Health, Safety and Wellbeing Policy

Heads of School/ Service (HoSS)/ Directors responsibilities

Heads of School/ Service/ Directors ensure compliance, implementation, continual improvement and monitoring of the University’s health and safety management system and local arrangements. 

On a day-to-day basis the management, detailed planning and implementation (but not the responsibility) of health and safety at a local level may be delegated to others. 

Heads of School/ Service/ Directors have the responsibilities outlined below. These are in addition to those accrued via other roles (e.g. as a member of staff, academic leader, line manager, or academic tutor): 

• carry out the health and safety management roles delegated by their member of UEG 

• demonstrate leadership and commitment within their school/ service for health, safety and wellbeing 

• adopt and implement this Policy and the Health and Safety Protocols 

• support the development of faculty/ service/ school health and safety objectives, plans and local arrangements, ensuring these are communicated to staff and, where necessary, other parties 

• work in partnership with Wellbeing, Safety and Health and meet regularly with the Health and Safety Manager 

• promote the importance of staff being involved in the consultation/ participation process to develop University Health and Safety Protocols 

• ensure that effective risk assessment processes are in place and control measures are implemented 

• ensure that risk assessments are regularly reviewed, based on the level of risk 

• fulfil the Head of School/Service / Directors requirements set out in the University’s Fire Safety Protocol 

• ensure that staff and students have the appropriate level of recorded training, supervision and induction, are competent to undertake tasks safely, and have adequate time, resources and support 

• encourage the reporting of accidents, incidents, near misses and cases of work-related ill health, and be involved in investigations 

• where in place, chair or attend their school/ faculty/ Health, Safety and Wellbeing Committee in line with the Health, Safety and Wellbeing Committee Protocol 

• if setting up any agreement on behalf of the University, ensure that health and safety responsibilities are clearly documented and agreed (e.g. risk management arrangements, two-way communication, emergency procedures) 

• where premises or workspaces are shared, agree health and safety responsibilities and processes (contacting their Health and Safety Manager for advice where appropriate) 

• ensure that staff are nominated or appointed to fulfil specified health and safety roles including those identified within the Protocols on the Wellbeing, Safety and Health intranet pages 

• work with their Health and Safety Manager to provide an annual return for monitoring health and safety in line with the Health and Safety Monitoring Protocol 

• ensure a health and safety inspection schedule is in place for their school/ service, and any actions are monitored until complete, in line with the Health and Safety Monitoring Protocol 

• inform the UEG members or the Director of Wellbeing, Safety and Health, of any health and safety performance issues 

• ensure academic leaders, line managers and academic tutors take responsibility for the health and safety management of visiting staff (e.g. agency workers or researchers) and students 

• formally address any breaches of this Policy, associated Protocols or local health and safety arrangements.