Key changes to the Policy

Key changes to the University Health and Safety Policy

Format of Policy

The majority of the University Health and Safety Policy has not changed in content, however, the layout and format has been updated extensively. The Policy is supported by a Framework document (Organisation and Arrangements (in two parts)) which details the University’s organisation and arrangements for implementing and monitoring the Policy, and the arrangements Heads of School (and equivalent) need to adopt to meet their responsibilities defined by legislation and the University Health and Safety Policy.

Changes to content

Much of what was ‘guidance’ in Parts 1-8 has been taken out of the Policy and will be put onto our website in due course as Codes of Practice or guidance. For example, Part 3 on electrical equipment has now been condensed into Section 27 in the Framework: Arrangements section with much less detail and most of what was in Part 3 will be guidance on our website.

However, there are some sections which are now more defined or new - these are detailed below, new section number in brackets.

Framework: Organisation

• More detailed section on the Corporate Organisation of health and safety, in particular the Health and Safety Department – this was previously mentioned in the Keynote Guide but not in as much detail (section 2)
• New section on Regulation and guidance on health and safety (section 3)
• Inspection, monitoring and auditing – mentioned in detail in the Keynote Guide with references in other Parts of the policy but now has its own section (section 8)
• Responsibilities of Principal Investigators (PIs), supervisors or managers – this was previously mentioned mostly in Part 6 with references to these responsibilities in the Keynote Guide (under Supervisors) as well as in the Codes of Practice accompanying Parts 5 and Parts 7 and 8 (section 13)
• Section on Estates Department responsibilities including outside contractors (section 18)

Framework: Arrangements

• New section on health surveillance and immunisations, which had both been referred to in Parts 5, 6 and 7 previously (sections 8 and 9)
• New section on Physical hazards (noise/temperature/lighting etc.) (section 13)
• New section on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) which had previously been mentioned in detail in the Codes of Practice accompanying Part 5 and in Parts 6 and 7 (section 14)
• More detailed information on risk assessments – previously mentioned in the Keynote Guide and all Parts of the policy separately (section 18)
• More detailed information on training and supervision – previously mentioned in the Keynote Guide and all Parts of the policy separately (section 22)
• Small section on fringe/festival arrangements (section 28)