Airborne Disease & Control

Since 2022 no COVID-19 restrictions apply in Ireland. At UCC you should continue to follow public health advice to protect yourself and others.

The Health and Safety Authority note that the quality of air, including airborne biological agents, within indoor work environments directly impact on the health, well-being, and productivity of workers. Sufficient ventilation is an important factor in reducing the risk of aerosol transmission of SARSCoV-2, influenza and tuberculosis.

At UCC, we are committed to your health, safety and well-being including regularly monitoring and improving, where necessary, ventilation systems across our campus with view to creating a safer and more comfortable environment for everyone.

Revised Safety Statement Templates

Update for UCC users:

Current master template revisions are as per the date indicated on each sub-document and document link within Volumes 1-4 (note: various dates apply).

Several sections have been updated in relation to changes in SHWW Regulations/H.S.A. guidance including Covid-19 and introduction of an e-accident and dangerous occurrence reporting system and renewal of the University safety Policy. 

In cases of new sections or sections with content revision, the year of revision is generally included in both the download link and within the associated document title name (e.g. Doc XYX Year). This allows users and department management to quickly identify what they will need to review and change out in their School/Department Safety Statement and incorporate into the operation of their local safety management systems.

Note: Further upgrading of Volume 1, 2 and 3 content is on-going in-line with changes in H.S.A. guidance/advice, changes in OH&S safety law and UCC organisational changes. Updates are ongoing and will be made as and when Health & Safety Office resources and time allows.

Users should keep this section under review and always utilise the most current documents as the base content within their School/Department Safety Statements and risk assessments.  As of Q2 2022 updates will also be made available to Heads of Functions/nominees via FA Office 365 accident report share point subfolders.

 - Health and Safety Office May 2022

Dept. Safety Statement Template - 3 models

There are three (3) template model types available: Humanities (H), Admin Offices only (H-A) or Applied Scientific and Service Depts. (S) -depending on the scale and type of School/departmental activities.

‌Model (S) is the most comprehensive in scope. Each model contains individual downloadable documents which school and department management must efficiently adapt and utilise to populate and keep their local safety statements and risk assessments up to date. 

The web preface to the S, H and H-A models contains a statement that clarifies that ‘Schools Departments must alter /reset the template dates and revision numbers to reflect their own document generation and revision history.’’ This is also reflected in the relevant word document dealing with revisions etc.

Footnote:

The content of Model (H), which is necessarily more limited in scope, is contained as standard content within Model (S).‌ Model (H-A) added in December 2015 is a subset of H and is focused toward ADMIN ONLY OFFICES 

Office Administration only departments may only need to use 70% of the H model. (Hence the reduced content H-A Model) -  In circumstances where they have firstly ascertained that their staff do not undertake work activities such as: 

Organising of events or conferences either on or off Campus; organising field work or walking tours; supervision of students; student placements; engagement of contractors to maintain equipment; use of vehicles for work, organising deliveries by large vehicles, use of noise generating equipment etc.