Health and safety management

The roles and responsibilities for managing health and safety is outlined in the following policy statement (S2/11). This is an overarching summary of the University’s arrangements and will help those named discharge their duties. It specifically includes information on the following:

  • Council, and the University’s health and safety committee structure
  • heads of division
  • heads of department or institutions
  • supervisors and line managers
  • employees
  • visiting workers
  • students
  • departmental, area and divisional safety officers
  • University safety officers

Further information is also available below for supervisors and departmental safety officers. These roles are key to helping the head of department put in place and maintain effective health and safety management.

University policy statements detail how departments should manage health and safety. Heads of department should identify which policy statements apply to their buildings and activities, then ensure local arrangements are in place to meet the requirements set out in those policy statements. The head of department should put in place a forum for consulting on health and safety, to decide which local arrangements are needed. The policy statement on departmental safety advisory committees outlines how this forum should function.

The fundamental basis for all good health and safety management is risk assessment. The policy statement on risk assessments should be used to ensure there are suitable and sufficient risk assessments in place. Other policy statements should then be referenced when the risk or specific legislative requirements need more detailed or complex assessments.

Finally, heads of department can draw upon the advice of competent health and safety officers. They must appoint a departmental safety officer and fire officer, as well as having arrangements for display screen equipment assessors and first aiders. They may also need to appoint other specialist officers eg biological safety officer, radiation protection supervisors, and departmental laser supervisor. If local departmental safety officers are unable to assist, then area, divisional or University safety officers should be consulted.