Roles and responsibilities
Deans and director of services
The key responsibilities for deans and directors of services are listed below.
You must:
- Ensure effective governance of health and safety including contractors, service engineers, and commissioning and installation issues.
- Allocate resources (time and money) for heads of schools and services, health and safety managers, school and service health and safety support officers and competent persons to carry out their tasks
- Heads of schools and services
- Heads of schools and services are responsible for the management of health and safety, including contractor safety issues within their school or service. Key responsibilities are outlined below.
You must:
- Undertake duties delegated by dean or director
- Ensure that adequate time and resources are available and highlight any shortfall to dean or director
- Ensure compliance with relevant legislation and corresponding University procedures.
- Ensure that an effective strategy is in place for maintaining and monitoring the performance of contractors where they are appointed by the faculty, school or service. Allow adequate time for training and obtaining competence in relation to contract management.
- Ensure all contractors appointed by the faculty, school or service are competent and whenever possible use only contractors from the Estate Services approved list.
- Where there is more than one employer, school or service in the building, it is important to make sure the impact of contractors working in the local area is considered and those affected are informed of the work.
- Ensure any accidents or near misses associated with the school or service are recorded,
- Ensure monitoring takes place to measure the effectiveness of controls and compliance with University standards
- Please note: If any of the above duties are delegated, measures must be in place to ensure the competence of those who will undertake them
Estate Services
- Provide support and assistance in relation to the management of contractors
- Give approval of minor and major work
- Maintain approved contractor list
- Issue permits to work for roof work, hot works etc.
- Manage specific contracts on behalf of the faculty, school or service such as CDM works etc.
Health and safety services
Central health and safety services will:
- Write University policy, standards and guidance
- Undertake audits
- Give specialist clearance in relation to biological hazards and radiation
Health and safety managers based in faculties and services will:
- Undertake duties delegated by the relevant dean, director, or head of school or service
- Work closely with the relevant dean or director and the head of school or service to assist them in managing/implementing their responsibilities throughout the faculty, school or service.
- Work closely with the relevant school or service health and safety co-ordinators and officers.
School or service health and safety co-ordinators and officers
School and service health and safety support co-ordinators/officers will work with the heads of school or service and faculty health and safety managers to assist them with the implementation of their responsibilities.
Academic staff and line managers
They must ensure for staff (including research staff arranging installation or commissioning of systems and equipment in their work area) adhere to the contractor management standard:
- Are aware of the need to carry out checks on the competence of contractors before work starts, and how to do this.
- Are properly supervised and follow relevant safe systems of work, where applicable.
- Know to report any issues regarding contractor safety and management to their line manager, health and safety manager, estate services project managers or safety team.
- Know to report any accidents or near-miss incidents.
All staff and students
All staff and students have a responsibility to take reasonable care of themselves and others who may be affected by their actions, and to co-operate with the University in:
- Following relevant risk assessments and safe work practices
- Inform their line manager or lecturer immediately if they see any safety issue regarding contractors
- Must take care to ensure that their activities do not put themselves or others at risk
- Must report all accidents / incident or near misses on Sentinel.