Staff responsibilities for health and safety

Executive Deans, Institute Directors, Central Support Services (CSS) Directors and Controlled Entity Chief Executive Officers (CEO), may also be considered ‘officers’ under the Act. An ‘officer’ under the Act is generally someone who makes, or participates in making, significant decisions that affect the whole, or a substantial part, of the business, or has the capacity to significantly affect the business' financial standing. When operating as ‘officers’, senior management also need to comply with due diligence obligations in addition to the following:

• setting the standard for HSW in their area of responsibility and actively demonstrating commitment to the health and safety of staff, students and others through proactive safety leadership and safety behaviours

• establishing effective and genuine consultative mechanisms, including a health and safety committee for the faculty, institute, controlled entity or CSS area (refer to the Health and Safety Consultative Mechanisms Procedure)

• understanding and appreciating the nature of the operations of the organisational unit and the hazards and risks associated with those operations

• allocating responsibility and authority and integrating health, safety and wellness responsibilities into the role requirements of heads of organisational units, and evaluating their HSW performance

• ensuring the area of responsibility has the capacity to manage health and safety risks, health and safety roles are appointed and supported, and sufficient resources are allocated in their area of responsibility

• ensuring the implementation of effective risk management through the risk assessment process (refer to the Health and Safety Risk Management Procedure)

• maintaining an effective system for the provision of health and safety information, training and supervision, relevant to the nature of the work and the risks involved

• ensuring that health and safety compliance and performance is monitored

• proactively supporting return to work processes for injured workers

• ensuring processes are maintained to provide for the appropriate and timely consideration of, and response to, incidents and hazards (refer to the Incident Reporting Procedure).

See the Health and Safety Responsibilities - Procedure for more detail on fulfilling these responsibilities.

Heads of organisational units are responsible for ensuring effective health and safety measures are in place within their organisational unit that comply with legislative requirements and the requirements of the faculty, institute, controlled entity or the CSS. These requirements include, but are not limited to:

• setting the standard for HSW in their area of responsibility and actively demonstrating proactive safety leadership and culture

• ensuring that suitable health and safety induction, information, training and supervision is resourced, provided and recorded

• allocating sufficient resources to ensure the capacity for managing health and safety within the work area, including health and safety roles

• implementing and reviewing appropriate risk control measures, including assisting and ensuring that risk assessments are completed

• establishing and maintaining consultative processes regarding HSW issues between management and workers (e.g. considering health and safety matters at health and safety committees).

See the Health and Safety Responsibilities - Procedure for more detail on fulfilling these responsibilities.

Supervisors and managers are to undertake and ensure effective health and safety measures are in place within their area of responsibility that comply with legislative requirements and the requirements of the faculty, institute, controlled entity and the CSS. For the purposes of this procedure, a Principal Advisor is considered to be the supervisor of higher degree by research (HDR) students as outlined in the Eligibility and Role of Higher Degree by Research Advisors Procedure.

Provide health and safety induction, information, training and supervision

• Disseminate HSW information to UQ workers relevant to the specific work hazards of the area.

• Provide induction and refresher training to ensure UQ workers have the ability to discharge HSW responsibilities including: identifying hazards, abiding by safe operating procedures and emergency response procedures, use and maintenance of personal protective equipment (PPE) and safety equipment.

• Supervise the health and safety aspects of work undertaken by UQ workers within the work area.

• Facilitate consultative processes regarding health and safety issues between management and UQ workers.

Undertake risk assessments

• Participate in, or directly supervise, the undertaking of hazard identification, evaluation of risks, and the design and implementation of hazard control measures that are applicable to work, research projects, teaching, and field work.

• Ensure risk assessments are recorded in UQSafe.

• Incorporate HSW considerations into the design specification, purchase, hire, lease and supply of new plant including equipment, materials, products and substances used in the workplace.

• Monitor the performance and effectiveness of the risk management program within the work area.

Ensure application of appropriate risk control measures 

For the work area:

• Implement hazard-specific HSW procedures and guidelines, develop and periodically update HSW local procedures for the management of risks specific.

• Ensuring the provision of plant, safety systems and personal protective equipment (PPE) required to control the risk of hazards.

• Ensure the maintenance of plant, safety systems and PPE required to control the risk of hazards.

Ensure incidents, hazards and near misses are followed up

• Undertake investigations of injuries and illnesses arising from workplace activities and recommend corrective actions to prevent or minimise the chance of recurrence (refer to Health and Safety Incident Investigation Procedure).

• Ensure all workplace hazards are reported in UQSafe in a timely manner. The automatic workflow in UQSafe will notify the people responsible for implementing corrective actions.

• Oversee the creation of corrective action plans arising from incident and hazard reports within the required timeframe, and the implementation of these plans.

• Support workers’ return to work plans.

See the Health and Safety Responsibilities - Procedure for more detail on fulfilling these responsibilities.

All UQ workers have a responsibility to actively participate in promoting a positive HSW culture in the organisational unit. This can be achieved through consultation, providing feedback that aids in reporting about, and improving, HSW practices, and participating in and contributing to health and safety committees.

All UQ workers have obligations under the legislation to:

• take reasonable care for their own health and safety, and ensuring that their acts or omissions do not adversely affect the health and safety of others

• comply with all reasonable safe work procedures and instructions

• cooperate with any policy or procedure relating to health and safety at UQ

• assist with the preparation of risk assessments and safe operating procedures

• report all incident, hazards and near misses in UQSafe and to their supervisor.

See the Health and Safety Responsibilities - Procedure for more detail on fulfilling these responsibilities.

'UQ workers' includes,

• staff – continuing, fixed-term, research (contingent funded) and casual staff

• contractors, subcontractors and consultants

• visiting academics and researchers

• affiliates – academic title holders, visiting academics, emeritus professors, adjunct and honorary title holders, industry fellows and conjoint appointments

• higher degree by research students.

In Organisational Units where work activities present the potential for significant risk to the health and safety of UQ workers, the training and appointment of a HSW Manager should be considered.

The appointment of this role does not relinquish the responsibilities of Heads of Organisational Units, managers, supervisors or staff under the Act. These appointments are part of the HSW strategy to assist all parties in meeting their legislative responsibilities and due diligence obligations.

HSW Managers provide additional support and leadership on health and safety matters. They represent the relevant Faculty, Institute, controlled entity or Division when consulting with the HSW Division on UQ policies, procedure and guidelines.

There are ten main responsibilities and functions of HSW positions at UQ. For HSW managers, this includes:

1. Supporting UQ health, safety and wellness governance and consultative mechanisms.

2. Developing, managing and maintaining UQ's HSW management system within their area.

3. Facilitating risk management processes at UQ.

4. Developing and delivering health, safety and wellness programs relevant to the area.

5. Providing advice, information and services.

6. Monitoring health, safety and wellness performance of the area.

7. Developing health, safety and wellness capability.

8. Incident investigation (reviewing incident reports, and supporting investigations and implementation of preventative measures).

9. Engagement with regulators and stakeholders as required.

10. Workers’ compensation return to work assistance.

See the Health and Safety Responsibilities - Procedure for more detail on fulfilling these responsibilities.

Find resources for health and safety coordinators and representatives.

Many Organisational Units are supported locally by Work Health and Safety Coordinators (WHSCs).

Under the guidance and direction of the HSW Managers or the HSW Division, the WHSC advises the Head of the Organisational Unit, managers and/or supervisors and UQ workers about responsibilities and obligations under the Act and the overall state of HSW in the work unit.

The duties they provide include, but are not limited to,

• workplace inspections
• training
• supporting the implementation of HSW management plans
• assisting in the development of risk assessments
• reviewing workplace hazards and incidents

See the Health and Safety Responsibilities - Procedure for more detail on fulfilling these responsibilities.

Find resources for health and safety coordinators and representatives.