4.14 Travel and off-site activities

Introduction

Staff and students travelling or working off-site do not have the full resources of the University immediately to hand. They may also be in environments with which they are unfamiliar.

Purpose

This document sets out University policy and arrangements for the management of health and safety issues related to travel and off-site activities. It sets out relevant standards and sources of guidance for organisers of travel and off-site activities.

The purpose is to ensure that adequate arrangements and precautions are taken to address the health and safety issues related to travel and off-site activities.

Principles

The University’s general policies and arrangements also apply to staff and students travelling and working off-site on University business.

In particular, the University requires that suitable and sufficient risk assessments are carried out in the light of available guidance, and that appropriate arrangements are made to eliminate or minimise foreseeable risks and to take account of foreseeable unplanned events.

Standards for organisers of travel and off-site activities

Travelling or working overseas

The standard is set out in ‘Guidelines on Health and Safety when Working Overseas’, published by UCEA.

Travel advice is available from the Internet Travel Advise Unit, Consular Division Foreign & Commonwealth Office at www.fco.gov.uk/travel/

People travelling in the European Union must carry an E111 form obtainable from the post office in leaflet ‘Healthcare Advice for Travellers’.

People working in the European Union must obtain the relevant healthcare certificates E111, E128 and E106 available from www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/Healthcareabroad

All participants must have adequate medical and travel insurance. This is issued by the Insurance Contracts Manager, Centre for Quality Assurance. The insurance provides 24 hour emergency medical assistance and travel advice. The organiser must check with the Insurance Contracts Manager that the University’s insurance covers the scope of the travel and work for each individual.

Travel in the UK

a. The University neither requires nor permits staff to use a phone for business purposes when driving.

b. Adequate time must be given for the journey given likely delays and weather conditions and including time for rest breaks.

c. Drivers must be qualified to drive the vehicles, adequately insured for the vehicle and the purpose of the journey, and have permission from the owner of the vehicle to drive the vehicle.

d. Vehicles must be maintained in a safe state, and have road tax and a current MOT if appropriate.

e. People driving on University business must comply with current road safety legislation.

f. Drivers of University vehicles must be approved to drive the vehicles by their Corporate Manager.

g. Accidents must be reported to the Insurance Contracts Manager. Any accident involving injury must be reported to the Health and Safety department.

Fieldwork including work in the community and organised outings

Fieldwork for the purposes of this policy refers to any activity carried out by staff or students on behalf of the University in places which are not under University control but where the University is responsible for the health and safety of its staff and/ or students and others exposed to their activities.

Fieldwork also applies to travel and off-site activities of University sports clubs.

The guidance is relevant to University of Luton Student Union societies. The secretaries of each society should be made aware of the guidance by the Student Union. It must be emphasised that University of Luton Student Union societies are independent groups of individuals that do not have to comply with University policies.

This definition of fieldwork excludes work carried out at home which is covered by the policy on ‘Working from home’.

The standard is set out in ‘Code of Practice for Safety in Fieldwork’, published by UCEA.

Standards for sports clubs are set out in Safe Sport in Universities – A Guide, produced by BUCPEA, 1. [Editors note - this guide is no longer in print. 21 March 2006.]

The extent to which the UCEA guidance is applied to organised outings will depend on the nature of the activities, the locations being visited, and the people on the outing. The core of the guidance, ie risk assessment and definition of appropriate control measures and contingency arrangements, is applicable.

Carriage of dangerous substances

University staff and students must not carry or send dangerous substances by rail, air, sea, or road unless they have been checked and packaged in accordance with the Carriage of Dangerous Goods, etc. Regulations 2004. Dangerous substances include hazardous chemicals, explosives, liquefied petroleum gases, highly flammable liquids, and biological agents hazardous to health.

Staff and students working in environments controlled by other employers

The standard for placement of students is set out in ‘H&S Guidance for the Placement of HE Students’ published by CVCP, 1997.

Off site events

The standards for organising events are set out in the following publications from HSE Books:

The event safety guide : HSG195 A guide to health, safety and welfare at music and similar events, published by HSE.

Managing crowds safely : INDG142 A guide for organisers at events and venues, published by HSE.

Responsibilities

Staff and students participating in travel and off-site activities are responsible for complying with University policies and arrangements and must not put themselves or others in danger.

Corporate managers are responsible for ensuring that there are appropriate controls on health and safety issues relating to travel and off-site activities organised by their departments. They must make arrangements whereby

• named individuals are authorised to approve arrangements for travel and off-site activities in line with University policies;
• named individuals are competent to advise staff about organising and managing travel and off-site activities in line with University policies;
• travel and off-site activities are risk assessed and appropriate arrangements are defined for those participating in the travel and off-site activities;
• checks are made to ensure that these arrangements are effective at minimising risk.

Organisers of travel and off-site activities must work within University and departmental health and safety policies and arrangements.

The Health & Safety Department are responsible for health screening and provision of guidance on health matters to organisers and managers of travel and off-site activities.

Arrangements

Medical assessments and guidance for field work

The University requires that any organiser of field work must make arrangements for all persons involved in fieldwork to submit medical questionnaires in confidence to the University’s Occupational Health Adviser for assessment prior to being accepted on the fieldwork programme.

The Occupational Health Adviser will provide the fieldwork organiser with a summary of any special precautions that need to taken with respect to specific members of the party.

The organiser of the event must provide the field work supervisors, and retain in an office file, the following details:

• names of those on the field trip;
• details of their next of kin;
• the occupational health summary;
• the programme;
• the risk assessment and risk control measures;
• contingency guidance provided to the group.

Health surveillance of drivers

Persons driving University vehicles must be registered with the Occupational Health Adviser who will carry out appropriate health screening.