Roles and responsibilities
Deans and directors of services
The dean and directors have overall responsibility for ensuring health and safety is effectively managed in the faculty or service. In addition they are responsible for:
- Describing the arrangements with the faculty, school or service for carrying out accident reporting and investigation in their policy statement
- Ensuring there is clarity in the way in which responsibility for accident reporting and investigation is delegated to schools and services
- Ensuring accidents and incidents are reported, analysed and investigated
- Must understand reporting arrangements for the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 (RIDDOR) and all incidents that fall within its scope.
- The University procedure for notifying the enforcing authority
- Monitoring compliance to the standards in their areas of responsibility
- Ensuring allocation of resources to enable appropriate standards
- Ensuring information, instruction and training will be provided to all people involved in the accident reporting process, including any specific information, instruction and training needs identified.
Heads of schools, departments and other academic and administrative units & service managers
- Should disseminate this policy within their area of responsibility and ensure its implementation.
- Ensure accident reports are completed, analysed and investigated by competent people for their areas of responsibility
- Must understand and disseminate to all staff and students reporting arrangements for the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 (RIDDOR) and all incidents that fall within its scope.
- Must understand and disseminate to all staff and students under their responsibility the University procedure for notifying the enforcing authority
- Draw up and action prioritised action plans to implement findings of accident reports, (causes of accident and incidents must be determined).
- Ensure senior managers are aware of resources required (staff time and finances) for implementation of these action plans
- Consult and involve staff and safety representatives during accident reporting and investigating process
- Ensure the findings of accident investigations are communicated to employees and others as appropriate
- Ensure employees work in accordance with findings of accident reports and that they are appropriately trained
- Ensure accident records are kept for their areas of responsibility
- Any injury or incident reported must lead to a review of the relevant risk assessment.
- Regularly review training needs and provide refresher training
- Ensure employees adhere to safe systems of work
- Ensure safety arrangements are regularly monitored and reviewed
- Is responsible for assisting Contractors and Visitors in complying with University Policy regarding incident and accident reporting on University Premises.
School / service nominated accident reporting coordinator
- Report accidents and incidents as required and assist managers with the accident reporting process
- Should be trained on the University reporting system
- Undertake the roles and responsibilities delegated to them, this must be discussed and agreed with the dean/director or head of school or service
Employees, research staff and students
- Report accidents and incidents including near miss and assist managers with the accident reporting process
- Understand the definition of an accident and near-miss incident and what should be reported
- Be aware of the benefits to be achieved by reporting accidents and near misses
- Understand the legal duties of employees and employers in accident reporting
- Know how to report an accident/incident under the company’s own procedure, and who to report it to.
- Work in accordance with safety procedures, standards, instructions and training and findings of accident reports
- Inform line managers of any difficulties or concerns with work practices, working environment or findings of accident reports
- Be fully aware of their responsibilities
- Report to management (in confidence) any personal conditions that may put them at greater risk when carrying out work activities
- Report to a responsible person any problems relating to their work activities along with any shortcoming they believe exist in the arrangements made to protect them.
Others
Contractors / limited companies
All staff, research staff and students involved in manual handling activities have a responsibility to do so safely, to take reasonable care of themselves and others who may be affected by their actions, and to co-operate with the University in:
Where another employer or self-employed person is involved, eg. in shared premises or in the use of contractors (including employees from other schools within the University), appropriate measures need to be taken to ensure full cooperation and coordination, so responsibilities are defined and all risks properly addressed.
Any non-employee who is involved in an accident or near miss incident whilst on University premises must report this immediately to the person responsible for his or her presence on site. If the person responsible is not available, the visitor or contractor must obtain the assistance of a responsible person to ensure that the University's procedure is adhered to. All accident and incidents must be reported on the University accident and incident system however minor.
Visitors and contractors who are unable to enter their own account into the book must arrange for another person to make an entry on their behalf. Visitors and contractors should also notify their own employer where applicable
Partnership working
In situations involving other employers and University of Leeds working together, the responsibilities of each party for managing and monitoring health and safety must be agreed and documented prior to commencement of work activities. Employers are ultimately responsible for their staff even if they work in a non-University of Leeds building or are managed by a non-University of Leeds manager.
Health and safety services
Will ensure relevant accidents and incidents are reported to the appropriate authority, accidents are properly investigated. Also where necessary, any remedial measures will be discussed at the health and safety committee and with deans, managers, and safety representatives etc. Health and safety services will maintain the accident and incident database and produce reports to Health and safety committees, faculties, schools, services, for tracking and trending purposes
Occupational health service
The occupational health service may be contacted for advice in relation to any health hazard identified via an accident report or through the risk assessment. If it is decided that health surveillance is appropriate, managers can contact the occupational health service for professional advice.
Training
The law requires the employer to ensure that those carrying out accident reporting and investigation are competent.
Those with responsibility for accident reporting must read as a minimum read our accident reporting system user guide.
Please contact your Health and Safety Manager or our Training Manager to discuss this further.