University of York. Support Services comprising Campus, Commercial (including YCP and NYCH), Estates and Security Services

Transcription

1 University of York Support Services comprising Campus, Commercial (including YCP and NYCH), Estates and Security Services HEALTH AND SAFETY POLICY STATEMENT The Support Sections recognise and accept their responsibility for providing a safe and healthy workplace and work environment for staff and others, including students, contractors, visitors and the public who may be affected by their work. The Sections will adopt all reasonable practical means to eliminate hazards and reduce the risk of injury to its employees and others and the risk of damage to property or loss. In order to meet these objectives we undertake to: (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) Prepare risk assessments and manage the health and safety risks associated with our work activities; Provide and maintain safe plant and equipment; Maintain a safe and healthy working environment; Provide information, instruction and training for staff so that they are competent to undertake their work safely; Consult with employees and Staff Safety Representatives on matters which may affect the safety, health and welfare of staff in the workplace; Identify issues which may affect staff as a result of changes in legislation or working practice and ensure that Managers review their safety management systems and procedures in the light of these changes. The Directors and their Managers will always consider suggestions that may help to improve health, safety and welfare performance. Suggestions can be made through your line manager or supervisor, through a member of the Support Services Health & Safety Consultation Group or via the Directors of Commercial Services or Estates & Campus Services. The attention of all staff is drawn to this Health and Safety Policy Statement. The Statement will be regularly reviewed to ensure that it reflects good practice and current legislation. Jon Greenwood & Jon Meacock Directors of Commercial Services and Estates & Campus Services April,

2 1. Context 1.1 Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 every organisation is required to produce a Health and Safety Policy. The University of York has such a policy which assigns responsibilities to various members of the University, many of whom hold managerial positions in the Support Directorates of Commercial Services, Estates and Campus Services (DECS) and Security Services. 1.2 The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 requires the employer (the University) to establish a managerial framework and appropriate arrangements in order to fulfil its responsibilities for health, safety and welfare. This includes the appointment of competent people to take responsibility for health and safety in the Organisation, the dissemination of information and staff training. 1.3 The University s Health and Safety Policy stipulates that Heads of Academic and Administrative Departments are responsible for preparing and publicising written Health and Safety Statements for their Departments, and for undertaking risk assessments. This requirement addresses the University s statutory duties under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations. 1.4 This Statement for Commercial Services, Estates & Campus Services and Security Services sets out the responsibilities and arrangements for the management of health and safety. 2. General Responsibilities 2.1 The Directors have overall responsibility for health, safety and welfare within the Directorate of Estates & Campus Services and Commercial Services, including YCP and NYCH. 2.2 Compliance with legal requirements in health, safety and welfare is the minimum acceptable standard. Safety must be inherent in every work activity which is undertaken by staff within the support sections. 2.3 Every director, manager, supervisor and staff member will rank health and safety as paramount in the execution of their duties and they must evaluate potential hazard and risk for each of their work activities and workplaces. A hazard is anything that can cause harm and risk is the chance of harm actually being done. 2.4 Recognition of the health, safety and welfare of staff is inherent in the management reporting structure and is a key component of performance evaluation at all levels. The implementation of, and adherence to, safety policies, procedures and practices is a requirement placed on every director, manager, supervisor and individual member of staff, including those (HR) policies which relate more specifically to behaviours and wellbeing in the workplace. 2.5 The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 requires every employee to co-operate with their employer in matters of health and safety. Accordingly, Commercial, Security and DECS management will establish channels of communication in order to inform staff of the arrangements relating to health and safety, and to provide appropriate training

3 3. Specific Responsibilities 3.1 The University s Health, Safety and Welfare Policy sets out specific responsibilities for managers and staff reporting into the Support Sections. These include: Director of Estates & Campus Services and Director of Commercial Services; Heads of Section; Supervisory Staff; All Staff 4. Scope and Duty of Care 4.1 The Directorate of Estates & Campus Services is responsible for providing and maintaining buildings and grounds, and for providing a range of services to the University community. Consequently, the Directorate, its management and staff have a duty of care that goes beyond the framework of the University s Health, Safety and Welfare Policy and includes matters of legal compliance and working practice that could affect others using University premises or services. Through their acts or omissions support staff could create a hazard or put others at risk in situations in which they themselves are not in the workplace or at work: examples may include building and grounds maintenance or food preparation. The provisions in this Policy Statement include the arrangements to ensure duty of care in all areas of the Sections operations. 4.2 Health and Safety legislation applies to everyone at work. A workplace is defined as any premises made available to any person as a place of work or to which they have access whilst at work. Consequently, managers have a responsibility for the health and safety of their staff wherever they are working on University premises or moving between premises whilst at work. 4.3 It follows that staff are at work when they are carrying out their duties on any University premises, including: Heslington East and West and the King s Manor sites, adjacent residences, buildings, houses and sports facilities, off-campus residences, and whilst travelling between premises in University vehicles. 5. Organisation 5.1 The Minutes of the Support Departments Health and Safety Consultation Group will be published and made available to all staff within the Sections. The Director of Estates & Campus Services will report to the University Health, Safety and Welfare Committee by presenting substantive matters arising from the meetings of the Support Departments Health and Safety Consultation Group. 6. Training 6.1 The University retains a Health & Safety Training Officer who is available to assist managers to identify training needs and organise appropriate health and safety training courses

4 6.2 Health and safety training programmes will be developed which are appropriate to the University s risk profile, the objective being to ensure that staff can undertake their roles safely. In addition, each new member of staff will be asked to attend an induction course which will include instruction on the health and safety arrangements in place. Training on specific activities which are viewed as potentially high risk are mandatory for certain categories of staff within the Support Sections. 6.3 A training record for each member of staff will be held on Resourcelink which is maintained by staff from the Professional & Organisational Development Section in HR. 7. Communication and Representation 7.1 Information on matters of health and safety, including minutes of the Health and Safety Consultation Group will be distributed in hard copy to managers for direct briefing of staff when appropriate and for display on local notice boards. (Hard copy is still the preferred medium since a large number of staff do not have access to computer equipment.) 7.2 This Statement, together with a copy of the University s Health, Safety and Welfare Policy, local safety procedures, training information, risk assessments and product data sheets, etc. will be held by each Section Manager. This information is available on request to all staff. 7.3 Managers are required to develop, and make available to their staff, local codes of practice and procedures relating to their workplace and work practices. Managers are also responsible for ensuring that staff are familiar, and comply with, this Policy Statement and the University s Health, Safety & Welfare Policy and Management Procedures. 7.4 Where the University has a representational agreement with a recognised Trade Union and that Trade Union has notified the University of the appointment of Safety Representatives, then managers will co-operate and work jointly with those representatives on matters which relate to the safety, health and welfare of its staff. This is in accordance with the Safety Representatives and Safety Committees Regulations This protocol does not detract from managers responsibility to ensure communication with, and the involvement of, all employees in matters of health, safety and welfare. 8. Reporting 8.1 Every member of staff is required to report accidents and dangerous occurrences/near misses in which they are involved or witness, either by entering the details using the SOLAR online reporting system or by asking a colleague or their supervisor to enter the details on their behalf. These reports will be drawn to the attention of the member of staff s immediate manager/supervisor who is required to investigate the event and to take action to prevent recurrence. 8.2 The review of reported accidents and dangerous occurrences will be a standing item on the agendas for the Support Departments Health and Safety Consultation Group

5 9. Occupational Health 9.1 The University provides an Occupational Health Service under the supervision of the Director of Health and Safety (see the Health and Safety Section s website for more details). 9.2 Health screening and monitoring will be established for staff who undertake duties which are defined in legislation or approved codes of practice as requiring health screening, for instance those involved in woodworking activity. 9.3 Staff sickness absence will also be monitored to enable managers to identify issues of health and wellbeing which may be occupational-related. 10. Fire and Emergency Procedures 10.1 Managers and staff have responsibilities for the safety of people and premises beyond those specified in the University s Health, Safety and Welfare Policy. These responsibilities, so far as they relate to fire and other potential emergencies, are precautionary, preventative and responsive The Head of Estates Services (Operations), in conjunction with the Fire Safety Officer, is responsible for the provision and maintenance of fire precaution systems, both permanent and portable. Staff from the Health and Safety Section are responsible for organising training in the use of fire extinguishers, and evacuation drills are organised by the Facilities Managers Staff, including those from the Health & Safety Section, Commercial Services, Estates Services and Campus Services are responsible for undertaking fire risk assessments. Facilities Managers are responsible for managing the implementation of emergency evacuation procedures within buildings All managers and supervisors will ensure that their staff receive appropriate and sufficient training, understand the procedures in the event of fire, and are familiar with the evacuation routes from their place of work. 11. Risk Assessments 11.1 Risk assessments are required under several regulations, including: The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 The Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 The Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992 The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 The Construction (Design & Management) Regulations Managers will maintain a programme of risk assessment within their areas of responsibility. This will involve identifying competent persons and training them in the techniques of risk assessment for defined categories of work, including the use of display screen equipment

6 12. Management Responsibility for Legislative Compliance 12.1 Aside from their direct responsibility for their own staff and workplaces, managers within the support sections have additional responsibility for implementing programmes of work to ensure that the University complies with its statutory obligations. These include, but are not confined to: Maintaining an Asbestos Register; Inspecting pressure vessels, lifts and lifting equipment; Testing and inspection regimes for the prevention of legionellosis; Fire Safety, including implementation and testing of fire alarm systems; Inspection and maintenance of local exhaust ventilation systems Besides the legislation specifically referred to in 12.1 above, other legislation has implications for the management of health, safety and welfare within the University context, for instance, food handling and hygiene. Managers will give equal priority to ensuring compliance in these areas as well as to their statutory obligations. 13. Review and Update of Policy Statement and Procedures 13.1 This Policy Statement, management responsibilities, systems and procedures, will be kept under review to ensure that they continue to be relevant to the support Sections roles and structure; to respond to changes in legislation; to address changing and new working practices Audits sponsored by the Key Service Groups will be undertaken to ensure that the Support Sections represented on the Health & Safety Consultation Group properly discharge their responsibilities for maintaining a safe working and community environment. Any deficiencies in working practice, systems, procedure or documentation will be brought to the attention of the Directors and management and corrective action will be taken. DECS H & S Statement v. 4 March