Manager responsibilities

As a manager of a workplace, one of the delegated responsibilities to is ensure health and safety compliance within your department/work area. This process is assisted and facilitated through the DHSO system.

As the HOD/Manager with budget control, it is important that health and safety within your area is sufficiently resourced for compliance, including time for the DHSO to complete the required tasks. There is a 9-module training programme for DHSOs provided by the H&S Team.

Employees should be a part of the health and safety process, and staff meetings or forums with H&S as a permanent agenda item will facilitate identifying health and safety problems, and also controls.

Responsibilities of Heads of Department/Managers of Services

• Support Departmental Health and Safety Officers (DHSO) by making available time and resources as necessary
• To implement the University health and safety policies that are relevant to the activities within their department, in conjunction with the DHSO
• Develop health and safety objectives with the DHSO
• To provide relevant information and training to staff, ensuring attendance as required
• To ensure appropriate emergency procedures are in place for departmental activities, facilities and are practised as necessary
• To ensure that hazard identification and management is effective and documentation is maintained
• To raise hazard management issues with the DVC/AVC/Director where the issue cannot be managed at the departmental level or is likely to have implications for the wider University
• To provide reports to the DVC/AVC/Director on health and safety progress and meeting of objectives
• To participate in health and safety audits
• Ensure accident/incident reporting and investigation is thorough
• Meet regularly (at least quarterly) with the DHSO
• To complete hazard identification and maintain hazards register including reviews of the register and hazard auditing
• To maintain the accidents register for the department and provide copies of accident forms to the UHSM
• To report on hazard management issues that require further controls to the HOD/Manager
• To complete accident investigations and associated documentation
• Co-operate with initiatives from the University Health and Safety Team
• Liase with Departmental Emergency Wardens to ensure emergency procedures are in place and practised as necessary
• Act as a resource for information on health and safety matters
• Ensure that effective health and safety training, information and supervision is available to those who require it
• To complete the staff induction for new staff with respect to the health and safety requirements
• Liase with other departments and organisations as necessary
• To actively promote Health & Safety into all aspects of the Departments activities

While the DHSO has the delegated responsibility for maintaining the hazard register, recording accidents, etc., it is the Manager/HOD representing the employer who is ultimately for hazard controls being implemented.

As a HOD/Manager you should:

• View the hazard register regularly
• Be aware of the hazards within the place under your control
• Know the controls that are in place, ask if assistance is needed with controls
• Discuss how hazards are being controlled with your DHSO
• Ensure that staff are attending training
• View all accident forms
• Meet with your DHSO at least quarterly

Download the Management Health & Safety Quick Checklist