Health and Safety Manual

3.1 The Board of Governors Estate and Services Advisory Group is responsible to the Board of Governors for monitoring the health, safety and welfare off all staff, students and others while on university premises or undertaking activities under the control of the university. The Estates and Services Advisory Group receive progress reports by the University Health and Safety Committee.

3.2 Directorate is the most senior managerial group within the university and considers and approves health, safety and welfare policies, receives health and safety updates and approves the Annual Health and Safety Plan.

3.3 The University Health and Safety Committee ensures the development, implementation and monitoring of health, safety and welfare policies and procedures within the University. It keeps under review the measures taken to ensure the health and safety of all persons when on the University premises, and of its staff (and students) engaged on activities required by their work (or study) for the university.

The Health and Safety Committee reports to the Board of Governors Estate and Services Advisory Group.

3.4 Local Site Health and Safety Panels are established by Senior staff to promote the health, safety and welfare of persons when on site premises and of staff and students when engaged upon activities relevant to the site functions.

3.5 Radiation Safety Group monitors on behalf of the Health and Safety Committee the arrangements for staff and students who work with ionising and non-ionising radiation.

3.6 Genetically Modified Organisms Committee is a statutory committee formed to regulate, approve risk assessments and monitor any work that falls under the regulations related to work with genetically modified organisms.

3.7 Divisional/Departmental Health and Safety Panels are established by senior staff to enable local consultation and monitoring of health and safety standards in their areas of responsibility.

3.8 Annual Health and Safety Plan is constructed each academic year. The aim of the plan is to identify the health and safety priorities for the forthcoming academic year. The priorities are risk based and must be achievable within the timescale. The Annual Health and Safety Plan is submitted to the Health and Safety Committee and the Directorate for consideration and approval.

The status and outcomes of the priorities contained within the plan are monitored by the University Health and Safety Committee as part of its assessing health and safety performance against known objectives.

3.9 A Health and Safety Audit is carried out each academic year. The audit concerns itself with examining the health and safety standards, arrangements and compliance levels of a faculty or Division. The subject for each annual audit is agreed by the University Health and Safety Committee and the Directorate.

3.10 A Single Subject Compliance audit is undertaken annually. The subject for the compliance audit is agreed by the University Health and Safety Committee and the Directorate as part of the Annual Health and Safety Plan. The subject will be selected on the basis of statutory obligations the university needs to meet in discharging its responsibilities as an employer.

3.11 Health and Safety Procedures at Faculty and Division levels are required in order to identify local health and safety management arrangements. The University Health and Safety Policy sets out the overall commitment to health and safety and this is linked to detailed management responsibilities and arrangements contained in this manual. These documents need to be backed up at the local level by specific health and safety procedures that identify local arrangements to manage health and safety.