Health and Safety Policy
Line Managers/ Academic Leaders/ Academic Tutors responsibilities
Line Managers/ Academic Leaders/ Academic Tutors responsibilities
For the purposes of health and safety, the following terms refer to roles held at the University:
- 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. This includes Pro Deans, School Directors and other similar roles.
- Line Manager – a person who manages or controls staff, agency workers, contractors under their control or visiting researchers in a faculty or service.
- 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.
One or more of these roles may be held at the same time. If the position of a role is unclear it should be clarified with the HoSS, member of UEG or by emailing safety@leeds.ac.uk
Academic Leaders, Line Managers, and Academic Tutors have the responsibilities outlined below; this is in addition to those accrued via other roles (e.g. member of staff, member of UEG, Head of School/Service):
- carry out the health and safety management roles delegated by the Head of School/Service
- apply and implement the University’s Health and Safety Policy, Protocols and local arrangements
- ensure that risk assessments for the activities in their area are carried out, up-to-date, recorded and the control measures are effectively implemented and understood
- ensure that these risk assessments are approved by a competent person, (one who can apply their skills, knowledge and training in the context of their role and/or activities)
- ensure that risk assessments are regularly reviewed and shared with affected people. If the people, processes or activities involved change, or if an accident or near miss occurs, the risk assessment should be reviewed immediately
- ensure that where the need for health surveillance is identified in a risk assessment, people are referred to Occupational Health and, where required, attend sessions for health surveillance
- if a staff member or student highlights a condition affecting their health, a risk assessment should be carried out using appropriate
- confidentiality
- before staff or students begin work, study or research that is controlled by an external organisation, an assessment of any foreseeable risks should be carried out
- ensure that staff and students receive induction, training, resource (including time), advice and support, and are supervised until deemed competent
- take responsibility for the health and safety management of visiting staff, contractors and agency workers within their control
- ensure that when Postgraduate Research students undertake paid ‘work’ for the University (e.g. demonstrations/ tutorials) they are classed as staff
- raise any breach of or suggested improvements to this Policy or associated Protocols through their line management structure or directly with Wellbeing Safety and Health
- be actively involved in local health and safety inspections, audits,
- day-to-day monitoring and accident/ incident investigations and carry out any required actions
- ensure there is a programme for statutory testing of equipment under their control
- ensure that at the planning stage of any research proposal or bid process, the potential risks, safety requirements, control measures (e.g. training, facilities, location, waste disposal) and associated costs, are considered and planned for.
In addition, Academic Tutors also have the responsibilities outlined below:
- offer a level of supervision, training and induction to students, based on the risks involved in the work, and the individual experience and competency of the student
- before a student project begins, work with the student to identify any risks, and support them to produce and record a risk assessment and implement control measures.
For support and advice, speak to your health and safety team or email safety@leeds.ac.uk.
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. See the link to ‘Guidance leaflets’ under the Contents section at the top of this page.