the panels are:
(i) To advise on health and safety measures appropriate to the area to be covered by the Safety Panel and to keep such matters under review.
(ii) To advise upon the promotion of safety consciousness in staff and students.
(iii) To maintain, through the Chairman of the Safety Panel, liaison with the University Safety Adviser.
(iv) To ensure that workplace inspections are regularly carried out.
(v) To report annually to the Safety Committee through the University Safety Adviser.
The persons responsible for Health and Safety in the various areas of the University are required to appoint Safety Liaison Officers who would represent those areas in matters relating to health and safety and to ensure that such liaison officers be ex-office members of the Safety Panels and operate in close association with the University Safety Adviser. The Head of Department or other person named as responsible for Health and Safety may appoint himself or herself to be the Liaison Officer.
The terms of reference for such Safety Liaison Officers are:
(i) To disseminate and receive information on safety matters within the area or department.
(ii) To advise and check, where appropriate, on procedures to ensure the safety of operations within the areas or department for which the Liaison Officer is responsible.
(iii) To ensure that newcomers, including students, are fully aware of University safety policy and standards, as well as local safety arrangements and procedures.
(iv) To ensure that any special hazards in, or new hazards about to be introduced into particular areas, are brought to the attention of the University Safety Adviser.
(v) To ensure that all members concerned, including students, are made aware of new developments, with particular reference to any changes of policy or procedure.
(vi) To report to the relevant Safety Panel on inspections etc.
Officers
The details of appointment and duties of Radiation Protection Supervisors are given in the Radiation Protection Handbook.
The terms of reference of the University Safety Adviser, The Radiation Protection Adviser, the Medical Officers including the Medical Officer (Occupational Health) are given in Appendix 2.
The notification of accidents is governed by the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1985 (RIDDOR). These Regulations require an employer to notify the Factory Inspector at the earliest opportunity of any accident causing death or major injury or absence for three days or more, or any dangerous occurrence as defined in Schedule 1 of the Regulations.
The Personnel Division is responsible for providing information to the Factory Inspector as required by the Regulations.
An official University "Notice of Accident" Form (P31 - available in department offices and from the Personnel Division) must be completed for any accident occurring on University premises or precincts that causes personal injury requiring subsequent medical attention to staff or students of the University or to any other person.
This form provides information on the injured person and on the nature and extent of the injury. In addition it records the details of the accident. It is to be signed (whenever possible) by the injured person and by the Head of Department or other member of staff to whom the person is attached or in whose area of responsibility the person was injured. The completed form is to be sent to the Personnel Division without delay.
An Accident Register is maintained in the Personnel Division, as required by RIDDOR, details of each accident notified (as above) are entered in the Register for purposes of reference. The Register is also used as a basis for statistical analysis.
Details of each accident are also sent to the University Safety Adviser for information or investigation, and to the Finance Office for insurance purposes.
Because an accident that seems trivial at the time may develop into something more serious, it is necessary to enter details of all accidents, however slight, in a local accident book maintained in the office of the Head of Department or of a departmental manager.
Because an accident that seems trivial at the time may develop into something more serious, it is necessary to enter details of all accidents, however slight, in a local accident book maintained in the office of the Head of Department or of a departmental manager.
Flow Chart
2
details of the organisation and arrangements for
health and safety in the university
Accident arising out of or in connection with work and involving non-employee/employee
Head of School/Department or Line Manager to:
1. Notify Safety Adviser immediately by telephone
on extn 3737. If (a) or (b) also phone HSE on 0113 244 6191
2. Enter details in Accident Book and forward
Accident Report Form to Personnel Office
3. Personnel Office will notify HSE if appropriate
Head of School/Department or Line Manager to:
Complete Accident Report Book and forward Accident Report Form to Personnel
(b) Fatal or
major injury
(c) Injury causing 3 day incapacity
Other injury
Non-fatal or
non-major injury
(a) Fatal or
major injury
NON-EMPLOYEE
EMPLOYEE
The following, which should be read in conjunction with the HSE Regulations and Guidance on "Safety Representatives and Safety Committees", sets out the procedure for dealing with the reporting of hazards or complaints about safety in any areas of the University. In the numbered stages which follow the presumption is that the move to the next stage will take place only if a satisfactory solution has not been obtained.
Stage 1. When the problem is observed it should be notified in the first place to the immediate supervisor. At this stage the initiator may call in the department's trade union Safety Representative.
Stage 2. The matter should next be reported to the Head of Department or their nominee, e.g. the Superintendent Technician, and the Safety Liaison Officer. At this stage the initiator will normally bring in the department's trade union Safety Representative. The initiator and/or Head of Department may decide to refer the matter further.
Stage 3. The next step is for a report to be made to the University Safety Adviser (or the Senior Warden and Director of Student Services if the University Safety Adviser is absent). At this stage if the initiator and the department's trade union Safety Representative thinks it appropriate, the trade union Branch Safety Representative may also be involved.
Stage 4. The matter should next be taken up with the Senior Warden and Director of Student Services who will convene a local joint meeting of all the parties concerned. At this meeting the decision may be taken to seek advice formally from an external authority, e.g. an acknowledged expert in the problem area or an HSE Inspector.
Stage 5. If the problem still remains unresolved the next step is a reference of the case to the Director of Personnel and the trade union District Officer, who will determine the appropriate course of action.
If the matter is urgent, the University Safety Adviser will be contacted, as per Stage 3 above, and the Head of Department or their nominee will be advised accordingly.
Thereafter the procedure will follow the stages as outlined above.
In the above paragraphs the term "trade union Safety Representative" means the member of staff nominated by the appropriate trade union to act on its behalf in a particular area. The "Branch Safety Representative" means the member of staff nominated by the appropriate Union as a representative on the Safety Committee.
It is advisable that all members of staff are aware of their legal obligations under Section 7 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 which is reproduced here in full:
"It shall be the duty of every employee while at work -
(a) to take reasonable care for the health and safety of himself and of other persons who may be affected by his acts or omissions at work;
and
(b) as regards to any duty or requirement imposed on his employer or any other person by or under any of the relevant statutory provisions, to co-operate with him so far as is necessary to enable that duty or requirement to be performed or complied with".
It seems clear from this that it is the duty of employees if they see a hazard:
To report it as soon as possible to the appropriate supervisor. Failing this, they should contact the departmental Safety Liaison Officer or the University Safety Adviser.
* For a fuller discussion of the legal obligations of employees, see also Section 1.3 and Appendix 1.
The procedures outlined below have been agreed with representatives of the trades unions.
(a) There should be a Safety Inspection every six months or at such time as the appropriate Safety Panel may decide in agreement with the trades unions as part of a regular, preventative, safety maintenance exercise.
(b) The inspections will be organised by the appropriate Safety Panel in each area at a time agreed with the academic staff or other staff concerned but not less than once per year.
(c) The inspection will be carried out by the Safety Liaison Officer, representing the Head of Department in charge of the area, and the trade union Safety Representative(s) on the Safety Panel concerned. In addition, other interested parties could include the technician or individual in charge of the area concerned and any other nominee of the Safety Panel. e.g., the Chairman.
(d) The Safety Panels will keep the Safety Representatives in each area informed, as far as is practicable, of new projects and/or developments, so that potential safety implications can be considered.
(e) An opportunity will be afforded to the trades unions' Safety Representatives on the Safety Panels (or on the Safety Committee if appropriate) to participate with representatives of the Department and/or the University Safety Adviser in the examination of any accidents or dangerous occurrences.
The intention of the above procedures is to provide a useful monitoring of safe systems of work and to indicate areas which may require special control measures to be established.
Nothing in the above shall diminish the rights of Trade Union Safety Representatives as set out in the Regulations "Safety Representatives and Safety Committees".
Safety auditing is a means for carrying out a structured examination of a safety management system, operational procedures and practices, ensuring verification of the adequacy of preventative plans and actions.
The Safety Audit will be carried out by a team which includes the University Safety Adviser, a member of the University Safety Committee and a Departmental Safety Liaison Officer. Individual audits may look horizontally e.g. at the whole process of planning; or, the may look vertically at a particular activity e.g. at fire safety and emergency plans; as well as looking at arrangements in individual departments. An audit will examine documents, interview staff and carry out on-site observations. It will check that management procedures for hazard identification, risk assessment, control of risks and monitoring are in place and work in practice; that management is being successful in setting and meeting performance standards and progress is being made.
Safety audit reports will be presented to the University Safety Committee and to the individual departments as appropriate.