Work Health and Safety Committee Terms of Reference Related Policy Work Health and Safety Policy Responsible Officer Executive Director Human Resources Approved by Executive Director Human Resources Approved and commenced September, 2015 Review by September, 2018 Responsible Organisational Unit Work Health and Safety Unit - Human Resources CONTENTS 1. Objective... 2 2. Scope... 2 3. Terms of Reference... 3 4. Committee Structure... 3 4.1 Membership... 3 4.2 Term of Office... 4 4.3 Direction... 4 4.4 Reporting... 4 4.5 Meetings... 4 4.6 Communication... 4 4.7 Sub Committees... 5 5 Student Health and Safety... 5 6 Definitions and Acronyms... 5 7 Versioning... 5 8 Appendices... 6 Appendix A Organisational Unit (or other) Health and Safety Committee... 7 Appendix B Student Health Safety and Wellbeing Working Group Error! Bookmark not defined. Appendix C Smoke Free Working Group... 11 1 Work Health and Safety Committee Terms of Reference ([Month], 2015)
1. Objective The Work Health and Safety (WHS) Committee is the University s overarching work health and safety consultative body. The WHS Committee s stated purpose is consistent with the requirements of the Tasmanian Work Health and Safety Act 2012 to: facilitate cooperation between the University and workers in instigating, developing and carrying out measures designed to ensure workers health and safety at work; assist in developing standards, rules and procedures relating to health and safety that are to be followed or complied with at the workplace; perform any other functions agreed between the University and the Committee. The overall aim of the Committee is to support the achievement of the highest level of WHS performance through systematic elimination or reduction of risks, so far as is reasonably practicable. A key objective of the Committee is to ensure that the University recognises the need for continuous improvement of its work health and safety performance for the benefit of its workforce the student community and visitors. The Committee supports the University by being informed of and reinforcing WHS best practice and by engaging with the University stakeholders to promote WHS excellence in work practices. The Committee also aims to assist the University to be distinctive among its peers by identifying, developing and implementing strategies that foster positive safety culture growth within the many workplaces of the University. All University WHS consultative arrangements fall under the umbrella of the WHS Committee. The WHS Committee will: keep a record of Organisational Unit and other WHS consultative arrangements; monitor the effectiveness of these consultative arrangements; consider any issues escalated to the WHS Committee by an Organisational Unit Committee; provide advice, direction and support to the Organisational Unit Committee and other WHS consultative arrangements. The WHS Committee will support special purpose working groups as required from time to time, including: Smoke-Free Working Group 2. Scope The WHS Committee provides direction and support to University management, staff, students, volunteers and contractors working at University workplaces and carrying out University approved off-site work, including University collaborative arrangements with other parties. The WHS Committee makes recommendations to the Senior Management Team. The Committee is not responsible or accountable for WHS management at the Organisational Unit level. This duty of care responsibility remains with the respective University Officers as Organisational Unit heads. However, unresolved Organisational Unit WHS issues can be addressed by the Committee. Work Health & Safety Committee Terms of Reference 2
3. Terms of Reference The WHS Committee s Terms of Reference are to: ensure that the University s WHS strategy plan is consistent with and aligned with the University's broader strategy; ensure a system is in place and maintained to allow each Organisational Unit to demonstrate WHS statutory compliance; initiate, develop and endorse University-wide WHS policies, minimum standards and procedures; undertake WHS consultation and oversee the implementation and conduct of the WHS consultation process across the University; promote WHS best practice through continuous improvement and the pursuit of excellence in WHS management; promote work health and safety awareness and health and wellbeing initiatives throughout the University; receive reports from WHS Sub-Committees, Faculty WHS Committees, Health and Safety Representatives and student representatives; monitor the WHS performance of the University and its Organisational Units; support the University s WHS Strategic Plan by assisting in the development and implementation of measureable objectives and targets with respect of student health, safety and wellbeing; keep informed of student health and safety practices and initiatives in the university sector nationally; promote a coordinated approach to student health and safety within the University by engaging with key stakeholders; review WHS performance and make recommendations to the Senior Management Team to eliminate or minimise WHS risk so far as is reasonably practicable; review the University s work health and safety management system to determine whether it continues to meet the University s current and emerging needs. 4. Committee Structure The University s Work Health and Safety (WHS) Committee was established at the University s initiative as allowed for in Section 75(2) of the Work Health and Safety Act 2012. 4.1 Membership Equal representation of members appointed by the University and elected staff/student members is in keeping with Section 76(3) of the Act. The WHS Committee has a membership of twelve comprising: five elected Health and Safety Representatives (HSRs) including two from the South, two North, one NW and and elected to the Committee by the HSRs of each respective region; one student representative (President of TUU); and six members endorsed by the Senior Management Team, comprising: o Chief Operating Officer o Executive Director, Human Resources o Representative of the Division of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Students & Education) o Dean or Head of Institute (3) Work Health & Safety Committee Terms of Reference 3
The following are non-members of the Committee and attend meetings in an advisory or support capacity: o Associate Director Commercial Services and Development o Director, Risk & Audit o Associate Director, Workplace Relations and Safety-Human Resources o Manager, Work Health Safety o Secretary (provided by the WHS Unit) 4.2 Term of Office The term of office for Committee members is: appointed - two years elected (HSRs) - two years student (TUU State President or Campus President) - one year 4.3 Direction The Senior Management Team is the University s senior Work Health and Safety body, reporting to the University Council. The Senior Management Team: provides direction to the WHS Committee; determines the University s WHS Strategy and approves WHS strategic plans; receives WHS reports including audit reports from the WHS Committee; endorses the appointment of members to the WHS Committee; endorses the selection of a member of Senior Management Team to Chair the WHS Committee; at intervals that it determines, reviews the operation of the WHS Committee to ensure its continuing suitability, adequacy and effectiveness. 4.4 Reporting The WHS Committee reports to the Senior Management Team: following scheduled meetings of the Committee; following management review of the University s WHS Management System; by briefing paper as and when determined by the WHS Committee; in the event of a serious or notifiable incident. 4.5 Meetings Four Committee meetings are to be held each year. Additional meetings may be held where required. An annual forward program of meeting dates is to be published on the WHS web page. Agenda items and recommendations are to be presented to the Secretary no later than 10 working days prior to the meeting. The Secretary is to communicate agenda items and recommendations to Committee members no later than 5 days prior to the meeting. 4.6 Communication The Committee Secretary is responsible for maintaining communication through the Work Health and Safety Committee web page which includes: Terms of Reference Minutes of Meetings Work Health & Safety Committee Terms of Reference 4
List of current members 4.7 Sub Committees The WHS Committee has sub committees to which it provides direction and support: Diving Safety Committee Boating Safety Committee Institutional Biosafety Committee(IBC) These committees are to provide reports to the WHS Committee, including records of meetings and current action plans. 5 Student Health and Safety The University recognises the obligation to safely educate students and encourage students to identify and manage WHS risks as part of their broader educational journey. The Work Health and Safety Committee supports the development of a coordinated approach to student health and safety across the University. The Student Transition, Engagement and Wellbeing (STEW) is a sub-committee of the Student Executive Committee and provides a report to both the Student Experience Committee and the Work Health and Safety Committee. 6 Definitions and Acronyms Term/Acronym Definition Organisational Unit Faculty, School, Centre, University Institute, other University Entity, Division, Section or University Business Enterprise. Student Experience Committee Senior Management Team Supporting Documentation The Student Experience Committee, as a committee of Academic Senate, provides advice and recommendations on the development, implementation and review of strategies, policies and initiatives to address the needs of students and enhance the student experience at the University. The Senior Management Team (SMT) is established by the Vice-Chancellor. It provides advice to the Vice-Chancellor in relation to matters of major significance to the University s operation for which the Vice-Chancellor is accountable to Council as detailed in Ordinance 3 Vice Chancellor. Work Health and Safety Act 2012. Work Health and Safety Consultation, Cooperation and Coordination Code of Practice 2012. Safe Work Australia Worker Representation and Participation Guide 7 Versioning Former Version(s) Version 1 Work Health & Safety Committee Terms of Reference 5
Current Version Version 2 (current document) 8 Appendices Appendix A Organisational Unit (or other) Health and Safety Committee Guideline Group Appendix B Smoke-Free Working Group Work Health & Safety Committee Terms of Reference 6
Appendix A Organisational Unit (or other) Work Health and Safety Committee Guide 1. Background Each Organisational Unit of the University is to implement WHS consultation arrangements as required by legislation. The following structure is provided for guidance on the establishment of a Committee, and the relationship, function and membership of such committees at an Organisational Unit and School level. UNIVERSITY WORK HEALTH AND SAFETY COMMITTEE Advisory Committee who report to the Senior Management Team Chairperson: Dean, Director or General Manager FACULTY/ DIVISION/ INSTITUTE WORK HEALTH AND SAFETY COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP TO INCLUDE MANAGEMENT AND WORKER REPRESENTATION FROM EACH SCHOOL/ UNIT Chairperson: Head of School/ Unit School/ Unit A WHS Committee Chairperson: Head of School/ Unit School/ Unit B WHS Committee Chairperson: Head of School/ Unit School/ Unit C WHS Committee MEMBERSHIP TO INCLUDE SUPERVISORY AND WORKER REPRESENTATION FROM EACH School WHS Committees (if established) have an advisory and coordinating role for the management of local health and safety matters. Faculty/ Division/ Institute level Committees are expected to include a management and worker representative from each School Health and Safety Committee. This promotes good communication and ensures that matters which are unresolved at School level are referred upwards. Efficient information feedback processes are the key to promotion of continual improvement. Workplace health and safety committees provide a formal and efficient forum for reporting and managing safety. They also provide a means of ensuring proper communication and consultation between all stakeholders including the upwards passage of information to the University WHS Committee. Membership of health and Work Health & Safety Committee Terms of Reference 7
safety committees assists senior managers (Officers) to demonstrate due diligence through the recorded minutes of meetings. 2. Structure of Committees Management members of the committee should not represent more than half of the committee membership. The remaining members should preferably be elected Health and Safety Representatives. Committee members must have information and skills to deal with issues in a proper manner and feel that they have adequate knowledge and are comfortable in undertaking the role. The inclusion of senior managers on committees enables decisions to be approved and actioned without the need to refer them for further approval. This encourages members because they can see their recommendations immediately implemented and gives a clear sign that their work is helping to improve and protect health and safety in the workplace. A Deputy Chairperson should be elected from among the committee members. Although largely driven by the size of a workplace, larger committees are likely to be less effective and would not normally exceed twelve members although this number may be slightly varied if proper worker or management representation cannot otherwise be achieved. It is to be noted that where a WHS Committee is requested by University HSRs or workers in accordance with Section 75 of the Work Health and Safety Act 2012, it must be established. The WHS Committee must then be constituted in accordance with section 76 of the Act and at least half of the members of the Committee must be workers who are not nominated by the University. Where appropriate, consultative arrangements may involve two or more Organisational Units, for example where they share similar work health and safety risks, occupy the same building, or are located on the same campus. 3. Terms of Reference The Committee provides the principal Work Health and Safety consultative mechanism and central point of reference of the workplace which it represents. Its principal activities are as follows: To facilitate cooperation between all persons working under the auspices of the University in developing, instigating and carrying out measures designed to optimise health and safety. To review and disseminate required standards, rules and procedures relating to health and safety which are to be complied with in the workplace. The committee may appoint sub-committees as it may determine from time to time, to perform specific tasks on behalf of the Committee, the membership of which shall include at least one member of the Committee. The committee receives reports from its members and sub-committees. Work Health & Safety Committee Terms of Reference 8
The committee may make recommendations or request attendance of delegations to the University Work Health and Safety Committee by arrangement via the Work Health and Safety Manager. To ensure that key safety related record keeping documents are made available. The committee must meet at least quarterly but hold meetings as often as needed to deal with work health and safety issues as soon as possible. Meeting agendas and minutes must be made available for inspection. To prepare regular reports, summarising their activities, which are forwarded to their parent health and safety committee i.e. School committees report to Faculty committees who in turn report to the University Work Health and Safety Committee. 4. Faculty Work Health and Safety Committee Membership The membership should represent worker and management members from each School Safety Committee. Committee Chairperson: Dean or Director. Deputy Chairperson: Elected by the committee from the voting members. Workers representation: From each School Safety Committee, an elected Health and Safety Representative. If not available, a School Safety Officer can fulfil this role on a temporary basis but this substitution should be regularly reviewed to improve worker representation. Management representation: Preferably the Head of School or Chairperson from each School Safety Committee. Minutes Secretary: This person is an invitee who supports and records the activities of the committee. Invitees: These individuals are not members of the committee and do not hold voting rights. 5. School Work Health and Safety Committee Membership Worker and management representation should reflect all workplaces within the School. Health and Safety Representatives have a good knowledge of workplaces. Line managers have the authority to make decisions about improvements to health and safety and usually have a good knowledge of the organisation. Committee Chairperson: Head of School. Deputy Chairperson: Elected by the committee from the voting members. Workers representation: Elected Health and Safety Representatives or agreed representatives of workers. Management representation: Primarily, workplace Supervisors and then other local managers. Work Health & Safety Committee Terms of Reference 9
Minutes Secretary: This person is an invitee who supports and records the activities of the committee. Invitees: These individuals are not members of the committee and do not hold voting rights. 6. Reporting & Record Keeping Workplace Health and Safety Committees summarise outcomes of their quarterly meetings in minutes and associated activities in an annual report. On behalf of the workplace management, the committee typically oversees compliance monitoring processes used to evaluate health and safety performance according to the following schedule. Workplace Health and Safety Committees should oversee the monitoring processes used to evaluate health and safety performance including: Risk Registers Incidents, injuries, hazards and near miss occurrences Training Workplace Inspections CSA audits and action plans. A sub-committee is to provide to the WHS Committee: a copy of their Terms of Reference; a forward program of scheduled committee meetings - annually; a report listing key initiatives and actions taken - annually. 7. Policy Work Health and Safety Policy Work Health & Safety Committee Terms of Reference 10
Appendix C Smoke Free Working Group Senior Management Team endorsed the recommendation from the Work Health and Safety Committee to progress the investigation of a Smoke Free University. The Smoke Free Campus Working Group will investigate and provide advice to the Work Health and Safety Committee on how the University of Tasmania can achieve that all campuses can become Smoke Free. The Group will meet monthly commencing July 2014 and has a proposed term of 24 months. Terms of Reference: Source information from other Australian Universities to review how they achieved a smoke free status Review the difficulties in becoming totally smoke-free on all campuses and source information on solutions Investigate the resources in the community to assist those smokers who wish to give up smoking Marketing and how this can be achieved to provide advice to smokers Membership: To include smokers and non-smokers Associate Director, Workplace Relations and Safety Human Resources (Chair) Associate Director, Facilities and Operations IPaC - CSD Healthy U Representative Manager, Work Health and Safety Human Resources TUU President HSR Representatives to represent workgroups from each campus Student Representatives TUU Work Group Representatives (not represented by HSRs) Work Health Safety Advisors Work Health & Safety Committee Terms of Reference 11