Preface to Model (H-A)

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

• Meet new Health & Safety legislative changes
• Make minor revisions or corrections to some sections including date proofing
• Add new sections or include extra detail to other sections
• Be available in CD format

Apart from template revisions and selected revised RA forms as now contained within the attached, there is no need for departments to change anything they have done with their existing risk assessments or other records, as most of this issue is identical to the first manual. Any actions required in individual Sections are indicated in Section 2.4 and should be reviewed, if applicable. 

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 Department/Centre/Unit 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. However, the Work Manual is not intended as a legal interpretation of this legislation.

The Manual establishes the structure/format and typical contents, which Departments 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 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 University’s or a Department’s activities.  Each constituent department 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 by the Department/Unit/Centre in question and should be catered for by revising and/or devising new sections.

Departments should adapt the contents of the manual, in particular ‘Arrangements and Controls’ in Volume 2, to the circumstances in their own department.  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 College specialist safety sub-Committees.

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

Note for Office Administration only Departments: Firstly ascertain that your staff do not undertake work activities such as : (organising events or conferences on or off campus, organising field work, supervision of students, student placements, engagement of contractors to maintain equipment, use of vehicles for work, organising deliveries by vehicles, use of noise generating equipment etc.) 

The flow diagrams on the following pages indicate the steps to be taken to complete the relevant sections in each constituent Document. 

The safety statement template consists of four constituent Volumes, which are intended to be used in conjunction with each other.

This Volume contains Sections 1 - 17 of the department safety statement and should be read in conjunction with Volume Nos. 2,3 & 4.  This Volume sets out the department’s/centre's/unit’s proactive safety management system, which is intended to secure the safety, health & welfare of staff and students whilst ensuring compliance with current and developing health and safety legislation. 

It details the safety responsibilities for all departmental personnel, 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, and should be read in conjunction with Volume No. 3, the Departmental Hazard identification and Risk Assessment (D.H.R.A.).

It summarises the individual hazards and risks that may be found within the department and those associated with the activities of the department. It also indicates the requirements to eliminate or control the hazards and risks. 

This Volume contains Section 19 of the department safety statement, and should be read in conjunction with Volume No. 2, the departmental requirements for the Control of Hazards and Risks (D.C.H.R.). 

It outlines terminology and risk assessment methodologies 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 Department's Safety Action Plan (D.S.A.P.) in Volume No.4.

This Volume contains Section 20 of the department safety statement, detailing a prioritised phased programme of actions, the Departmental Safety Action Plan (D.S.A.P.), to implement the arrangements and controls necessary to reduce hazards/risks identified in Volume No. 3. It should also be read in conjunction with Volume No. 2, under the relevant sections.

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

Footnote.The above should be adjusted/customised to reflect the School/dept name and the names of current mangement/ their responsibilities.

Volume 2 (H-A): Control of Risks - Typical Admin Area Hazards

 NOTE: These to be read in conjunction with Section 19, Document No.3 and relevant Appendices

Foreword for Office Administration only Departments:

Office Administration only Departments may only need to utilise 60-75% of the sections or content within the standard Humanities Model. (restricted as below for ADMIN OFFICES)

ADDITIONALLY where Heads/ Managers of ADMIN OFFICES have firstly ascertained that their staff undertake no work activities such as : (organising events or conferences or meetings either on or off campus, organising field work, supervision of students, student placements, engagement of contractors to maintain equipment, use of vehicles for work, organising deliveries by vehicles, use of noise generating equipment etc., then content such as  18.8 may not need to be downloaded/used. 

Note: In all cases content within these WORD document templates:

• content may/should be further ammended or reduced by the end user department - as and where it is not applicable to a particular ADMIN departments work and location.
• Header dates should be changed to reflect department issue/adaptation.

Requirements for the Control of Hazards and Risks (ADMIN ONLY OFFICES)>

Note: All documents have individual rev #s ( most current in each case)

Outdoor Work (Sun UV Safety)

Volume 3a (H-A): 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 (H-A): Admin Area 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).

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 (H-A): Risk Assessment Template

Volume 3d (H-A): 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 (H-A): Dept Safety Action Plans

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

Appendices for Model (H-A)