4 Operation

4 Operation

The Health & Safety Executive states that:

“Effective planning is concerned with prevention through identifying, eliminating and controlling hazards and risks. Adequate control of risks can only be achieved through co-ordinated action by all members of the organisation. Risk assessment methods are used to decide on priorities and to set objectives for eliminating hazards and reducing risks. Performance standards are established and used for measuring achievement.”

• i. The university is committed to ensuring that considerations of health, safety and welfare are integrated into all planning, projects and working practices.
• ii. All activities must be subject to appropriate protective and preventative measures to ensure the health, safety and welfare of people. The use of risk assessment methodology encourages the identification of such measures. Effective contingency plans must be in place for responding to foreseeable failures in normal operation. Unplanned events highlight failures in arrangements. They must be investigated and appropriate preventative measures implemented and communicated to those involved.

4.1 Risk Assessment

• i. Foreseeable and non-trivial risks must be avoided or minimised, so far as is reasonably practicable, and formal written assessments must be produced which describe the nature of the risk, the relevant preventative and protective measures, and provide a record that such measures have been implemented. All written risk assessments must be kept up to date. Guidance on risk assessment and prioritising the implementation of control measures is given in Part 2.
• ii. Members of the Corporate Management Team and corporate managers must ensure that there is effective control of significant risks where the level of control lies outside the authority of specific heads of department, and that risks arising from any proposed changes to operations are assessed before such changes are implemented.
• iii. Heads of department must ensure that risks associated with the activities of their department are assessed and controlled. This applies to the education of students as well as the work of staff. They must inform their corporate manager about any significant risks.
• iv. Staff who supervise people, classes and activities must ensure that risk assessments have been carried out, appropriate controls are in place, and the findings of the assessments have been communicated to those affected by them.
• v. Risk assessments should be applied to all aspects of the activity from start-up through to completion and if relevant to disposal of materials. They must address any particular groups of people who may be at extra risk. This specifically includes people aged 17 years or less and new and expectant mothers. It may include people working alone, those with specific medical conditions, and students who are still developing skills.
• vi. As well as risk assessments of a general nature, risk assessments are required for activities such as manual handling, use of computers, chemicals, or biological agents. These must be carried out by people who have the appropriate knowledge and understanding of the health and safety issues.

4.2 Planning for Safety

• i. Wherever there is an imminent significant risk of harm, the university requires that the appropriate supervisor or manager takes immediate steps to minimise the risk of harm occurring.
• ii. If the implementation of the preferred preventative and protective measures is limited by resources, managers are responsible for developing a plan of action to reduce or control the risk. Action should be based on risk priority, detailing the necessary short, medium and long term action to effectively protect people from harm. Members of the Corporate Management Team, corporate managers and heads of department are responsible for controlling risks in their areas of responsibility and can be required to explain and justify the rationale for their plans of action. The performance review process (see later section) provides a framework for consolidating the findings of risk assessments, safety inspections and investigations of unexpected events and should be used by corporate managers and heads of department to set operational targets and plans to achieve them.
• iii. Staff who purchase materials, equipment or services, employ contractors or use external facilities must ensure that the suppliers are competent and apply appropriate health and safety precautions, and are provided with all necessary information. They must also ensure that supplies are safe for use, and that facilities and equipment meet defined standards.
• iv. Anyone wishing to have the fabric or services of a building modified must apply to the Head of Facilities and Facilities and Estates who will ensure that all designs, building work, and updating of health and safety files on the buildings is carried out in line with university procedures and legislative requirements.
• v. There are procedures (see Part 2) for assessing any work to buildings or machinery, for approving anyone to carry out such work, and for raising a permit to work for specific activities where lack of control could place individuals in danger. Staff must ensure that these procedures are adhered to.
• vi. Disposal of general waste is managed by the Facilities Manager. The disposal of ‘special’ and hazardous waste must comply with standards detailed in Part 2.
• vii. Details on how specific activities are controlled across the university and locally are detailed in Part.

4.3 Competence

• i.  It is essential that staff and external contractors are competent to carry out their work without risk to health, safety and welfare. Those responsible for placing contracts must ensure that contractors are competent to carry out the work without risk to health and safety.
• ii. When recruiting staff, corporate managers and heads of department must ensure that they have the capability and competence to be able to fulfil the health and safety aspects of the role as established by risk assessment. Criteria for screening candidates are developed or approved by the Personnel Department after consultation with the Health and Safety department.
• iii. Corporate managers, heads of departments and staff who supervise people, classes and activities must ensure that staff, contractors, visiting lecturers, researchers and other people working on behalf of or in the university have the personal capabilities, competence, and adequate information, instruction, training and supervision to undertake activities safely and without risk to health. They must ensure that the level of supervision and monitoring takes account of the level of competence of those performing the work. This also applies to those designing and supervising practical exercises and research activities that will be performed by students.
• iv. Staff and students must inform their supervisor if they are concerned about their ability to carry out activities safely and without risk to health.
• v. The Organisational Development and Training Unit (ODTU) provide a portfolio of health and safety training for staff based on guidance from the Health and Safety department. Training records are kept by the ODTU.
• vi. Corporate managers and heads of departments must ensure that their staff receive training as identified by risk assessment and that all staff on joining their department have received induction training as set out in Part 2: Induction Training. They will liaise with the Health and Safety department to ensure that other health & safety training that is not supplied via ODTU meets corporate standards.

4.4 Contingency planning

• i. Risk assessments must identify appropriate response measures in the event that activities do not proceed according to plan. Generally the scale of the event will be small and easily contained by those carrying out the activity. Specification of the necessary response measures can be included in the risk assessment and any associated procedures. There will be circumstances where people other than those involved in the activity could become at risk from the unplanned event or where their assistance will be required to contain the event. In both cases contingency plans must be developed and communicated to those who could be affected.
• ii. The Health and Safety department is responsible for the emergency response plans for the university. These plans are detailed in Part 2.
• iii. Security and provision of a “Campus Watch” service is organised by the Facilities Manager: see Part 2.

4.5 Investigation of accidents and other unplanned events

• Accidents and other unplanned events have the potential to result in injury, ill-health, death, damage to equipment or property, and interruption to business. They must be reported by staff to ensure that people who have been injured or whose health may be affected are treated correctly, dangerous situations are made safe, corrective and preventative action is taken, and statutory requirements are fulfilled. Staff responsible for the activity or area must investigate the unplanned event and take appropriate corrective and preventative action. Safety representatives will be informed of and involved in the investigation of serious incidents by the Health and Safety department. Procedures for reporting and investigation are detailed in Part 2.