Safety Management in Higher Education The UK Experience

Transcription

1 Safety Management in Higher Education The UK Experience Alan Cowen Head of Health and Safety University of Brighton Chair Universities Safety and Health Association (USHA)

2 What are the key issues? What are the challenges? What role does USHA play? What does success look like? Aims Overview of Key issues

3 Welcome from Brighton

4 Warm Welcome from USHA members

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6 USHA's mission is to ensure the wellbeing, both physical and mental of university staff, students and visitors through the promotion of health and safety in higher education.

7 Universities Safety and Health Association (USHA) Formed Member Universities 8 Regional Groups Representing over 300,000 staff 2.3million students

8 USHA Organisation Executive committee Specific roles Conferences Topic groups Sub groups Communication Training Planning group Regional groups Sub groups Fire Safety Estates Safety Advisers Auditing Chemical Safety Occupational Health

9 Special Interest groups Student Placements TRADE HASMap Auditing Tool Safety Management Training Field work Student Safety Partnership Emergency Response Management AUCSO Sport Safety

10 USHA Conference Programme Year Conference Theme 2003 Risk Management benefit to insurance Sport Safety 2004 Safety and Corporate Criminal Accountability UNIVERSITIES SAFETY & HEALTH ASSOCIATION ANNUAL CONFERENCE Building the Safer and Healthy Way Health & Safety in Estates and Buildings April 2008, The Cumberland Hotel, London Legislative Review 2005 Self Reliance Regulation to Self Regulation 2006 Distilling Value from Legal Mash Fire and Flu 2007 Sensible Risk In Search of Wellbeing 2008 Building the Safer and Healthier Way Safety on the Edge 2009 Health, Safety and Wellbeing Management Practices Event Safety Management 2010 TLC, Training, Learning and Competence

11 What s New! New first time attendees session at the Annual Conference Group and exec member badges Completion of the new logo and branding New Web site launched in April 2009 Wider participation and access for HE sector staff Celebrating success through a safety awards scheme A Learning and Professional Development Programme Introduction of Safety Directories News reports and project updates

12 Safety teams in focus On line HASMap resources Vacancies and interview panel support Resources area on Guidance and Policies-GaP Resources area for training providers, risk assessments, auditing and diagnostic services exchange TRADE Safety Discussion Forums for consultation International Safety Practitioners Exchange Programme Travel bursaries and secondment opportunities Income generating opportunities A new benevolent Fund Regional, Special Interest and Planning Group support areas Sector survey support and key performance indicators Developing Institutional Profiling

13 Celebrating Success

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15 Safety Department Safety Adviser/Manager Specialist staff Trainers Auditors Fire safety advisers Environmental Adviser Occupational Health Adviser Waste management Radiation protection Biological Safety Adviser

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17 Promoting USHA

18 Working with partner Associations Memorandum of Understanding Networking Joint initiatives House of Lords International Institute of Risk & Safety Management

19 Wold Congress Health and Safety in HE

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21 Occupational Health in Universities One in five Universities have no formal Occupational Health arrangements Qualifications Recruitment difficulties Only 15 responders to USHA statistics return

22 Strengths and weaknesses Political lobbying Strategic partners Competing agendas Ownership

23 Creating Success Through Wellbeing in Higher Education What is the project for? Across the sector, HEIs are being challenged by the need to deliver more and differently, with less resource. This project is focused on how investment in staff wellbeing can help to tackle the complex issue of how to support and engage staff so that they can perform to the best of their abilities. By the end of the project s first year the aim is to: understand what is being done across the sector to support staff wellbeing create an opportunity for institutions to learn from the experiences of others identify gaps in practice and the best way to fill them find out how organisations are measuring the success of their wellbeing work prove that staff wellbeing makes a difference

24 New Safety legislation Fire Reform Order Responsible persons Working at Height Regulations 2005 Removal of 2m rule Construction Design and Management Regulations ( Amendment) Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006 Noise at Work Regulations 2006 Corporate Manslaughter Act 2007

25 Physical Agents Directive Physical Agents (Optical) Directive Food Safety Legislation Direct from EC, no directive Other Sector Guidance BSI BS 8848:2007: Specification for the provision of visits, fieldwork, expeditions, and adventurous activities, outside the United Kingdom. BS :2006 Business continuity management code of practice

26 Revitalising health and safety Health and Safety Commission

27 A 10-year strategy to improve health and safety at work, Launched in It contains three elements: improvement targets, a 10-point strategy and; Revitalising health and safety 44 action points. Strategies and plans from the HSC and HSE

28 Higher Education Sector Plan Revitalising Health and Safety UCEA Safety Committee Plan University Strategy plans

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32 HE Sector Statistics

33 HE Sector Statistics

34 Current Issues Equality and diversity Sustainability Wellbeing agenda Shared Services Disability Discrimination Act Business continuity planning Funding

35 Standardizing Overseas Fieldwork Safety Management with British Standard 8848

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37 Health and Safety Guidance for the placement of HE students Tuesday 24 November 2009

38 Conclusion Story so far: Safety Management in HE Complex interaction of many agencies Limited time and resources Probably similar problems world wide We need: Clear sector guidance Monitor our strategy Good communication Available resources Vision and leadership Innovative solutions

39 What does success look like? UK leader Increased members Sustainable funding Improved facilities and resources Reduction in sector ill health See over the horizon