The occupational health and safety of the staff and students of the School depends on contributing factors surrounding individuals in carrying out their duties on a day to day basis. As there are several models to cover a broad spectrum of health and safety issues within the University, the following has been used in an endeavour to cover the various roles in our work areas.
Health and safety is the responsibility of everyone working within the School, whether it be an office, workshop, laboratory or lecture room and the individual, staff member or student, has to recognise their role in the area in which they are working. The following are four factors to be considered in this role:
- Awareness of the environment
- Correct practices
- Consequence of actions
- Consideration of others
AWARENESS OF THE ENVIRONMENT
Understand the parameters of your workplace. Be conscious of any constraints or limitations peculiar to your particular area. Allow for change with the interaction of other influences in your work area. Be familiar with other workplaces you may visit in the course of your work. Don’t become complacent with your surroundings.
CORRECT PRACTICES
Each workplace has correct work practices peculiar to the requirements governed by the nature of the work performed and too great an importance can not be placed on the need to ensure that these practices are properly enforced. The “Workplace Health and Safety Act 1995” Act No 2 of 1995 sets very clear guidelines as to the responsibilities of the employer.
NOTIFICATION OF MEDICAL CONDITION LIKELY TO COMPROMISE SAFETY
Persons suffering from any medical condition likely to compromise their own safety or the safety of others whilst in an Engineering Laborator (such as Colour Blindness, Epilepsy, etc) must inform the
School before Lab access is sought.
Should you need to inform the School of any such condition, please send an Email to the School WHSO with the following details.
1. NAME
2. STUDENT NUMBER
3. NATURE OF MEDICAL CONDITION LIKELY TO COMPROMISE SAFETY.
RISK ASSESSMENTS (Responsibilities)
Supervisors are responsible for ensuring that risk analyses are performed by or on behalf of staff/students operating in areas for which they are responsible.
Lab supervisors should ensure that their laboratories have been generally risk-assessed; as well as the obvious high-risk environments,
layout of computer labs needs to be risk-assessed for matters such as eye strain, posture, etc.
Lecturers-in-charge of courses should ensure that all of the facilities and activities that are to be undertaken by their students have been risk-assessed.
RHD/thesis/project supervisors likewise.
Analogous responsibilities apply for research project leaders re project staff as well as students.
The Engineering & Technical Support Manager has responsibility for risk assessment of engineering labs.
The school research director has responsibility for risk assessment of research projects.
The school RHD coordinator has responsibility for risk assessment of RHD projects.
The BE and BInfTech thesis coordinators have responsibility for risk assessment of 4th year theses.
Discipline leaders have responsibility for risk assessments in the groups or courses assigned to that discipline.
The school coursework director has responsibility for risk assessment of coursework T&L activity.
The HoS has overall responsibility.
CONSEQUENCE OF ACTIONS
The result of an event, caused by the performance of a task or the instigation of a sequence of events, that will alter the working condition or environment of a workplace.
CONSIDERATION OF OTHERS
To give mental attention as to the result that your actions are having or will have on the actions, performance and attitude of others.There are numerous other factors varying in importance depending on the individual and the actual workplace. If a problem arises that cannot be resolved easily then the facts should be directed to the Workplace Health and Safety committee for action.
WORKPLACE HEALTH & SAFETY COMMITTEE
The Workplace Health and Safety committee has the role of ensuring the staff and students belonging to, or associated with the School is afforded the best possible care. The committee is elected annually in the March meeting and consists of representatives from all areas within the School.
The committee meets on the second Wednesday of March and the first Wednesday in June, September and December or at any other time circumstances demand. A copy of the minutes of meetings is held on file within the School and another copy is forwarded to the Occupational Health and Safety Unit of The University.
SCHOOL SAFETY POLICY
The School Safety Policy is directed by the policies of the Occupational Health and Safety Unit of The University. Main concerns being towards the care of students and staff in the engineering laboratories and workshops. As each of these areas is different in their own safety requirements of access and practices, each will have variations in policy. These safety requirements will be displayed in a prominent position within each area.
ERGONOMIC FURNITURE
By the very nature of the function of our School the use of screen-based equipment is predominate in the majority of areas. The selection of the correct ergonomic furniture is important in the care of staff and students in preventing muscular strains and sprains associated with the use of screen-based equipment. The Occupational Health and Safety Unit of The University has a specialist advisor for the assessment of people’s needs in obtaining the correct furniture.
ACCIDENT, INCIDENT, INJURY & HAZARD REPORTING
In the event of an accident, incident or injury, after completing any emergency
action,
the details should be reported to the Workplace Health and Safety Officer so an
Accident/Incident/Injury Report Form can be filled in. The Associate Director of
the
Occupational Health and Safety Unit and the Head of School are thereby informed of the
details
and any investigation and/or appropriate action put into place.
The Hazard Report Form is used when the assistance of specialists from the
Occupational
Health and Safety Unit is required in order to remove or alleviate a hazard. Any inquires may be directed to any member of the Workplace Health and Safety
committee
on matters related to this School’s duty of care.
Steve Wright
School Workplace Health & Safety Officer