WELCOME to the University Health and Safety Office web page.

Please peruse our news board below. Our activities relate to UCC staff occupational health & safety matters. An overview of our areas of activity is given beneath our news board below at the following link H&S Office advice inputs.

For detailed information/ resources see the side bar on the left hand side of this web page.

For recent H&S News please follow the link H&S News

For the updated University Safety Policy of November 2011 please follow the link UCC Safety Policy (Update) - November 2011

For a synopisis of SHWW law context please follow the link.University & SHWW safety law context

For a synopsis of  the Common law context and UCC please follow the link Common Law Context & UCC

John Ring, University Safety Officer

Health & Safety Office Advice inputs

We advise upon and support, the proactive management of employee occupational health and safety at the Corporate level within UCC. This advice, encompasses supports to the executive management of each functional area/college w.r.t. their management of occupational H&S risks, SHWW law compliance, best practice and the prevention AFARP of employee work related accidents and ill health at source.

In line with the provisions of best practice and SHWW law, UCC 'conducts and manages' employee occupational h&s on a Functional Area/College & department basis, via the senior executive managers and heads of department, who manage and control operations/deliver serivices - whether academic or academic support in nature. The Health & Safety Office supports each funcitonal areas through professional advice and management support. Our advice and efforts is focused on:

• Facilitating* the work/research activities of staff and the development of the University, in a manner  which  minimises risk to all persons and to UCC overall . (* subject to risk acceptability, adherence to best practice and the requirements of Irish regulations/standards/HSA codes of practice).
• The pro-active prevention of accidents & ill health to employees and 3rd parties/students, who may be injured by the work conducted by employees.
• Instilling a safety culture and ownership of safety in management and employees, at all levels. Improving knowledge levels and h&s competency.
• Minimising financial loss, maintaining employee well being & productivity.
• Compliance with statutory requirements. The effective management of risk.
• Elimination /designing out of risk at source wherever practicable
• Quality, value for money 
• Best practice standards of safety & risk management
• Raising performance standards within each functional area.
• Targeted, progressive reduction in occ h&s risks and risk profile at UCC.

University Health and Safety Office UCC, 19th November 2009

further information see University & SHWW safety law context and also Common Law Context & UCC

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Health & Safety NEWS ( recent & archive)

Recent UCC h&s news and archive are listed below. For national h&s news items, alerts, promotions, campaigns and national statistics see Press releases and news boards on the Health and Safety Authority web site at www.hsa.ie.

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University and SHWW Law (statutory safety law) context

Irish/Eu Occupational H&S law (SHWW law), relates only to employed persons. This law applies to the work activities of UCC staff* at their place of work, both on Campus and off Campus. Occ. H&S duties arises for UCC and its executive management, w.r.t. staff research & teaching; in the upkeep of equipment, premises and grounds and in the use, by employees, of  work equipment, plant and facilities.

Note*: Students undergoing a course of study at UCC are not deemed to be employees of UCC, under SHWW law. [Reg 2(5) SHWW Act 2005). Separate common law duties apply to students and third parties. (see Common Law Context & UCC) 

Irish Statutory Safety Law (Employment Law) : Under the provisions of Irish SHWW law, the 'controlling minds' of the University, e.g the UMT and each executive manager, who decide policy, control budgets/ resources, staff activities or otherwise control the delivery of services, at a Functional Area or at a School/Department level throughout the University, are responsible, in so  far as is reasonably practicable (AFARP), for the occ. h&s of the employees under their control. (This includes compliance with the provision of  all aspects of SHWW law that is relevant to the work activites and places of work under their control). 

All employees (including managers), also have legal duties to co-operate with and generally assist their employer in complying with the requirements of SHWW law.

The obligations/duties under SHWW Law, (employment law) , whilst overlapping with the general obligations of common law (see below), apply only in the context of the work of employees, as conducted at their places of work. 

Footnote: Breaches of statutory (SHWW) law can give rise to the prosecution of individual mangers/employees as well as the body corporate. (Assessment of risk and implementation of required controls/safety guidance and training is the best way to protect everyone).

The above is separate to the University's common law obligations, for further information please see Common Law Context & UCC below.

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Common Law Context & UCC

Common Law duties are separate to statutory (SHWW law) duties . Common law principles derive from the English & Irish legal system and determinations by Judges in civil law cases for compensation. ( This is in contrast to statutory SHWW law which enacts Irish/Eu social partnership legislation in order to PRO-ACTIVELY protect workers and the community at large).

In accordance with common law principles, UCC as a provider of educational/ research services and as an owner of substantial premises/ facilities, has separate general 'duty of care' obligations, (e.g. common law duties), to discharge to all persons who work or study at UCC, or who visit UCC.  This is discharged by all UCC managers, lecturers and other staff delivering services. 

(Common law duties apply to the provision, AFARP, of safe places, safe equipment and safe systems, competent persons & adequate supervision. Foreseeability is also a factor).

Footnote: Determination of  any breach of common law safety duties only arise where an injury /illness compensation case is  taken via the national PIAB system/the Courts.  (As UCC is responsible for its employees and the manner in which they discharge their duties, UCC rather than individual employees would generally be the entity sued by 3rd parties in relation to any work accidents at UCC). 

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