RES/DB/2016
UNIVERSITY OF NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE
Research & Enterprise Services
Safety Policy, Organisation and Arrangements
June 2016
1. Statement of Intent
a) This Safety Policy for Research & Enterprise Services is set within the framework of the current University of Newcastle Upon Tyne Statement on Policy, Organisation and General Safety Arrangements, in accordance with the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. This Policy covers Research & Enterprise Services staff in offices located at the following sites:
i. Levels 2 & 3(Mezzanine), Research Beehive, Old Library Building
ii. HASS Faculty Office, 7th Floor, Daysh Building
iii. Faculty of Medical Sciences, Ground floor Leech Building
iv. SAgE Faculty Office, Devonshire Building
v. JRO, Regents Point. Regent Centre
vi.
b) This policy is intended to address all local issues of health and safety within the physical locations of Research & Enterprise Services and to provide a framework for compliance with the Management of Health and Safety at Work Act.
2. Scope of the Policy
This policy addresses risks and hazards specifically related to office activities (including seminar activities for the Research Beehive Level 2) within Research & Enterprise Services. Whilst it is concerned with the health and safety aspects of the fabric and services provided to the buildings, and safe working practices therein, detailed safety policies in relation to building maintenance, maintenance of grounds and provision of building services are the responsibility and province of Estates Support Services.
3. Health and Safety Management Structure
Council established a hierarchical management structure for the management of health and safety within the University. In accordance with this line management structure, specific responsibilities for health and safety management within Research & Enterprise Services are as follows:
The Director is directly responsible and accountable to the Registrar for the overall management of health and safety in Research & Enterprise Services. He carries responsibility for ensuring that safe practices are adopted, resource issues and training needs in relation to health and safety are identified and addressed, safety inspections are performed and appropriate follow up action taken.
Heads of Teams are responsible for the day to day management of health and safety within their Service. They must therefore ensure that risks are minimised, Safety Standards are followed and hazards are reported to the relevant Safety Officer.
All staff members have responsibility for the health and safety of their own work. This includes observing fire precautions and reporting accidents and defects to the building fabric, fixtures and fittings which would compromise the health and safety standards detailed in this policy.
The Safety Officer within the Research & Enterprise Services is responsible for providing advice and guidance to all staff on all health and safety matters: investigating accidents, incidents and complaints, carrying out safety inspections, taking remedial action and making necessary reports. Details of the Safety Officer responsible for Research & Enterprise Services can be found in Appendix A along with all Deputy Safety Officers for each location.
Adequate resources will be allocated for all safety issues.
RES Safety Committee This Committee will be an extension of RES Executive Meetings, Comprising of the Director, Assistant Directors and the Safety Officer which will meet twice yearly.
4. Local Health and Safety Arrangements
The following local arrangements for Research & Enterprise Services are in addition to the general University Safety Arrangements outlined in the University Health and Safety Policy. These arrangements address local hazards and risks and incorporate health and safety standards to be adopted by all staff.
A. Fire Precautions
Local Arrangements
There is a Fire Marshall and Deputy Fire Wardens for all areas of Research & Enterprise Services. A list of all wardens is posted on the Safety Arrangements posters in all areas. (see Appendix B). Where a Service/Section has disabled staff, students or visitors who cannot walk easily, then special arrangements should be made by the Head of Service/Section for their evacuation in an emergency.
Responsibilities of Fire Wardens:
a) To routinely familiarise themselves with every alternative escape route;
b) To periodically check that escape routes are clear and the necessary fire appliances are available, and report to the University Fire Safety Officer any matters requiring attention;
c) In the event of a fire or a drill to search the appropriate areas and ensure all occupants, visitors, etc have left (including disabled visitors and students), paying attention to communal rooms. In doing this, Wardens are not expected to put themselves at risk.
d) To report to the Fire Marshall at the assembly point on evacuation of their area.
e) To be familiar with the nearest fire extinguishers and their correct use.
Procedure in the Event of a Fire
Details on what to do in the event of a fire can be found in Appendix C.
Standards to Prevent Risk of Fire and Ensure General Safety in the Event of Fire
· It is a statutory obligation for all staff members to comply with the conditions of the fire certificate issued under the Fire Precautions Act 1971. Staff members therefore have a responsibility not to wedge open fire doors, keep passageways free, not store flammable materials in corridors and keep escape routes free of obstruction. Fire-fighting equipment must be kept free of obstructions and readily available.
· All staff members must familiarise themselves with emergency escape routes in the vicinity of their offices and the location of assembly points. In the event of a fire emergency or drill, staff must assemble at the assembly point.
· Roadways adjacent to assembly points must be left unimpeded to allow free access of emergency vehicles.
· Fire drills will be held periodically to enable staff to familiarise themselves with alternative routes and the evacuation procedure. All fire incidents, tests, drills and defects are recorded on the University Fire Safety web page. These reports are then sent directly to the University Fire Officer and Estates.
· The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 requires that all staff aretrained in fire prevention, control and evacuation procedures. It is vitally important that all new members of staff receive fire training on their first working day. This should be carried out by a Responsible Person i.e. Line Manager and should cover: the actions to take if a fire is discovered, how to raise the alarm, what to do when the fire alarm sounds, familiarisation of all escape routes, thelocation of firefighting equipment andfire alarms and the location of the Fire Assembly Point.
· The University Fire Officer (Jack Dryden) conducts fire training every Wednesday and bookings can be made by contacting the University Safety Office.
Use of the Fire Alarm in Other Emergencies
Where there is a need to evacuate a building quickly in the case of an emergency other than fire, such as a serious escape of toxic chemicals, the fire alarm should be sounded and the reasons for doing so reported immediately to the Security Control Centre (Dial 6666) and to a Fire Warden or other responsible person concerned with the evacuation.
Suspected Bomb
In the event of finding an unidentifiable package in a Research & Enterprise Services location, the following procedure should be followed.
§ Do not touch
§ Clear people from the immediate vicinity.
§ Explain the situation to Security Control Centre on 6666, who will assume control.
See Appendix E for what to do in the event of a telephone bomb threat
B. Accident Procedure
Local Arrangements
All accidents must be reported immediately via the Safety Office website:
http://www.ncl.ac.uk/ohss/
The Safety Office will be responsible for investigating the accident and will report to the Head of Service/Director where appropriate on any action required to prevent a repetition of the incident.
C. First Aid
Local Arrangements
First Aiders have been nominated within Research & Enterprise Services teams to provide first aid assistance during office hours. Details of first aiders and locations of first aid kit are contained in Appendix D. Also available on the Safety Arrangements Poster which is displayed in communal areas.
D. Electrical Safety
Local Arrangements
All electrical equipment within Research & Enterprise Services is tested by Hawkesworth Appliance Testing on an three year basis. At the time of this policy being written, the last tests were in July 2014.
The Safety Officer will maintain a record of the testing exercise. A dated label will be attached to each item inspected and tested and equipment failing the test will be withdrawn from use.
Standards for Electrical Safety
· All wiring and cables, whether permanent or temporary must be neat, orderly and safe. They must also be sited so as not to cause a tripping hazard or suffer unnecessary mechanical wear.
· Staff members are responsible for ensuring that all electrical appliances are switched off out of working hours and that electrical equipment in offices is sited to avoid wetting by water or other liquids.
· On the recommendation of Estates plugs should not be unplugged from sockets as this causes wear and tear on cables and on the electrical contacts within the plug.
· Staff must not bring into the building private electrical appliances which would be connected to the power supply.
E. Slips, Trips and Falls
Regular cleaning and housekeeping is carried out in all locations and undertaken by the ESS Facilities team as well as all other employees where required, e.g. spillages. Where potential hazards are present staff should either make the area safe (if safe to do so), or report the issues to their SO or line manager.
F. General Housekeeping
Local Arrangements
· HSE and University guidelines on recommended levels of noise, heating and lighting will be generally complied with. Testing of heating, lighting and noise levels will be arranged by the Estates Support Services if requested by Heads of Service/Director.
· Follow-up action with the Estates Support Services to remedy inadequate heating and lighting levels will be undertaken by the relevant Safety Officers. Any resource implications will be reported to the Director through the Safety Officer.
· In accordance with the University No Smoking Policy, smoking is prohibited across all of Newcastle University premises.
Safety Standards
· All staff are responsible for advising the relevant Safety Officer/Deputy of defects to the fabric of the building; fixtures and fittings, i.e. worn carpeting which requires repair and light bulbs requiring replacement. These items will be reported to the Estates Support Services by the relevant Safety/Deputy Officer.
· Staff members must not stand on items of furniture to obtain any materials, publications, stationery, etc. stored out of easy reach. Stepping stools are provided, where appropriate.
· Staff members must avoid overloading shelves, storage cabinets and filing cabinets, particularly those not secured to the floor. Falling items from overloaded shelves are a common office hazard.
G Display Screen Equipment Regulations 1992 (D.S.E)
http://www.hse.gov.uk/msd/dse/guidance.htm
Local Arrangements
· Arrangements within Research & Enterprise Services for compliance with the Display Screen Equipment Regulations 1992 (as amended) are in accordance with University Policy on DSE
https://safety.ncl.ac.uk/guidance-displayscreenequipmentassessments.aspx
· Display Screen Equipment Assessors (detailed in Appendix A) have been appointed to carry out an assessment of workstation operations in accordance with the guidance checklist issued by the Safety Office. Records will be retained of the assessment and a report on action required made to the Heads of Service.
· All new staff members will be assessed to determine their status under the regulations as a "user" and to ensure their workstations are operated in accordance with the Regulations. Existing staff members will be surveyed every three years to determine a) their continued status as Display Screen Equipment Users and b) to ensure changes in work routine or workstation layout have not presented new hazards.
Safety Standards
· Regulations do not specify what these periods should be, but it is recommended by the Universities Safety Association that no single session of DSE should exceed about 90 minutes without a change of activity for some 15 minutes. Shorter sessions are preferable, such as 30 minutes followed by 5 minutes of change, or 60 minute sessions followed by 10 minutes of change.
· Information is available to all ' Users' on the correct approach regarding the organisation and layout of their workstation on the USO web page. Users have a responsibility to adopt as far as possible these guidelines concerning their workstation environment and to report to the relevant Safety/Deputy Officer hazards in relation to the environment
· The Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992 require employers to provide employees who are identified as "users" with an appropriate eye and eye sight test on request.
For university purposes a ‘user’ can be regarded as a member of staff who is required to operate Display Screen Equipment as part of their work.
The University is responsible for the provision of glasses, if an optician confirms they are needed solely for display screen work.
· Users may request eye or eyesight tests. These can be undertaken by many optometrists, or can be arranged via the Occupational Health Service. For the purposes of this procedure follow up tests will be at two yearly intervals unless otherwise recommended by an optician or on identification of visual problems. Further information can be obtained at
http://www.ncl.ac.uk/occupationalhealth/policy/documents/oh-policy-dse-eyetest-procedure_jc.pdf
H. Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1994
https://safety.ncl.ac.uk/uploads/mh-rules.pdf
These regulations apply to any manual handling operations which may cause injury at work. They include the lifting of loads, lowering, pushing, pulling, carrying or moving them, whether by hand or other bodily force.
· Arrangements within the RES for compliance with the Manual Handling Operation Regulations (as amended) are in accordance with the University Local Rules for Manual Handling.
· Guidance can be provided to staff upon request on lifting techniques and good posture at work to reduce spinal strain and injury. Manual Handling training is available via the University Safety Office.
Safety Standards
· In accordance with the University Local Rules, where reasonably practicable the need for manual handling will be eliminated.