Health and Safety Policy
Last revised: January 2008
The University Health
and Safety Policy is issued upon the authority of the University
Court. It is published in eleven separate sections, the full texts of
which are available by using the above link.
Under the authority of this Policy the School of Informatics has
produced its own Policy to be implemented locally.
General Statement of Policy
The aim of the School of Informatics is to comply with the Health
and Safety at Work Etc. Act 1974 in as much as it will provide and
maintain, so far as is reasonably practicable, safe and healthy working
conditions, equipment and systems of work for employees, students and
visitors and will provide such information, training and supervision as
is needed for this purpose.
The policy will be kept up to date and to ensure this the policy,
and the way it is operated, will be reviewed annually.
Monitoring the effectiveness of the policy will be by regular self
inspections. A written record of each inspection and subsequent
remedial action will be kept by the site safety adviser and will be
available for scrutiny. These inspections will be carried out by
the area safety advisers accompanied by the School Safety Manager
and an appropriate member of the academic or technical staff familiar
with their particular work area.
Signed by
Head of School
Organisation
- Head of School
The Head of School is responsible to the University Court for the
management of health and safety matters within the areas of the
University under his control. He is required to ensure that local
policies and practices for the effective management of health and
safety
are in place and published.
- Safety Advisers
School Safety Advisers are appointed by the Head of School to take
special interest in the promotion of health and safety matters, to
provide a first level of advice and to act on behalf of the Head of
School in respect of these matters.
Position
|
Name
|
Telephone
|
| Head of School |
Prof. Dave Robertson
|
51 3266
|
| School Safety
Manager |
David Wyse |
50 4499 |
| Health and
Safety Assistant |
Joanna
Treichel |
51 3211 |
| Local Safety
Adviser |
David Hamilton |
50 5160 / 50
5167 |
| Local Safety
Adviser (Appleton Tower) |
Douglas Howie |
50 4498 |
- Supervisors
Supervisors are required to give careful attention to the health and
safety of those under their supervision and to ensure that appropriate
precautions are taken. To fulfil its function, the degree of
supervision must have reasonable regard to the level of training,
experience and expertise of the employees or students being supervised.
- Individuals
Individual employees and students have a duty to carry out their work
in a safe manner in order to prevent injury or ill health either to
themselves or to others who may be affected by their acts or omissions
at work or study.
The Health, Safety and Security Committee
Details of the
Health,
Safety and Security Committee, including membership of the
committee, minutes of previous meetings, and future meeting dates can
be
found using the above link.
Health and Safety Plan
The
health and safety plan
is used to identify health and safety objectives and provides a
timetable to ensure that these objectives are met. The plan is
monitored by the Health, Safety and Security Committee.
Local Arrangements
The links below give health and safety information specific to each building.
General Safety Information
Emergency Procedures:
Emergency Services
In the event of fire or other serious accident
or incident requiring the attendance of the fire brigade
or ambulance service:
Dial the University Emergency Number 2222 from extensions on the 650/651 exchange (for all other telephones, dial 0131 651 3999).
State your
name,
location and telephone number. Give details of the nature of the
emergency service required.
Wait for confirmation from the operator
that
the message has been understood.
The University Emergency Service will
call the Fire Brigade and/or Ambulance service as appropriate.
If,
after ten minutes, the appropriate Emergency Service has not arrived,
repeat the emergency call on 2222. If possible, arrange for someone to be at the main entrance to the
building, to show the Emergency Services the way to the incident.
Care of Casualties
If you are not a qualified first aider yourself, send for the
nearest First Aider, who will take charge of the situation. If no
qualified First Aiders are available, ensure that an ambulance is
called. If you suspect that a casualty has been poisoned, alert
Accident
and Emergency, dial (9) 536 4000, so that A&E staff can get
information from the Poisons Bureau.
All fires, accidents and other incidents must be sent
to the Director of Health and Safety by means of the University
Accident
and Incident, etc, reporting system.
Fire:
Everyone must make themselves familiar with the following:-
- Fire Routine Procedure:
a form is issued to members of staff and displayed in all student
offices and laboratories. If anyone does not have, or cannot find a
copy
displayed, contact your area safety adviser.
- Fire Action Notices:
are displayed throughout the building.
- Fire Exit Routes
Emergency Evacuation:
- On discovering a fire act in accordance with the fire
action notices, e.g. sound the alarm by activating a break
glass
point and evacuate the premises. Break glass points are sited at
entrances to or in fire exits. Ensure that University security has been
informed. (Dial 2222 or 0131 650 2257)
- On hearing the fire alarm you must leave the premises immediately
and proceed to the assembly point. Do not return until the all clear is
given.
Remember:
- Fire exit routes must be kept clear of obstructions.
- No attempt should be made to remove bicycles from any building
during an emergency evacuation.
- Never tamper with the Fire Alarm System (or other alarm systems).
It is a serious offence and the penalties are severe.
Emergency Evacuation procedure for Mobility Impaired Persons:
Staff and students who are mobility impaired and would require assistance in the
event of an emergency evacuation are advised to notify either the
School Safety Manager David Wyse or Anna Hobbes who is the School's
Coordinator of Adjustments for students. This also applies to staff and
students who may have other impairments e.g. hearing or sight impairment.
The School, in conjunction with other University parties, will organise
a Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan (PEEP) for each individual in line
with University Policy for evacuation of mobility impaired persons .
Information about these polices can be found in part two of the
University Health and Safety Policy
http://www.safety.ed.ac.uk/policy/part2/part2.shtm
and at:
http://www.safety.ed.ac.uk/resources/Fire/fire_evacuation_mobility_impaired.shtm
Further information is also available from the disability office
http://www.disability-office.ed.ac.uk/
First Aid:
Each building has several trained First Aiders. Their names and
location, including the location of First Aid equipment can be found
on
notice boards at each site and within the local safety manuals.
Accident/Incident Reporting:
All accidents/incidents/occupational ill health must be reported by
using the online reporting system at:
http://www.safety.ed.ac.uk/IncidentReporting/IncidentDetails.cfm
The
safety advisor will automatically be informed of the situation when the
accident/incident is logged in the online reporting system.
After Hours Working
Guidelines on after hours working can be found
here
VISITORS
All visitors to the University, working in the School, can only do so
with the permission of the Head of School and must follow all
University and school health and safety procedures.
Short term visitors should be in the building only to visit. The
person(s) they are visiting are responsible for their health and safety
and the safe evacuation in the event of the fire alarm sounding.
Long term visitors are those who are here for a period of work, they
are regarded as staff as far as the health and safety policy is
concerned. As such they should follow all guidelines and refer to risk
assessments where appropriate. They should receive a safety
induction pack and be made familiar with the fire exit routes.
Display Screen Equipment:
Health and Safety (DSE) Regulations 1992 implement a European
directive on minimum health and safety requirements for work with
display screen equipment, and are for the protection of employees who
use display screen equipment as a significant part of their normal
work.
Working with display screen equipment can cause ill health as a
result of poor work organisation, working environment, job design and
posture, and from inappropriate working methods.
The above regulations require individual workstations used by
display screen users to be analysed and any risk to health assessed.
Each individual is responsible for completing their own risk assessment
form and forwarding it to their area safety adviser. Risk assessments
forms are available - either on-line,
or from the area safety adviser.
Users should be provided with information on the risks from display
screen equipment, the assessment of risks and the measures to reduce
risks, breaks and activity changes, eye sight tests and some initial
training.
Detailed information about these regulations
and eye sight tests is also available.
Manual Handling of Loads:
To comply with the
Manual Handling Regulations 1992 it is
necessary for employers to ensure that employees avoid, as far as is
reasonably practicable, manual handling operations that may cause
injury. If these tasks cannot be avoided, it is then necessary that
each
task is risk assessed. As a result of that assessment the risk of
injury must be reduced to an acceptable level for each particular task
identified.
Many manual handling tasks will be resolved by common sense, but if
there is any concern regarding individual capability or safety with a
manual handling task, then contact your area safety adviser or obtain further
information.
Electrical Equipment:
Electrical circuits must not be overloaded by the use of adapters
serving several appliances, and plugs must be correctly fused for the
power rating of the appliance. Amateur electrical repairs on electrical
equipment must never be attempted and the removal of service panels
from
such equipment only undertaken by trained personnel. Where additional
heating requirements are required only suitable appliances approved or
supplied by the Works division may be used. The use of open bar radiant
fires within the University is prohibited.
All items of portable electrical equipment must be regularly
inspected and tested for electrical safety in order to comply with the Electricity
At Work Regulations, 1989. It should bear a DBS identification
number and a Portable Appliance Tested Label. Personal electrical items
used within the School must also be included in this system. For
further information on testing contact your area safety adviser.
Hazardous Substances
To comply with the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health
Regulations (COSHH) 1999 it is necessary to ensure that all appropriate
control measures are maintained and implemented to reduce any risk that
staff, students and other people may be exposed to from substances
hazardous to health.
As a result, no hazardous substance to health can be used before a
COSHH risk assessment is undertaken and a safe system of work issued to
persons that may be exposed to hazardous substances. Such substances
are mainly used within the workshop areas although there are also
solvents and solvent based glues that are used in office areas.
The list of hazardous substances which have been assessed within the
School can be found
here
For further information contact your Local Safety Adviser and / or
obtain the information from the link below:
http://www.safety.ed.ac.uk/policy/part5/part5.shtm
New and Expectant Mothers
A pregnant worker risk assessment must be undertaken to cover all
hazards that she may be exposed to during her work activity. The risk
assessment must be carried out as soon as her line manager and/or
safety adviser is informed about her pregnancy. The risk assessment
should be reviewed at regular intervals as the pregnancy develops and
any concerns regarding her work activities should be discussed and any
appropriate actions and / or additional control measures implemented.
Further information can be found at:
http://www.safety.ed.ac.uk/resources/health/mothers.shtm
Young persons
To comply with the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations
1999 there is a duty on the employer to undertake risk
assessments for any activity a young person may be involved in.
A risk assessment must be carried out before a young person starts work
and must take into account their inexperience and immaturity. Training
and an adequate level of supervision must be provided by a competent
person(s). Additionally parents / guardians of children (below
minimum school
leaving age) must receive a copy of the risk assessment in order to be
aware of its findings and control measures.
Risk Assessments are carried out by the School Safety Staff and records
of risk assessments kept in the safety file.
Induction and Training
Each new member of staff, visitor and student is given a safety
induction pack on arrival and also be shown the fire exits in their
building. Anyone who has not received this pack should contact
Joanna Treichel on 51 3211.
Safety Induction Packs contain:
The University Health and Safety Department provides range of
training
courses and at School level some in-house training is available
(basic manual handling techniques, using hand held power tools etc).
Safety Training Plans are used to identify training requirements within
the School and ensuring that appropriate training is arranged.
Training needs are identified and suitable courses arranged by the
School Health and Safety Assistant.
Health
and Safety Matrix Training Plan
Health
and Safety Training Plan 2009
Other Information
All other specific areas of health and safety management are
covered in the local area safety manuals.
Risk Assessments
Any work which is not covered by an existing risk assessment must be
risk assessed.
Information and risk assessment forms are available from
here or
contact
your local Safety Advisor.
Below are our on-line generic risk assessments.
Generic
Office Risk Assessment
Generic Mechanical Workshop Risk Assessment
Generic
Electronic Workshop Risk Assessment
Generic
Computer Lab Risk Assessment
Generic Risk
Assessment for working in Robotics laboratories
Generic Risk
Assessment for changing water cooler bottles
Generic Risk
Assessment for moving computers
Generic
Risk Assessment for new and expectant mothers
Generic Lone
Working Risk Assessment for office work
