Preface to Model (S)

This is the third issue of the Safety Statement manual that was produced to:

• Meet new Health & Safety legislative changes
• Take account of restructuring and management re-organisation within the University
• Make minor revisions or corrections to some sections including date proofing
• Add new sections or include extra detail to other sections
• Be available in e-format on the University intranet

Apart from template revisions and seelcted revised RA forms as now contained within the attached, there is no universal need for Colleges/Schools/ Departments to change everything they have created in relation to their existing risk assessments or other records, since most of this issue is identical to the first manual.

Where actions are required in individual Sections, these are indicated in Section 2.4 and should be reviewed, if applicable.  Revised reporting relationships of schools/departments must be reflected in the safety statements as must the overall H&S responsibilities of the senior functional managers for the outturn of the constituent schools/departments within his/her function area.

As stated previously in the first issue, the purpose of this manual is to comply with current Health & Safety legislation and to provide a template, aid or guide for the Colleges/Functional areas of the University and their constituent Schools/Departments/Centres to produce or customise their own Department’s Safety Statement, to a professional standard.

Its objective is to give general guidance aimed at the prevention of accidents and occupational ill health in the workplace and to ensure compliance with the requirements of current Health & Safety legislation. The Work Manual is not intended as a legal interpretation of this legislation .

The Manual establishes the structure/format and typical contents, which Colleges/functional areas with Schools/Departments with disciplines referenced in the model title, should adopt. It consists of 4 constituent Volumes, which in turn are divided into numerous Sections. These may be adopted in full or altered to suit the individual School/department. The Manual also has an Appendix that contains miscellaneous information relevant to the content of the Manual.  

It must be emphasised that whilst the scope and content of this Manual is reasonably comprehensive, it does not purport to be an exhaustive or comprehensive safety manual, which covers every aspect of the activities of the University and its Colleges/ functional areas.  Each constituent school/department within the respective functional areas of the University, must initially identify and continually update the unique hazards encountered in their sphere of activity.  Hazards thus identified and not covered by this manual must be included for by the College/Functional areas within the safety statements of the constituent areas in question. This should be catered for by revising and/or devising new sections.

Colleges/Functional areas and their constituent Schools/Departments should adapt the contents of the manual, in particular ‘Arrangements and Controls’ in Volume 2, to the circumstances in their own department.  Schools/Departments may alter, amend any section to simplify and take account of its circumstances/work practices, providing it does not diminish:

1. It ’s legal obligations or responsibilities and
2. Best safety practice requirements, Codes of Practice or guidelines established or recognised by EU/National Standards, the Health & Safety Executive, the Health & Safety Authority or guidelines produced by Expert Advisory Committee’s at National level in the University Sector or University Health and Safety Office. 

Departments must alter /reset the template dates and revision numbers to reflect their own document generation and revision history.

This Volume contains Sections 1 - 17 of the school/department safety statement and should be read in conjunction with Volume Nos. 2,3 & 4.  This Volume sets out the proactive safety management system (S.M.S), which is intended to secure the safety, health & welfare of staff and students whilst ensuring compliance with current and developing health and safety legislation within a College/ Functional areas and its constituent School/Department/Centres. 

It details the safety responsibilities for all management personnel therein, together with the arrangements for safety monitoring, safety consultation, training, first aid and up-keep of the safety statement .

This Volume contains Section 18 of the departmental safety statement, this section sets out requirements for the Control of Hazards and Risks (C.H.R.) within the College/functional areas and relevant School/Department. 

This should be read in conjunction with Volume No. 3, the Departmental Hazard identification and Risk Assessment (H.R.A.).

It summarises the individual hazards and risks that may be found within the College/ Functional area and those associated with the activities of the relevant school/department/centre. It also indicates the requirements to eliminate or control the hazards and risks .

This Volume contains Section 19 of the school/department safety statement, this deals with Departmental Hazard identification and Risk Assessment (H.R.A.). This should be read in conjunction with Volume No. 2.

It outlines terminology and risk assessment methodology used to control and monitor hazards for the entire department's activities, rooms, equipment, processes, work undertaken and substances/agents used.

Specimen checklists are also provided in relation to specific regulations/ specific headings to enable hazards/ safety issues to be identified. Once identified, risk levels may require to be assessed and appropriate arrangements and controls identified. This information together with a programme of implementation will form the basis for the Safety Action Plan (D.S.A.P.) of the School/department in Volume No.4. and that of the relevant College/Functional area.

This Volume contains Section 20 of the department safety statement, details a prioritised phased programme of actions, for the School/Departmental and the College/ Functional area in the overall sense by way of  a Safety Action Plan (S.A.P.). This is necessary to implement the arrangements and controls necessary to reduce hazards/risks identified in Volume No. 3. It should also be read in conjunction of Document 2, under the relevant sections.

 Appendices

Volume 1 (S): University Safety Management System (2021/2022)

Volume 2 (S): Controls of Hazards and Risks

Requirements for the Control of Hazards & Risks

Note: all docs have individual rev #'s ( most current document in each case).

The list below is not exhaustive. Schools/Depts should add to the list below based on their Dept RA reconciliaiton. (With an summation of the appropriate risk controls listed and the persons responsible operationally for managing said risks) 

Volume 3a (S): Hazard Id. & Risk Assessment - General S.O.P.

How to identify hazards and manage and assess risks

After reading 19.1 to 19.7, and appendix IV, commence with using the Dept RA reconciiation tool. Once this has been filtered down to the activities of relevance, then proceed to complete 19.10 in that light. ( for the risks identified). 

Volume 3b(S): Scientific/ Services Hazards - Simple RA Checklists

Note: Only use those sections or elements therein as are relevant to the Departments activities as and where work is conducted both within and external to UCC.

Add additonal content to cover activities that are not captured within the above. B&Es inputs may be needed for 19.3.5, 19.3.6 and 19.3.9. 

Repeat travel journeys by an individual or group may be covered by an initial travel RA provided the circumstances remain constant/ unchanged.

A VDSE RA must be conducted for each staff workstation ( to capture different personal circumstances and set ups).

Please adapt the Field work code for indepth treatment & RA of any/ all fieldwork trips conducted by the School/Department. Please also see the section following for Covid-19 virus pandemic checklists. There are community public health related in nature and were generated by the H.S.A. based on the latest Government return-to-work guidance.

Footnote: The UCC Risk Assessment SOP and Risk Assessment topic and activity forms generally apply to wherever work is undertaken. No special Risk Assessment forms are needed for remote working. Such places of work should be assessed using the standard Risk Assessment forms provided commencing with the Basic Hazard Spotting Exercise (19.10), the General Workplace Safety Checklist (19.3.1) and the VDSE Risk Assessment 2020 (19.3.4) in particular.

Revised September 2020

Volume 3c (S): Risk Assessment Template

Volume 3d (S): Summary of Dept Hazards/Assessed Risks

Note: A risk conclusion should be available to coincide with all hazards/risks that were indentified as applying to the departments work activities ( per the Dept Rsk Reconciliation Tool)

Dept RA Reconciliation 2016

Volume 4 (S): Dept Safety Action Plans

This must be dynamic. It must be reviewed at least annually and revised regularly.

Appendices Model (S)