Responsibilities for Implementing the Health and Safety Policy

1. Board of Governors
The Board of Governors, as the employer, is ultimately responsible for the health safety and welfare of staff, students and visitors. One of its main duties is to oversee the successful management of health and safety in the University. The Board delegates executive responsibility for health and safety to a member of the University Executive, the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Region, Engagement and Partnerships), with support from the University Health and Safety Management Group and the Health and Safety Office.

2. Vice-Chancellor
The Vice-Chancellor, as Chief Executive Officer of the University, has overall responsibility to the Board of Governors for the promotion, administration and implementation of the University's Health and Safety Policy and is assisted by members of the Vice Chancellors Executive Group and the Health & Safety Management Group.
In order to fulfil these responsibilities the Vice-Chancellor has devolved certain executive duties and authority as detailed below

3. Pro Vice-Chancellor (Region, Engagement and Partnerships)
The Pro Vice-Chancellor (Region, Engagement and Partnerships) is responsible for the health and safety performance of the University and ensures that the Board of Governors receives regular reports on health and safety.

The Pro Vice-Chancellor (Region, Engagement and Partnerships) provides the link between the broad strategic aims of the Board and the implementation of the University’s health and safety programme.  

Responsibilities include:

• ensuring that the University successfully manages health and safety;
• chairing the University Health and Safety Management Group which has responsibility for devising and monitoring the University's health and safety plan;
• within the resources provided for the University, ensuring that there are adequate staff, funds and materials to support the health and safety plan;
• ensuring that Senior Managers fulfil their specific responsibility for implementing the University's health and safety plan.

4. Health and Safety Management Group
The function of the Health and Safety Management Group is to assist the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Region, Engagement and Partnerships) with the executive responsibility for the health and safety performance of the University.

The Group is chaired by the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Region, Engagement and Partnerships) and is composed of Senior Managers from each School and Service Department selected for their knowledge and experience of health and safety, the Head of Health, Safety & Environment and both union and non-union staff representatives. It meets three times per year and performs the following functions:

• to develop the University's health and safety plan with the aim of controlling risks and continually improving health and safety standards throughout the university;
• to direct Senior Managers on the implementation of the University's health and safety plan;
• to consider reports from Senior Managers on health and safety performance in their departments;
• to monitor the success of the University's health and safety plan and reviews its effectiveness;
• to consider new law and guidance on health and safety matters, the implications for Northumbria University, and what action needs to be taken to ensure compliance;
• to involve staff representatives on the Group in the management of health and safety in the University.
  

5. Director of Campus Services
The Director of Campus Services is the Landlord for the University estate, responsible for health and safety in relation to building structures, fabric and services, as well as general areas of all buildings which are not the specific responsibility of a local Senior Manager.

Principal duties include:

• line management responsibility for the Head of Health, Safety & Environment;
• organisation of fire drills and emergency procedures;
• ensuring that systems are in place to quickly rectify hazards associated with the building fabric;
• ensuring that communication systems are in place to inform occupants of general building health and safety information and emergency procedures;
• carrying out periodic inspections of standards of health and safety, general housekeeping, and maintenance and repair.

6. Health and Safety Office
Based within Campus Services, the main functions of the Health and Safety Office are to advise the University on all health and safety matters, and to monitor the health and safety performance of the University.

The Health and Safety Office is responsible for providing a range of services which include inspections, audits, training, accident investigation, environmental monitoring and liaison with external enforcement agencies in support of these functions. Specific services relating to occupational health are provided by the University Health Centre.

7. Senior Management Responsibilities

“Each individual staff member bears some responsibility for health and safety.  This may be simply the core legal duty as an employee to co-operate with the university.  However, any university employee acting in a managerial or supervisory capacity bears additional management responsibilities.  The more senior the appointment, the more onerous the responsibility.  The level of that responsibility is directly linked to the level of control.  In health and safety terms the manager/supervisor will be responsible for those people and activities they are expected to control.”

UCEA Code of Best Practice: University Health and Safety Management (2001)

Operational responsibility for health and safety in the University lies with the Deans of School and Directors of Services and their respective Senior Management Teams (SMT), under the direction of the University Health and Safety Management Group. In areas where the natures of the activities are such that significant risks exist, specific responsibilities will include:

• chairing a School or Department Health and Safety Group which has local responsibility for directing its health and safety plan;
• nominating a member of the  SMT with responsibility for safety to overseeing the implementation of the local health and safety plan;
• ensuring that arrangements are in place to manage the risks associated with the specific activities of the school or department;
• ensuring that staff are aware of local arrangements for health and safety, and if appropriate, have been given the necessary instruction and training to meet their particular responsibilities.

8. School or Service Department Health and Safety Group
Each school and service department should form a health and safety group to implement this policy within its area of responsibility, chaired by an appropriate Senior Manager.

Specific responsibilities include:

• overseeing the management of risk arising from its teaching, research or other business activities;
• assigning responsibilities and implementing arrangements for identifying hazards, assessing risks and controlling them;
• monitoring and reviewing the success of the local health and safety plan;
• receiving reports from the University Health and Safety Management Group on the institutional health and safety plan;
• submitting reports to the University Health and Safety Management Group on local health and safety performance;
• ensuring, within the available budget, the allocation of the necessary resources to support the risk management plan;
• arranging the provision of appropriate information, instruction and training for staff and students where necessary to ensure their health, safety and welfare.
  

9. School or Department Safety Advisers

The Departmental Safety Adviser’s role is to assist their department or school, and the Head of Heath, Safety & Environment, in managing health and safety at a local level.

To achieve this, they need to work with colleagues in their school or department, and the University Safety Adviser to:

• monitor how effectively existing safety precautions control the risks arising from the department’s or school’s activities;
• monitor how effectively their colleagues in the school or department manage the risks arising from their work activities;
• advise colleagues in their school or department on how to work safely;
• advise colleagues in their school or department of their duties within the legal standards set by health and safety law;
• act as a point of contact between their school or department and the Head of Heath, Safety & Environment.

10. All employees
The law requires staff to co-operate with the University in its efforts to maintain high standards of health and safety, and in particular, bring to the University's attention any significant risks or dangerous situations. The University acknowledges that the primary responsibility for health and safety management lies with its Senior Managers but all staff have an important contribution to make in identifying hazards and controlling risks.

11. Risk assessment
Health and Safety law requires the process of managing risks at work to begin with risk assessment. In compliance with this, the Health and Safety Management Group carries institutional risk assessments which identify the principal significant risks in the University and establishes, in broad terms, how these risks should be controlled.

At operational level, the Senior Management Team within each School or Service Department is responsible for ensuring that risk assessments are carried out in the teaching, research and business activities, and that the appropriate control measures are in place. Technical support teams are responsible for ensuring that risk assessments are carried out on the plant, equipment, materials and substances that that they are responsible for and that the appropriate control measures are in place.

12. Partnership with Trades Unions
The involvement of the workforce is a key component in health and safety successful management.  The Health and Safety Management Group has agreed with UNISON to a partnership between the University and the Union, which recognises the advantages of actively involving employees and their representatives in health and safety management.  To this end, the Group has agreed that:

• it should promote the benefits of working with union safety representatives, as a source of H&S advice, as a point of liaison with staff locally, and as a way of ensuring compliance with legal duties;
• local trade union safety representatives should be invited to join the inspection team during school and service department inspections;
• it should encourage schools and departments to recognise the rights of union safety representatives under the Safety Representatives and Safety Committee Regulations 1977.

10th Edition

Updated: September 2011

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