Health and Safety Policy

Guidance leaflets

To help you understand how to put your responsibilities into practice we’ve produced leaflets based on your role/s in the University line management structure. The leaflets are for All Staff; Academic Leader/ Line Manager/ Academic Tutor; Heads of School/Service and UEG members.

If you hold more than one role at a time, you take on the additional responsibilities listed for each extra role.

What should I do to help me meet my health and safety responsibilities: All Staff

All Staff

We all have a responsibility for our own health and safety and that of others who may be affected by what we do (or don’t do). If you feel any University activity poses a danger to you or others, or if you don’t know the risk control measures, you have the right not to proceed with the activity but you must immediately raise your concerns with your academic leader, line manager or Health and Safety Manager.

As well as these responsibilities if you hold other roles (e.g. as an academic leader, line manager, academic tutor, Head of School/ Service etc) then you will also have extra responsibilities.

What is the University responsible for?

The University is responsible for the health and safety of our staff, students, visitors and anyone else who may be affected by our activities.

We do this by managing risk in our teaching, research and support activities. We continue to work in partnership with the recognised campus trade unions.

For full details of all responsibilities see the Health and Safety Policy at wsh.leeds.ac.uk/policy.

For more help and guidance contact Health and Safety Services at safety@leeds.ac.uk or 0113 343 4201 (x34201).

Training and awareness

Find out (and action!) how to:

Respond to emergencies including fire
Report accidents, incidents, near misses or work-related ill health.
Access and keep up-to-date with inductions and training (online and in person related to your activities).

Partnership and Engagement

We all need to work together to build trust and support our positive health and safety culture, so:

Look after each other and discuss health and safety with your colleagues
Talk to your academic leader or line manager about your:
- Health or safety needs including how to act in an emergency or new ideas for managing risk;
- Health and safety induction, training or competency needs.
Make sure your voice is heard – send feedback on health and safety to safety@leeds.ac.uk

Risk Management

Understand hazards associated with your activities, and:

Help produce risk assessments.
Follow control measures which set out how to do things safely.
Report any damage or faults and only use equipment or its intended purpose.

Wsh.leeds.ac.uk/policy

For full details of all your responsibilities and actions, see any local rules that apply to your area, role or activity, read the Health and Safety Policy and Protocols at wsh.leeds.ac.uk or speak to your Health and Safety Manager.

What should I do to help me meet my health and safety responsibilities: Academic Leaders, Line Managers and Academic Tutors

Academic Leaders, Line Managers and Academic Tutors

For health and safety purposes at the University, these terms mean:

Academic Leader – a person who manages, guides or controls research or teaching in a faculty, or who controls a research budget (e.g. for purchasing equipment) or who directs and influences strategy or provides authorisation for research/ teaching activities in a faculty.
Academic Tutor – a person who is in charge of or supervises one or more taught, research or PhD students on behalf of the University at any given time. This term is not location-specific and includes all elements of a teaching or research programme.
Line Manager – a person who manages or controls staff, agency workers, contractors under their control or visiting researchers in a faculty or service. You may hold one or more of these roles at the same time. If you’re unsure speak to your Head of School/ Service (HoSS), UEG member or email safety@Leeds.ac.uk.

As well as these responsibilities, you will also have the responsibilities of any other roles you hold (e.g. as a staff member, HoSS or UEG member).

What is the University responsible for?

The University is responsible for the health and safety of our staff, students, visitors and anyone else who may be affected by our activities.

We do this by managing risk in our teaching, research and support activities. We continue to work in partnership with the recognised campus trade unions.

For full details of all responsibilities see the Health and Safety Policy at wsh.leeds.ac.uk/policy.

For more help and guidance contact Health and Safety Services at safety@leeds.ac.uk or 0113 343 4201 (x34201).

Partnership and Engagement

We all need to work together to build trust and support our positive health and safety culture, so:

Lead by example, be visibly committed and deal with any health and safety issues raised, escalating as required.
Check that people for whom you are responsible* know who to talk to (or where to go) to get help, especially those who need extra help (e.g. to arrange health referrals, personal risk assessments).
Promote health and safety campaigns and encourage staff to respond to consultations.

Risk management

Promote the risk assessment process and:

Check risk assessments are complete, recorded, approved and reviewed by a competent person (and include any notified health issues for staff).
Check that people for whom you are responsible* are aware of hazards and are following the local rules and control measures (and that these work).
Make sure people for whom you are responsible* have the resources to manage health and safety and that health and safety costs are included in bids/ grant applications.
Remind people to report accidents, near misses and incidents; address any actions that come out of related investigations.

Training and Awareness

Make sure:

The people for whom you are responsible* are trained and competent for their role or activity – or that they are supervised – and records are kept of this.
Your staff are released to attend identified health and safety training sessions.
Your staff and students’ health and safety training needs are identified (e.g. in SRDS or tutorials) and met.
You attend inspections, audits and walkarounds and follow up relevant actions.
Your own training (both online and in person) is up to date.

Wsh.leeds.ac.uk/policy

Within the University structure, the terms ‘academic leader, academic tutor and line manager’ cover a wide range of roles – but the health and safety responsibilities stay the same. For full details see the Health and Safety Policy and Protocols at wsh.leeds.ac.uk. The way you meet these responsibilities may change however. For instance you may carry out the actions yourself or rely on others to carry them out and tell you they’ve completed them. This will depend on the degree of your authority and your control over budgets/ people in the University structure.

*’People for whom you are responsible’ could include your staff, visiting staff, students, research students doing paid work, locally appointed contractors and people working in external organisations etc.

What should I do to help me meet my health and safety responsibilities: Heads of School/ Service

Heads of School/ Service

Heads of School/ Service (HoSS) ensure compliance, implementation and monitoring of the University’s health and safety management system and local arrangements.

On a day-to-day basis you may delegate the management, detailed planning and implementation of health and safety at a local level to others (e.g. academic leaders, line managers or academic tutors).

As well as your own responsibilities as a HoSS you will also have the responsibilities of any other roles you hold (e.g. as a member of staff, academic leader, line manager or academic tutor).

What is the University responsible for?

The University is responsible for the health and safety of our staff, students, visitors and anyone else who may be affected by our activities.

We do this by managing risk in our teaching, research and support activities. We continue to work in partnership with the recognised campus trade unions.

For full details of all responsibilities see the Health and Safety Policy at wsh.leeds.ac.uk/policy.

For more help and guidance contact Health and Safety Services at safety@leeds.ac.uk or 0113 343 4201 (x34201).

Partnership and Engagement

Lead by example and build trust, with an open door policy on health and safety, and:

Sign your local Health and Safety Policy Statement.
Meet regularly with your Health and Safety Manager.
Chair your School/ Service Health and Safety Committee (or attend if it’s chaired by another Head of School/ Service).
Promote health and safety campaigns and consultations to your staff and students.

Risk Management

Check that:

Your school/ service health and safety Risk Register is up-to-date, or contribute to the faculty/ service version.
Your school/ service health and safety plans and objectives are updated and resourced.
Your academic leaders, line managers and academic tutors are making their staff, students, agency/ visiting staff and locally appointed contractors aware of local rules, risk assessments and control measures.
Health and safety responsibilities are included in school/ service agreements (e.g. SLAs, shared space, joint external projects, newbuilds and refurbs).
You take action when informed of health and safety problems, and escalate any unresolved issues to your UEG member.

Training and Awareness

Be aware of how health and safety is being managed locally and:

Get involved in walkarounds, audits and inspections with your Health and Safety Manager.
Review your school/ service health and safety performance (see the Monitoring Protocol for details).
Check your managers are discussing and providing necessary health and safety training, induction, support and supervision for their staff and students.
Keep up –to-date with your own training (both online and in person).

You can’t delegate your health and safety responsibilities but you can delegate the management actions to carry them out. Ask your Health and Safety Manager for customised support, advice, training and guidance – or contact Health and Safety Services. For full details see your own faculty/ service local rules as well as the Health and Safety Policy and the Health and Safety Protocols at wsh.leeds.ac.uk

What should I do to help me meet my health and safety responsibilities: members of UEG

Members of the University Executive Group (UEG)

UEG members define a clear management structure to ensure compliance, implementation and monitoring of the University’s health and safety management system and local arrangements.

On a day-to-day basis you may delegate the management, detailed planning and implementation of health and safety at a school/ service level to Heads of School/ Service.

As well as your own responsibilities as a UEG member you will also have the responsibilities of any other roles you hold (e.g. as a member of staff, academic leader, line manager or academic tutor).

For more about UEG see: https://www.leeds.ac.uk/secretariat/other_committees.html#ueg

What is the University responsible for?

The University is responsible for the health and safety of our staff, students, visitors and anyone else who may be affected by our activities. We do this by managing risk in our teaching, research and support activities. We continue to work in partnership with the recognised campus trade unions.

For full details of all responsibilities see the Health and Safety Policy at wsh.leeds.ac.uk/ policy.

For more help and guidance contact Health and Safety Services at: safety@leeds.ac.uk or 0113 343 4201 (x34201).

Partnership and Engagement

Lead by example and build trust with an open door policy on health and safety and:

Meet regularly with your Health and Safety Manager.
Chair your Faculty/ Service Health and Safety Committee (or attend if it’s chaired by another UEG member).
Sign your local Health and Safety Policy Statement.
Take action when informed of health and safety problems.

Risk management

Discuss health and safety with your senior managers and:

Review your Health and Safety Risk Register and understand your faculty/ service risk profile.
Check that your staff are clear on their health and safety responsibilities (including for partnerships) and how to achieve them.
Include and resource health and safety needs when setting plans and objectives.

Training and awareness

Be aware of what is happening in your faculty/ service and:

Check that your Heads of School/ Service are confident that staff induction, training, support and supervision needs are identified and being achieved.
Keep up-to-date with your own training (both online and in person).
Get involved in walkarounds, inspections, audits etc with your Health and Safety Manager.
Receive school/ service health and safety reports (including emergency plans) and review them with your Health and Safety Manager.

You can’t delegate your health and safety responsibilities but you can delegate the management action to carry them out. Ask your Health and Safety Manager for customised support, advice, training and guidance, or contact Health and Safety Services. For full details see your faculty/ service local rules, as well as the Health and Safety Policy and Protocols at wsh.leeds.ac.uk.

Health and Safety Policy Downloads