Health & Safety Committee

The committee consists of:
I. Head of Department, ex officio;
II. Head of Administration (chair), ex officio;
III. Departmental Safety Officer, ex officio;
IV. Director of IT and Physical Resources, ex officio;
V. Observatory Director, ex officio;
VI. ECR representative;
VII. Student representative (to be nominated by CCG);
VIII. Facilities Manager (Maths), ex officio;
IX. Senior Facilities Manager, ex officio;
X. HR Administrator, ex officio;

Secretariat: PA to the Head of Department.
The committee meets once a year normally in Hilary term. Elected members serve for two years. 

Health and Safety Committee reports to Department Committee, and is responsible for:
I. providing leadership on safety, promoting and encouraging a safety-first culture within the department, and considering how best to improve safety within the department;
II. reviewing the implementation of new University Health and Safety policies;
III. reviewing accident/incident reports forwarded to the Safety Office;
IV. reviewing results of departmental inspections and considering the introduction of new and significant risks;
V. considering on an annual basis: updated Statement of Safety Organisation document(s); updated building and fire risk assessments, safety compliance (relevant to the department/building); discussion of departmental safety culture; discussion of lab/field risk assessment compliance and effectiveness; review of safety induction material; review of specific training provision (e.g. fieldwork safety).

The committee serves as a forum for celebrating successes, learning from things that go wrong, raising concerns about safety, and setting clear departmental policies around safety compliance (e.g. what will happen if an individual breaches safety rules).
Committee business should include the impact of research on physical and mental health where work becomes particularly demanding, e.g. intensive hours during a major experiment, working overseas in a country where protected characteristics are not protected. More routine health issues should be managed by HR. None of the above removes the responsibility of all individuals for the safety of themselves and those around them, or the responsibilities of the employer.

Copies of the minutes are forwarded to the MPLS Safety Committee, which will share them with the University Safety Office.

Membership