Legal requirements
The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1992 require that where two or more employers share a workplace (either on a permanent or temporary basis), all involved have to co-operate and co-ordinate their activities to ensure that all their health and safety obligations are met.
Examples within the University include NHS Trust staff using University laboratories; University employees (including students) using research council facilities on the main campus or University employees using facilities at other Universities/Institutes.
Where one employer is in overall control of the shared area, the other employers should assist the controlling employer in assessing shared risks and co-ordinating any necessary control measures, primarily by providing information. Where there is no single employer in control, joint arrangements need to be agreed by all parties and put in place.
This guidance applies primarily to situations where different employers share a work place but it is recommended that it is also followed where employees and students work in areas within the University beyond those normally occupied and/or controlled by their line manager, for example in another academic department.
Definitions
Host:
· Controller of the premises ie entire building
· Manager of the shared workplace eg laboratory
Guest:
· Manager and/or employees or students from another department or employer
· Employee or student from another department or employer
Shared workplace:
· Entire building
· Specific floors/areas within a building
· Specific rooms within a building
Responsibilities
Heads of Departments are responsible for the safe management of work within their departments and should ensure that they have established and maintain formal arrangements for co-operation with other departments or organisations. This means both ensuring that there are adequate arrangements in place to address the safety of guest employees working in the department, as well as the safety of their staff who work in other host departments or in premises controlled by another employer.
Heads of Department cannot legally completely devolve or delegate responsibility for the health and safety of their staff to a third party but it may be possible to reach agreements with other employers to share, or take on, certain responsibilities for health and safety of their employees.
In situations where there is no controlling employer, a named, competent individual should be appointed to co-ordinate health and safety arrangements in the shared workplace.
Documentation
Arrangements detailing the agreed procedures for managing health and safety in a shared workplace should be documented. Although there may be a commercial contract in place eg where the University pays for services or facilities provided by another employer, it is recommended that the detail of health and safety arrangements is covered separately, although there may be reference in the contract in general terms.
For situations where University staff are working in other University Departments, documentation may be as simple as a short paragraph in the written arrangements for safe working under the heading “co-operation between organisations”, stating that all visiting workers will follow the Department’s local rules for safe working, with visitors signing to that effect. Where different employers are involved, this should be supplemented with more formal documentation setting out the relationship between the different employers and their respective roles and responsibilities – a suggested format and an indication of topics to be covered is given in the checklist at the end of this guidance.
Where there is no controlling employer, a joint health and safety policy should be prepared and agreed, and a joint local health and safety code of practice prepared for use by all those working in the shared area, using the headings in the suggested format as guidance.
The document should be signed off by the Head of the University Department involved and the relevant line manager(s) of the other employer(s).
Safety Services Reference(s):
Shared workplacesFirst Published / May 2010
Reviewed / <date>
Health and Safety arrangements between Department of , University College London and /
Location(s) of shared workplace
Brief description of activities carried out
Effective date of agreement
Date of review (annual or when any changes
Authorised by: / On behalf of
On behalf of
Copies of organisational health and safety policies included / YesNo / Organogram prepared and included / YesNo
For the purposes of this document, is identified as the host organisation and as the guest.
Notes on completion of form
The form is protected and will show “host” as the default option in all the drop-down lists. To navigate the form, either tab from box to box or place the cursor in the grey text entry area or drop-down list.
For each of the topics listed in Sections 1-3, the lead on each should be identified ie host or guest. Where the management of a particular topic is carried out by both parties, eg provision of an occupational health service for employees, this should be indicated as both. Space is also provided for further detail, eg if both parties carry out risk assessment of their work the arrangements for sharing said assessments should be given. Details of arrangements for communication and emergency procedures (including details of accident reporting) should be given in Section 4, with the names of local and organisational health and safety contacts listed in Section 5; this should include contact details of senior managers (representing host and guest organisations) who can be contacted in the event of any health and safety concerns that cannot be resolved at a local level.
It is recommended that the document includes copies of each organisation’s health and safety policy for reference, as well as an organogram indicating line management and health and safety management reporting lines for all staff covered by the agreement.
1. Building/workplace servicesIdentify who will be responsible for providing and maintaining the following services within the building or specific shared workplace
1.1. Utilities (ie water, electricity, gas) / HostGuestBoth (give details below in 1.7)
1.2. Plant (eg air conditioning, ventilation) / HostGuestBoth (give details below in 1.7)
1.3. Security / HostGuestBoth (give details below in 1.7)
1.4. Maintenance of general fabric of building/workplace / HostGuestBoth (give details below in 1.7)
1.5. Routine maintenance of workplace equipment / HostGuestBoth (give details below in 1.7)
1.6. Fire precautions / HostGuestBoth (give details below in 1.7)
1.7. Further information
Use this space to provide further information/detail – eg contact details of service providers or Estates/Facilities Management
2. Identification and management of risks
Identify who will carry out the following:
2.1. Risk assessment of work activities/project / HostGuestBoth (give details below in 2.8)
2.2. Information, instruction and training / HostGuestBoth (give details below in 2.8)
2.3. Supervision of staff and/or students / HostGuestBoth (give details below in 2.8)
2.4. Provide and maintain personal protective equipment / HostGuestBoth (give details below in 2.8)
2.5. Prepare, disseminate and review local safe working procedures / HostGuestBoth (give details below in 2.8)
2.6. Arrange for collection and disposal of:
Domestic waste stream / HostGuestBoth (give details below in 2.8)
Hazardous waste stream / HostGuestBoth (give details below in 2.8)
2.7. Routine monitoring and inspection / HostGuestBoth (give details below in 2.8)
2.8. Further information
Use this space to provide further information/detail eg location of risk assessments
3. Compliance issues
Identify who will be responsible for meeting specific statutory requirements
3.1. GM/COSHH biological agent notifications to HSE / HostGuestBoth (give details below in 3.7)Not applicable
3.2. Radiation licensing / HostGuestBoth (give details below in 3.7)Not applicable
3.3. Provision of first aid (first aiders and first aid equipment) / HostGuestBoth (give details below in 3.7)Not applicable
3.4. Asbestos Register / HostGuestBoth (give details below in 3.7)Not applicable
3.5. Statutory maintenance and inspections eg lifting or pressure equipment, fume cupboards and safety cabinets etc / HostGuestBoth (give details below in 3.7)Not applicable
3.6. Provision of occupational health advice and health surveillance / HostGuestBoth (give details below in 3.7)Not applicable
3.7. Further information
Use this space to provide further information/detail
4. Communication/Accidents and emergencies
4.1. Indicate means of communication between organisations
Joint health and safety committee
H&S as standing agenda item at local building/workplace management meetings
Other (please describe below)
4.2. Describe procedures for dealing with emergencies (other than fire), eg loss of power to safety critical equipment, major spillage of a hazardous chemical
4.3. Describe procedures for reporting of accidents/incidents (including near misses)
5. Health and safety contacts
Give names and contact details of local health and safety and institutional health and safety officers/advisers. Give details also of senior managers (host and guest) who can be contacted in the event of any issues that cannot be resolved at a local level.
Name / Organisation / Contact details / Role
UCL Safety Services