Health, Safety and Wellbeing Policy

Academic Leaders, Line Managers and Academic Tutors responsibilities 

For the purposes of health, safety and wellbeing, the following terms refer to roles held at the University: 

Deputy Director: a person who manages or leads a number of services, guides or controls work streams and resources. 

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 Managers, Academic Managers, 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/ Director/ member of UEG or by emailing safety@leeds.ac.uk. 

Academic Leaders, Line Managers and Academic Tutors have the responsibilities outlined below. These are in addition to those accrued via other roles (e.g. as a member of staff, member of UEG, Head/ Director 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, Safety and Wellbeing Policy, Protocols and local arrangements

• ensure that risk assessments for the activities in their area are carried out, up-to-date, recorded, approved by a competent person, (one who can apply their skills, knowledge and training in the context of their role and/ or activities) and the control measures are effectively implemented and understood 

• 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, they attend sessions for health surveillance 

• if a staff member or student highlights a condition affecting their health which may be caused - or made worse - by work, 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 under their responsibility 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, 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 under their control, the potential risks, safety requirements, control measures (e.g. training, facilities, location, waste disposal) and associated costs, are considered and planned for.