1 University Policy Statements

1.1 General Health and Safety Policy Statement

The University of Exeter (hereafter called the University) recognises and accepts its responsibility as an employer for providing a safe and healthy workplace and work environment for its employees and others (students, contractors, visitors, and the public) who may be affected by its work.

The University has the following specific health and safety objectives:

(a) to comply with all statutory health and safety requirements.

(b) to adopt all other reasonably practicable means to eliminate hazards and reduce the risk of injury (to the lowest achievable level) to its employees and others (students, visitors, contractors and members of the public), and the risk of damage to property in areas for which it is responsible.

(c) to ensure that resources are made available to provide:

  • plant, equipment and systems of work that are safe and without unacceptable risks to health;
  • safe arrangements for the use, handling, storage and transport of articles and substances;
  • a safe place of work with safe access to it and safe egress from it;
  • a healthy working environment;
  • adequate welfare facilities and arrangements; and
  • sufficient information, instruction, training and supervision to ensure all employees are aware of the hazards at their workplace together with the necessary measures to be taken to protect against these hazards.

(d) As the University’s most senior managers we understand and accept our personal responsibility for achieving these objectives. To do this we will ensure that a health and safety management system is maintained which will:

  • ensure that all members of the University understand their own personal responsibilities in health and safety;
  • utilise a regular monitoring, inspection and auditing procedure to ensure the effective management of health and safety throughout the University; and
  • produce an annual report summarising progress in achieving the health and safety objectives and making recommendations for an annual rolling programme of improvements. These recommendations will form the basis of an annual Safety Action Plan.

1.2 Policy Statements, Codes of Practice and Guidance Notes on individual health and safety issues

The University has prepared, or is preparing, Policy Statements, Codes of Practice and Guidance Notes on individual health and safety issues. These are listed in the University Health and Safety Policy document which is available from the Health & Safety Office, Queen’s Building, Streatham Campus (01392 72 5340, hse.office@exeter.ac.uk) and on the web at http://www.ex.ac.uk/safety .

Back to top

2 Duties under the law

2.1 Introduction

Health and safety law is a particular branch of Employment Law which aims to ensure that people at work are protected from hazards, which may arise from that work.

Health and safety law is upheld and examined using both criminal and civil legal systems.

Modern health and safety law is largely self-regulatory, but there are statutory enforcement agencies such as the Health and Safety Executive, Local Authorities, the Environmental Agency and the Fire and Rescue Service. These agencies ensure that the law is complied with and that major breaches are investigated.

2.2 Relevant statutory provisions

A non-exhaustive list of current, relevant statutory provisions affecting the work of the University is as follows: (common abbreviations and year of enactment are shown in parentheses)

General

  • Occupiers’ Liability Act (1984)
  • Factories Act (FA, 1961)
  • Offices, Shops and Railways Premises Act (OSRA, 1963)
  • Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety)Order (RRO, 2005)
  • Health and Safety at Work etc Act (HASAWA, 1974);
  • Health and Safety (First Aid ) Regulations (1981)
  • Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR, 1995)
  • Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (COSHH, 1988 and 2002)
  • Electricity at Work Regulations (EW, 1989)
  • Noise at Work Regulations (1989)
  • Environmental Protection Act (EPA, 1990)
  • Food Safety Act (1990)
  • Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations (MHSW, 1992 and 1999)
  • Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations (DSE, 1992)
  • Manual Handling Operations Regulations (MHO, 1992)
  • Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations (PUWER, 1998)
  • Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations (LOLER, 1998)
  • Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations (PPE, 1992)
  • Workplace Health, Safety and Welfare Regulations (WHSW, 1992)

Specialist

  • Petroleum Consolidation Act (1928)
  • Mines and Quarries Act (1954)
  • Radioactive Substances Act (RSA, 1960 and 1993)
  • Ionising Radiations Regulations (IRR, 1999)
  • The Construction (Health Safety & Welfare) Regulations (1996)
  • Construction (Design and Management) Regulations (1994)
  • Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations (2002)
  • Safety Representatives and Safety Committee Regulations (1977)
  • Health and Safety (Training for Employment) Regulations (1990)

Health and Safety law is discussed further in Appendix (B)

Visit the UK Statute Law Database for more information.

Back to top