5 Measurement and review
The
Health & Safety Executive states
that:
“Measurement
is essential to maintain and improve health and safety performance. [It] provides opportunities to check performance, learn from mistakes,
and improve the health and safety management system and risk control.
Reviewing
is the process of making judgements about the adequacy of performance and
taking decisions about the nature and timing of the actions necessary to remedy
deficiencies. [The purpose is that]
the organisation learns from all relevant experience and applies the lessons.”
- i. The
university requires that its performance on health, safety and welfare is
effectively measured and reviewed to ensure compliance with legislation and
best practice.
5.1 Measurement
- i. Heads
of departments must ensure that formal safety inspections of all areas are
carried out once a term by those responsible for each area: see Part 2. Staff and students should not wait until the formal
inspections to report and resolve hazardous situations. These should be reported to the person
responsible for the area using the University accident reporting system: see
Part 2.
- ii. Accidents and other unplanned events
must be monitored by heads of department who must ensure that appropriate
effective measures are taken to prevent recurrence; see Part 2.
- iii. The Health and Safety department
maintains records of all recorded accidents and other unplanned events,
monitors trends across the university, and reports on these regularly as set
out in Part 2.
- iv. Inspections are also carried out by
the Health and Safety department with safety representatives or other members
of the Health & Safety Committee. The findings of these are reported for action to the corporate manager
for the area.
- v. Audits
of the health, safety and welfare management system and the extent to which
performance meets statutory requirements and good practice are organised and
reported with recommendations to the Vice Chancellor, the Dean of Quality
Assurance, relevant corporate managers, and the Health & Safety Committee
by the Health and Safety department.
5.2 Performance reviews
- i. The
Corporate Management Team will carry out a strategic review of performance and
agree strategic objectives for health, safety and welfare for the university at
least annually as part of the university’s planning process. These objectives will be assigned to specific
corporate managers or heads of department as appropriate.
- ii. Corporate managers will set
operational targets and implementation plans for their areas in line with
strategic objectives and operational risks. They will review the plan and attainment of these targets on at least a
quarterly basis. They must use the
planning and staff review processes to set targets, levels of accountability,
and appropriate support for individuals.
- iii. Heads of departments are responsible
for regularly reviewing safety performance and the effectiveness of risk
controls with their staff. Reviews
should focus on high risk activities, must take place at least monthly, give
staff the opportunity to raise issues and contribute to improvements, and
result in action plans as detailed in Part 2.
- iv. Members of staff who carry out staff
reviews will address health and safety performance and targets as part of each
individual’s staff review.
