HEALTH AND SAFETY POLICY STATEMENT OF INTENT

Produced by Health and Safety Committee

Date of Policy July 207

Approved by Board September 2018

Review Date September 2019 Version Number 2

16 August 2017 NOT CURRENT IF PRINTED

CONTENTS

Section 1 Statement of Intent

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Appendix 1 Organisational Chart

Appendix 2 Statement of Responsibilities

1. POLICY STATEMENT OF INTENT

1.1 UWC Atlantic College (the College) is committed to ensuring the health, safety and welfare of its

employees and students and will, so far as is reasonably practicable, establish procedures and

systems necessary to implement this commitment and in accordance with the requirements under

Section 2(3) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and the Management of Health and

Safety at Work Regulations 1999 (as amended). The Chair of Governors has overall responsibility

for ensuring that the Health and Safety Policy is fully implemented and is effective for all health,

safety, welfare and environmental matters.

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1.2 It is in the interests of employees, students,

subcontractors and visitors to seek continuous

improvement in health and safety at work. High

standards of health and safety at work will

benefit all employees, students, subcontractors, visitors and member of the public affected by

College work activities. The College’s most important resources are its employees and its

students. Cooperating and working together can reduce accidents and work-related ill health and

improve performance and reduce costs: human, financial and social. The support, co-operation

and compliance of all employees, students, subcontractors and visitors is required for the aims of

the policy to be achieved.

1.3 It is the Policy of the College to:

• Regard legal compliance as the lowest acceptable standard of management with regard to health

and safety. For the purposes of this policy document the term ‘health and safety’ will be deemed

to include all aspects of occupational health.

• Regard health and safety as a core management function and arrange for adequate resources

and funds to be available to meet the requirements of the policy.

• Develop a clear structure which identifies health and safety responsibility at all leadership levels

across the College.

• Promote an attitude of safe working by employees, students and subcontractors in all aspects of

the College’s work underpinned by appropriate disciplinary procedures.

• Encourage discussion and consultation on safety, health and environment matters and establish

a Health and Safety Committee for this purpose.

• Maintain a safe and healthy working environment and safe methods of operation.

• Ensure the provision and maintenance of premises, plant and equipment to a safe level.

• Ensure safe handling and use of hazardous substances.

• Bring to the attention of all employees and students, their responsibilities to ensure the health and

safety of themselves and any other persons affected by their actions or omissions.

• Prevent accidents and cases of work-related ill health.

• Provide all necessary information, instruction, training and supervision, to ensure the health and

safety of employees, students, subcontractors and visitors to the College and on College related

business.

• Provide as appropriate and ensure the correct use of, approved safety equipment and protective

clothing and to ensure no charge will be levied on any employee in respect of anything carried

out or provided in pursuance of any specified requirements of relevant statutory provisions.

• Ensure immediate and accurate reporting and investigation of occupational ill-health issues,

accidents and incidents.

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• Ensure the provision of an appropriate number

employees with responsibilities for safety and

health and to ensure appropriate contingency

arrangements are made during the absence of

such employees to meet the relevant statutory requirements.

• Develop a system of inspection, monitoring and auditing procedures to identify risk and ensure

that acceptable standards of risk management are being achieved across the College.

• Make specific arrangements on sites controlled by the College to ensure that contractors are

carrying out their responsibilities for Health and Safety to an acceptable standard.

• Ensure that the health and safety of all employees, students, contractors, visitors and any others

who may be affected by its undertakings is safeguarded, so far as is reasonably possible.

• Review this Policy annually or when there is a change of circumstances, e.g. change of law,

introduction of new processes, equipment or working environment.

Name:

Position:

Chair of Governors

Signature:

Issue

Date: Review Due Date:

Appendix 1

HIGH LEVEL ORGANISATIONAL CHART

Shaded box denotes member of

Leadership Team

Version Number 2 16 August 2017

NOT CURRENT IF PRINTED

Vice Principal

Studies

Chair of Governors

Principal

Vice Principal

Student Life Business Director

Director of Development and External Relations

Admissions Registrar

Appendix 2

STATEMENT OF RESPONSIBILITIES

Chair of Governors

The Chair of Governors has overall responsibility for health and safety in the College. This is exercised

through the Leadership team, Heads of Faculties and Departments, line mangers and the Health and

Safety Committee, which meets a minimum of four times each year. The Health and Safety Committee

has responsibility for overseeing, monitoring and reviewing health and safety policy and procedures in the

College and for reporting to the Principal (and Chair of Governors) on Health and Safety matters. Chaired

by the Business Director, all areas of the College are represented on this committee.

The Chair of Governors shall ensure that they receive sufficient information on the status of College health

and safety management systems to satisfy themselves that all statutory requirements are being met. To

this end, they will commission an annual health and safety report to be produced by the Chair of the Health

and Safety Committee on behalf of the Health and Safety Committee.

While statutory compliance will be accepted as a baseline standard, the Chair of Governors will ensure

that the College is constantly moving towards best possible health and safety practice.

The Principal

The Principal is responsible for achieving the objectives of the College’s Health and Safety Policy and may

delegate their authority and tasks (but not responsibility) to employees who have the necessary

competency (skills, experience and knowledge) and will:

• Provide leadership within the College for health and safety

• Adopt and implement the Health and Safety Policy

• Ensure that managers know and undertake their individual responsibilities regarding health and

safety, and that the requirements of health and safety legislation and College Policy are met

• Advise the Board of Governors on the obligations of the College in respect of health and safety,

make recommendations on the level of resources required to comply with statutory requirements

and make adequate arrangements

• Work in partnership will all heads of faculties, heads of departments and managers on health, safety

and wellbeing

• Ensure adequate consultations between all parties prior to the introduction of any change which may

affect health and safety

• Keep under review the operation of managerial and budgetary systems for health and safety and

determine priorities for expenditure against agreed budgets

• Ensure that effective risk assessment processes are in place and control measures implemented.

Ensure that risk assessments are regularly reviewed, based on the level of risk

• Ensure that employees and students have the appropriate level of induction, training and

supervision, are deemed competent and records are kept

• Delegate the position of Chair for the College Health and Safety Committee

• Nominate or appoint employees to fulfil health and safety roles

• Formally address any breaches of this policy and local health and safety arrangements

In the absence of the Principal, the responsibilities for health and safety will be assumed by the Vice

Principals/Business Director.

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Version Number 2 16 August 2017

NOT CURRENT IF PRINTED

Heads of Faculties and Head of Departments

Heads of Faculties and Heads of Departments are responsible for the adoption of the College Policy within

their area of responsibility and to ensure that they take the lead in driving the health and safety programme.

They must demonstrate visible commitment by acting in the following way:

• Accept their own responsibility for health and safety and encourage colleagues to do the same.

• Apply and implement the College’s Health and Safety Policy, protocols and local arrangements

• Allocate the necessary resources, both in terms of time and financial resources, to employees

appointed to carry out a health and safety role

• Provide the necessary information, instruction and training to enable employees to perform their job

in a safe manner

• Make health and safety training a core element of departmental training at all levels

• Ensure that employees provide adequate supervision of students (where applicable), based on risk

assessment

• Ensure that risk assessments for their areas of responsibility are conducted and approve them

• Ensure that identified control measures are implemented and continue to be effective

• Ensure that risk assessments are recorded, regularly reviewed, updated and shared with affected

people. If the people, processes or activities involved change, or if an accident, incident, dangerous

occurrence or near miss occurs, the risk assessment must be reviewed immediately

• Ensure that where the need for health surveillance is identified in a risk assessment, employees

within their remit will be referred to Human Resources for appropriate Health Surveillance to be

arranged

• Ensure that employees and students within their remit receive induction, training, resource (including

time), advice and support, and are supervised until deemed competent

• Ensure that when students undertake paid or unpaid work, they are classed as employees, are

managed rather than supervised and given extra support and training. This also applies to

volunteers providing additional support to the College

• If aged between 13 and 18 a young worker risk assessment must be in place

• Take personal action to suspend or stop any activity that is dangerous or not carried out within

departmental health and safety policy

• Provide, as appropriate, correct protective clothing to all persons under their control

• Raise any issue of non-compliance through their line management structure

• So far as it is reasonably practicable, ensure all contractors engaged by the department are

adequately supervised and conduct their work in accordance with:

o the specified terms of contract;

o agreed method statements and risk assessments; o statutory regulations and

College approved codes of practice; o avoidance of danger to College's

employees, students or members of the public.

• Actively monitor health and safety performance by receiving regular updates on departmental health

and safety related occupational ill-health issues/accidents/incidents/dangerous occurrences or near

misses and health and safety inspections/ investigations

In addition, Personal Tutors must also:

• In conjunction with the student, produce a risk assessment for student projects and agree and

document control measures with the student before work begins

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• Offer a level of supervision, training and induction based on the risks involved in the work, and the

individual experience and competency of the student

Head of Estates

In addition to the responsibilities for the Heads of Faculties and Head of Departments, the Head of Estates

is also responsible for:

• The provision and maintenance of safe premises and the services associated with them

• Ensuring that all statutory compliance issues associated with the premises, facilities and services

are carried out in compliance with the relevant regulations

Head of Human Resources

In addition to the responsibilities for the Heads of Faculties and Head of Departments, the Head of Human

Resources is responsible for ensuring appropriate measures are in place to monitor workplace sickness

levels. Where these monitoring systems indicate work-related ill-health issues, these will be brought to

the attention of the Leadership Team.

The Head of Humans Resources also has direct management responsibility for the provision of an

Occupational Health Service. They will:

• Advise managers of the College on workplace or work-related health matters

• Develop, on behalf of the Health and Safety Committee, a College Occupational Health Policy

• Conduct monitoring and auditing of occupational health issues to ensure compliance with College

Policy

• Act as the link to the contracted services of the Occupational Health provider

All Managers

All managers will:

• Be fully familiar with the College Health and Safety Policy and local arrangements and understand

and apply them within all areas of their responsibility

• Ensure employees are trained to enable them to carry out suitable and sufficient risk assessments,

where required

• Ensure that their employees operate in accordance with the College Health and Safety Policy and

local arrangements, as relevant to their work

• Ensure that they and their employees are trained in the principles, operations and emergency

procedures necessary for health and safety

• Ensure the competence of their appointees to allocated tasks

• Ensure that safe working practices within a safe working environment are used by all employees

All Employees

The Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 states that EVERYONE has a responsibility for health and

safety. Whilst the College will take all reasonable steps to ensure the health and safety of its employees,

health and safety at work is also a responsibility of all employees themselves. It is important that everyone

appreciates the extent of their responsibilities, namely that they:

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• Shall make themselves familiar with the Health and Safety Policies of the College and of the

Faculty/Departments in which they are employed, and shall be fully familiar with sections of these

policies which directly affect their particular activities.

• Shall accept individual responsibility:

o to carry out their work safely and take all reasonable care for the health and safety of

themselves and of any other person who may be affected by their acts or omissions

o to co-operate with the College so far as is necessary to enable it to comply with its legal

duties

o to complete and follow requirements of risk assessment and implement any identified

control measures

o to undertake as required all health and safety training which is deemed necessary by their

line manager to secure their own health, safety and welfare and that of anyone else affected

by their actions while at work

If an employee is unsure how to perform a certain task or feels it would be dangerous to perform a specific job or use specific equipment, it is the employee’s duty to report this as soon as possible to their line manager or other person in charge.

• Shall report to managers any unsafe practices or any occupational ill-health

issues/accidents/incidents/near misses/dangerous occurrences, whether or not injury is sustained.

They shall report systems of work or conditions which they consider may create risks to their own

health and safety or damage to equipment and premises

• Shall not, intentionally or recklessly, interfere with or misuse anything provided by the College in the

interests of health, safety or welfare

• Shall conform to all instructions, written and oral, given to ensure their personal safety and the safety

of others

• Use equipment for its intended purpose

• Shall maintain all work equipment in good condition, reporting any defects to their supervisor

• Shall at all times make full use of appropriate protective clothing and appropriate safety equipment

and devices provided

• Not interfere with or misuse anything provided for health and safety

• On discovering a fire, raise the alarm

• If an emergency alarm sounds, leave by the nearest emergency exit

• Notify their line manager in advance if they require assistance to evacuate, so that a Personal

Emergency Evacuation Plan (PEEP) can be produced

• Not cause damage to the fabric of College buildings or connect to services – other than through a

standard electrical socket – without prior agreement from the Head of Estates

• Bring any breaches of this policy, protocols or health and safety arrangements to the attention of

their line manager

All Students

• Shall at all times, whilst they are on College premises or taking part in College activities, follow the

Health and Safety Policy and comply with any health and safety instructions given to them

• Shall not, without the consent of the employee in charge of the areas or activity, introduce any

equipment for use on College premises, alter any fixed installations, alter or remove health and safety

notices or equipment, or otherwise take any action which may create hazards for persons using the

premises or employees of the College

• Shall at all times, whilst in residence in College property, comply with all fire, safety and security

procedures

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• Shall not, in the interests of health, safety and welfare intentionally or recklessly, interfere with or

misuse College property

• Shall conform to all instructions, written and oral, given to ensure personal safety and the safety of

others

• Shall use protective or specialist clothing as required and shall use all safety equipment available.

• Shall maintain all equipment in good condition, reporting any defects to their teacher/tutor/activity

leader/houseparent

• Shall report all ill-health issues/accidents/incidents/ dangerous occurrences/near misses, whether or

not injury is sustained, to their teacher/health centre employees/tutor/activity leader/houseparent

The Health and Safety Committee

It is the responsibility of the Health and Safety Committee to:

• Act as a consultative forum for the consideration and discussion of draft Health and Safety policies

and procedures and meets at least quarterly.

• Act on behalf of, and advise the Principal and leadership team, on matters of Health and Safety

Policy, structure and communications; and to recommend any action necessary to ensure the health

and safety of employees, students and members of the public (including contractors and visitors to

College premises)

• Keep under review the College’s legal obligations with regard to Health and Safety statutory

requirements and to identify through regular monitoring and bring to the attention of the leadership

team areas where this basic standard is not being achieved

• Receive reports on health and safety audits, accident statistics, communications with enforcing

authorities, and from relevant sub-groups and to make recommendations to the leadership team on

any corrective action required

• Receive updates on changing legislation and review and assist in the development of policies and

procedures to enable the College to meet all statutory requirements

• Ensure all levels of College management are aware of their safety obligations and through the receipt

of regular monitoring reports to ensure these obligations are being discharged appropriately

• Set up and oversee sub-groups of the Committee, where appropriate, and commission reports from

these sub-groups as necessary to assist the Committee in the development of policy and procedure

• Monitor employee training and development programmes as they relate to Health and Safety issues

to ensure appropriate training is provided to enable all managers to safely discharge their duties

• Receive reports and review personal safety for employees, students and visitors on College

premises

• Produce an annual report for the Principal which covers Health and Safety activities and provides

the leadership team with the information required to discharge its duties under the Health and Safety

at Work etc. Act 1974 and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999

The Health and Safety Committee comprises of:

Business Director Vice Principal (Student Life) Vice Principal (Studies)

Head of Estates Head of Residential Life Head of Human Resources

Facilities Officer Head of Atlantic Outdoors Head of ICT

Clerk of Works Commercial Director Health Centre Nurse

Catering Manager Estates Team Member Technician

Head of Services and Activities

Tenants, Contractors, Visitors and Partnerships

Any College employee or department who enters into any arrangement or agreement on behalf of UWC

Atlantic College or its subsidiary must ensure all health and safety responsibilities are clearly specified as

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an integral part of the arrangement. This must include arrangements for two-way communication of hazard

identification, risk assessments and emergency procedures; particularly for activities on campus.

Where College employees work under the control of external agencies, their line manager will be

responsible for ensuring that a satisfactory assessment of all foreseeable risks has been carried out prior

to the commencement of the activity.

Visitors to the College and users of College facilities are expected to comply with all health and safety

requirements. This includes residential employee tenants, external tenants such as St Donat’s Nursery,

event clients of both Atlantic College and St Donat’s Arts Centre. Contracted services (for example

catering, security or specialist maintenance services) will be responsible for ensuring compliance with their

employees at all times.

Appendix 3

Health and Safety Arrangements Content

Absence

Accidents / Incident Reporting

Asbestos

Catering

Compressed Air

Compressed Gas

Confined Spaces

Construction Sites

Contractors

Control of Substances

Corporate Manslaughter

Disciplinary Procedures for Failure to Comply

Diseases

Display Screen Equipment

Driving on College Business

Educational Visits / Off Site Activities

Electrical Safety

Employee Health and Wellbeing

Fire Safety and Evacuation

First Aid

Hazards

Hazardous Substances (COSHH)

Health Surveillance

Hire of College Premises

Ill Health

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Incident Reporting

Induction Training

Inspections

Lead

Legionella

Lifting Equipment

Lone Working

Lone Working

Major Incident Plan

Medication and Prescribed Drugs

Near Miss Reporting

New Employees

Noise at Work

Permit to Work

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Pregnant and New Mothers

Risk Assessment

Slips, Trips and Falls

Security

Smoking

Stress at Work

Substance Misuse

Supervision of Students

Swimming Pools (Indoor and Outdoor)

Training / Professional Development

Violence and Aggression at Work

Working at height

Work Related Ill Health and Occupational Disease

Young Persons