Roles & Responsibilities

1 Management Roles and Responsibilities

1.1. The Head of College carries legal responsibility for health & safety within the SLS. The Head of College discharges this responsibility by appropriate delegation, as detailed in Appendix 3. In addition, the Head of College chairs the SLS Health & Safety Management Committee.

1.2. The College Secretary holds responsibility for the operational aspects of health & safety within the SLS. The College Secretary must:

  • Appoint competent individuals to senior advisory health & safety roles, give them the resources, support and authority they require to carry out their roles and hold them accountable for fulfillment of their responsibilities.
  • Ensure appropriate health & safety policies and procedures are in place, implemented and complied with throughout SLS.
  • Be satisfied that systems/procedures are in place to facilitate the completion of risk assessments and that they are being fully utilised/complied with.
  • Ensure health & safety is adequately resourced throughout the College.
  • Report to the University Health & Safety Committee on behalf of the College Board and ensure an annual health & safety report is submitted to this Committee.

1.3. The Dean of the School of Research and the Dean of the School of Learning and Teaching are expected to impress upon their subordinates the importance of complying with health & safety policy and procedures and to hold them accountable for fulfillment of their health & safety roles and responsibilities. They must also invest their authority in, and give full backing to, health & safety personnel operating within their sphere of influence.

1.4. Heads of Division are required to:

  • Impress upon their Research Group Leaders the importance of complying with health & safety policy and procedures and hold them accountable for the fulfillment of their health & safety roles and responsibilities.
  • Invest their authority in, and give full backing to, health & safety personnel operating within their Division.
  • Ensure health & safety is a standing item on the agenda of their regular Divisional meetings.
  • Take a vested interest in inspection/audit and incident/accident reports pertaining to their Division, and ensure prescribed corrective action is carried out.
  • Ensure non-compliance is swiftly dealt with in an appropriate, effective manner.
  • Identify important Divisional health & safety issues, including resource requirements, and bring them to the attention of the Health & Safety Management Committee.

1.5. Research Group Leaders and Academic Teaching Staff carry responsibility for maintaining health & safety standards within their designated areas. They must:

  • Promote good health & safety performance, by example and instruction.
  • Ensure that all staff and students working or studying under their supervision know and accept their health & safety responsibilities, are trained and equipped to carry them out and are held accountable for fulfilling them.
  • Participate in safety inspections and investigations into serious accidents/incidents within their area.
  • Take appropriate action in the event of non-compliance.
  • Raise health & safety issues concerning your staff and/or students at the appropriate management meeting, i.e. Divisional or College Board meeting.
  • Obtain the necessary licences and authorisations from Enforcing Authorities.
  • The following duties may be delegated to a competent member of staff, but full responsibility remains with the Group Leader/Academic Teaching Staff Member:
    • Implement corrective action, as prescribed by the Health & Safety Management Committee in light of inspection/audit reports.
    • Provide adequate training and supervision for new staff and students.
    • Register work activities and have them risk assessed, before they commence.
    • Ensure risk assessments are communicated to the relevant personnel and that the necessary control measures are applied.
    • When equipment and work activities change, guarantee safety is maintained and, if necessary, carry out further risk assessments.

Additional responsibilities of Academic teaching Staff in relation to undergraduate teaching are specified in Appendix 6.

1.6. IT Support, Admin/Clerical and Technical Team Managers must ensure a high standard of health & safety is maintained within their respective teams. Their duties and responsibilities are the same as those defined for Research Group Leaders and Academic Teaching Staff (see section 1.5).

2 Advisory Roles and Responsibilities

2.1. The SLS Health & Safety Coordinator is appointed by the College Secretary and takes a lead role in emergency/accident prevention, preparedness and response and provision of health & safety training throughout the College. Key responsibilities are as follows:

  • Chair the Health & Safety Working Group.
  • Ensure the College has a full compliment of fully trained First Aiders, Fire Wardens and Fire Marshals.
  • Liaise with the University Fire Safety Adviser and local Fire Service officers to ensure a high standard of fire safety in all College buildings.
  • Ensure Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans are in place for those members of SLS personnel who require them.
  • Coordinate accident/incident/near miss/ill health reporting throughout the College.
  • Maintain a database of the above reports and produce statistics on a 6 monthly basis for the Health & Safety Management Committee.
  • Liaise with the University Occupational Health Service.
  • Ensure the safety of young persons working in SLS premises by arranging adequate supervision and ensuring work-placement activities are risk assessed.
  • Coordinate implementation of waste disposal procedures.
  • Manage the SLS Permit to Work System and deal with other health & safety issues involving University Estates & Buildings (E&B) and external contractors.
  • Monitor health & safety spend and liaise with the College Secretary on budget issues.
  • Authorise purchasing of health & safety equipment/consumables.
  • Ensure required health & safety signage and notices are in place and well maintained.
  • Lead “wellbeing at work” initiatives.
  • Cover the Health & Safety Information Officer’s essential functions in their absence.
  • In conjunction with the Health & Safety Information Officer:
    • Network with University Safety Services, Enforcing Authority contacts and internal and external specialists in order to provide comprehensive health & safety advice to all SLS staff and students.
    • Act as a point of contact for University Safety Services and Enforcing Authorities.
    • Develop and deliver the SLS health & safety induction seminar.
    • Ensure health & safety related equipment is maintained in accordance with local policies and legal requirements.
    • Compile training records and attendance statistics.
    • Manage and maintain other health & safety records as required by Safety Services/Enforcing Authorities.
    • Deal with matters relating to the security of buildings within the Research School, in consultation with the College Secretary and in liaison with University Security and local Police as necessary.

2.2. The SLS Health & Safety Information Officer is appointed by the College Secretary and is primarily responsible for drafting health & safety policies, procedures, plans and reports and plays a key role in ensuring effective communication and consultation on health & safety issues across the College. Key duties are as follows:

  • Draft the College Health & Safety Policy and keep it up to date.
  • Ensure the annual health & safety return/report required by Safety Services is completed and submitted on time.
  • Draft and maintain all other health & safety policies, procedures, plans and reports.
  • Secure Health & Safety Management Committee approval of policies, procedures, plans and reports.
  • Maintain, review and continually improve policies, procedures and plans, as dictated by the findings of internal and external monitoring/audit exercises.
  • Ensure University and SLS health & safety information is effectively disseminated to staff and students.
  • Ensure Health & Safety roles and responsibilities are clearly understood.
  • Ensure all personnel are consulted on and involved in health & safety issues relevant to them.
  • Arrange, set the agenda and prepare papers for Health & Safety Management Committee meetings.
  • Develop, maintain and provide training/instruction on electronic health & safety related systems including the SLS Health & Safety Website, the SLS Risk Assessment System, the Radioisotope Management System and the Radper Database System.
  • Produce generic risk assessments and safe operating procedures for College wide use.
  • Advise on and assist with applications to Enforcing Authorities for health & safety related licences/authorisations.
  • Provide advice on the ethical aspects of the use of human samples in research and assist with applications to the Tayside Committee on Medical Research Ethics.
  • Cover the Health & Safety Co-ordinator’s essential functions in their absence.

2.3. The School of Learning and Teaching Health & Safety Officer is appointed by the College Secretary and has prime responsibility for ensuring health & safety policies and procedures adequately cover and are fully implemented in the School of Learning and Teaching. They must:

  • Provide health & safety advice and information to staff and students within the School of Learning and Teaching.
  • Keep the Dean up to date with health & safety issues relevant to the School and bring resource requirements and compliance problems to his attention.
  • Ensure that important health & safety issues are raised and discussed at School Board and Year Group meetings.
  • Develop, in conjunction with the Health & Safety Information Officer, appropriate local health & safety rules and procedures covering all teaching activities.
  • Check that all practical class activities are being risk assessed to a suitable and sufficient standard.
  • Ensure all accidents/incidents are being reported and copies of the reports forwarded onto the Health & Safety Coordinator.
  • Monitor the implementation of, and compliance with, health & safety policy, procedures and local rules throughout the School.
  • Ensure prescribed corrective actions and recommendations arising from inspection/audit reports and accident/incident investigations are communicated to the appropriate person(s) and assist in the implementation of corrective action.
  • Ensure safety equipment is: well maintained; regularly checked; included in the SLS servicing program, if applicable; renewed if and when necessary.
  • Monitor the School’s complement of health & safety personnel and inform the Health & Safety Working Group when new appointments become necessary.
  • Identify training requirements amongst their personnel and feedback to the Health & Safety Working Group.
  • Ensure the necessary records are being maintained and kept on file.
  • Deal with matters relating to the security of buildings within the School of Learning & Teaching, in consultation with the College Secretary and in liaison with University Security and local Police as necessary.
  • Co-ordinate joint safety and security initiatives between SLS and other occupants of the OMS/Carnelley Complex.
  • Be a point of contact for non-SLS University staff, including University Safety Services and Estates and Buildings personnel, and external bodies, e.g. contractors, Fire Service, HSE and SEPA.

2.4. The Deputy Health & Safety Officer for the School of Learning and Teaching is appointed by the Health & Safety Officer and is charged with assuming the Health & Safety Officer’s responsibilities (as defined in section 2.3.) in their absence and assisting the Health & Safety Officer as and when required.

2.5. Biological Safety Advisers, Radiation Protection Supervisors and Laser Safety Supervisors are primarily responsible for advising on all aspects of relevant policy and procedures and ensuring personnel have access to the necessary documentation and information. They will be supported in this function by the SLS Health & Safety Information Officer. Lab Managers automatically assume the role of Radiation Protection Supervisor (if one is required). Heads of Division are responsible for selecting a senior member of research staff, experienced in working with biological material and in current genetic modification techniques, to take on the role of Divisional Biological Safety Adviser. Similarly, in the case of Laser Supervisors, an experienced member of research personnel, working in the laser facility, will be appointed to this role by the head of the facility. Biological Safety Advisers automatically become members of the City Campus Genetic Modification and Biological Safety Committee.

2.6. Basic Health & Safety Trainers/Advisers are primarily responsible for taking new recruits through the SLS Basic Health & Safety Training Checklist as soon as they start work. They are also required to provide advice on basic, general health & safety issues and direct personnel to the appropriate person for more specialist advice. Lab Managers automatically assume the role of Basic Health & Safety Trainer/Adviser for their area. In areas without a Lab Manager, the relevant team manager must nominate an individual to take on this role.

2.7. DSE Risk Assessors and Manual Handling Risk Assessors are primarily responsible for advising on relevant policy and procedures and assisting in the completion of DSE workstation and manual handling risk assessments respectively. DSE and. Manual Handling Risk Assessors are appointed by the H&SWG.

2.8. Fire Marshals are primarily responsible for taking charge in emergency evacuation situations, liaising with Emergency Services and Estates and Buildings personnel and authorising personnel to return to the building if and when it is safe to do so. Fire Wardens are primarily responsible for checking in the event of an emergency evacuation that all personnel within their designated area clear the building. They are also required to man and maintain order at the appropriate assembly point and relay any relevant information to the Fire Marshal. In the absence of a Fire Marshal, the Fire Warden in attendance assumes the Marshal’s responsibilities. Lab Managers automatically assume the role of Fire Warden for their area. In areas without a Lab Manager, the relevant team manager must nominate an individual to take on this role. Fire marshals are appointed by the Health & Safety Working Group.

2.9. First Aiders are required to administer First Aid as per their training, keep their First Aid box fully stocked, ensure any treatment given is documented on the relevant accident/incident report form and inform the Health & Safety Coordinator if they are do not intend to renew their First Aid Certificate. Any member of personnel may volunteer to be a First Aider providing they hold a valid certificate or are willing to undergo training to obtain a certificate. The Health & Safety Coordinator monitors the complement of First Aiders and arranges training.

2.10. The names and contact details of health & safety personnel are given on the SLS Health & Safety Web Site, along with further information on the above advisory roles and details of additional duties.

3 Responsibilities of Individual Members of Staff

3.1. A member of staff is defined as a University employee or anyone not in its employ but who works under the supervisory control of the University. (Students, although not normally classified as staff, are included in the latter category for the purposes of this section.) The Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 places a duty on all members of staff to take reasonable care for the health & safety of themselves and other persons who may be affected by their actions or omissions at work. They must:

  • Work in accordance with their health & safety training and instruction and adhere to the policies, procedures and risk assessments relating to their work activities.
  • Not interfere, either intentionally or recklessly, with anything provided in the interest of health & safety.
  • Co-operate fully with health & safety personnel and participate in the risk assessment, inspection and accident investigation processes.
  • Report any perceived danger, unsafe working practices/conditions, new or previously uncontrolled risks, accidents, incidents or near misses to the appropriate supervisor and member of health & safety personnel.
  • Familiarise themselves with emergency procedures and escape routes.
  • Take immediate action to make an imminently dangerous situation safe without placing themselves at risk. Contact the Health & Safety Coordinator if they think they may be suffering from a work related illness.
  • Come forward with any concerns, opinions, suggestions or advice that may contribute to the continual improvement of health & safety standards.