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Work Health and Safety Policy

Policy overview

1 Purpose

To create a safe and healthy Workplace and environment for University Employees, Students, Contractors, Visitors and other persons to a University Site or Workplace and to define duties with regard to the prevention of Workplace injuries and illness.

2 Scope

This Policy applies to all Employees, Students, Contractors and Visitors at a University Site or Workplace.

3 Policy Statement

The University has an obligation to ensure the health and safety of its Employees and to ensure that its Employees including Students, Contractors, Visitors and other persons to a University Site or Workplace are, as far as Reasonably Practicable, not exposed to risks to their health and safety arising out of the University's activities.

The University is committed to achieving and maintaining a standard of excellence in the field of health and safety and aims to be recognised as a leader in safety performance within the higher education sector by providing a safe environment to work and study.

4 Principles

The University will manage Workplace health and safety through its Safety Management System.

The Safety Management System will also provide a process of continuous improvement with a focus on managing Workplace risks.

5 Responsibilities

The University requires those responsible for any activities on a University Site or Workplace to comply with the University Safety Management System and all relevant legislation, including the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Qld), applicable codes of practice and standards.

The Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Enterprise Services) is responsible for approving any material change to the University's Safety Management System.

University Officers must exercise due diligence to ensure that the University complies with its duties or obligations under common law and all relevant legislation. Due diligence includes taking steps:

  • to acquire and keep up-to-date knowledge of work health and safety matters
  • to gain an understanding of the nature of the operations of the business or undertaking of the University and generally of the hazards and risks associated with those operations
  • to ensure that the University has available for use, and uses, appropriate resources and processes to eliminate or minimise risks to health and safety from work carried out as part of the conduct of the business or undertaking
  • to ensure that the University has appropriate processes for receiving and considering Information regarding incidents, hazards and risks and responding in a timely way to that Information
  • to ensure that the University has, and implements, processes for complying with any duty or obligation of the University under the Act
  • to verify the provision and use of the resources and processes mentioned above.

University Employees, Students, Contractors, Visitors and other persons on a University Site or Workplace are responsible for and are required to:

  • take care for their own health and safety
  • take care that their acts or omissions do not adversely affect the health and safety of other persons
  • comply with any instruction that is given by the University with regards to safety
  • comply with any Policy or Procedure of the University relating to health or safety at the Workplace and in particular the Safety Management System
  • report incidents and any unsafe conditions or issues that come to their attention.

6 Procedures

The Procedures for the purpose of compliance with this Policy are set out in the University Safety Management System.

7 References

Nil.

8 Schedules

This policy must be read in conjunction with its subordinate schedules as provided in the table below.

9 Policy Information

Accountable Officer

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Enterprise Services)

Responsible Officer

Chief People Officer

Policy Type

Governance Policy

Policy Suite

Biosafety Procedure

Biosafety Standard Work Practices Schedule

Children on Campus Procedure

Children on Campus Schedule

Confined Spaces Procedure

Contractor Management Procedure

Emergency Procedure

Equipment, Inspection, Testing and Tagging Procedure

First Aid Procedure

Forklift Operation Procedure

Furniture and Fittings Procedure

High Risk Biological Materials and Activities Schedule

Incident and Hazard Reporting and Investigation Procedure

Manual Handling Procedure

Motor Vehicles and Travel Fatigue Procedure

Rehabilitation and Workers' Compensation Procedure

Safety Investigation Reporting Schedule

Smoke-Free Procedure

Visitors on University Sites Procedure

Work Health and Safety Management System Procedure

Work Health and Safety Risk Management Procedure

Work Health and Safety Training Procedure

Workshop Safety Procedure

Subordinate Schedules

Approved Date

31/1/2024

Effective Date

31/1/2024

Review Date

3/4/2024

Relevant Legislation

Biosecurity Act 2014 (Qld)

Biosecurity Act 2015 (Cwlth)

Biosecurity Regulation 2016 (Qld)

Defence Trade Controls Act 2012

Electrical Safety Act 2002

Electrical Safety Regulation 2013

Environmental Protection Act 1994

Environmental Protection Regulation 2019

Gene Technology Act 2000 (Cwlth)

Gene Technology Act 2016 (Qld)

Gene Technology Regulations 2001 (Cwlth)

Medicines and Poisons Act 2019

National Health Security Act 2007

National Health Security Regulations 2018

Radiation Safety Act 1999

Radiation Safety Regulation 2021

Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Qld)

Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 (Qld)

Policy Exceptions

Policy Exceptions Register

Related Policies

Business Continuity Policy

Enterprise Risk Management Policy

Professional Services Policy

Related Procedures

Related forms, publications and websites

Laboratory Safety Manual

Work Health and Safety Management System Procedure

Definitions

Terms defined in the Definitions Dictionary

Employee

A person employed by the University and whose conditions of employment are covered by the Enterprise Agreement and includes persons employed on a continuing, fixed term or casual basis. Employees also include senior Employees whose conditions of employment are covered by a written agreement or contract with the University....moreA person employed by the University and whose conditions of employment are covered by the Enterprise Agreement and includes persons employed on a continuing, fixed term or casual basis. Employees also include senior Employees whose conditions of employment are covered by a written agreement or contract with the University.

Information

Any collection of data that is processed, analysed, interpreted, organised, classified or communicated in order to serve a useful purpose, present facts or represent knowledge in any medium or form. This includes presentation in electronic (digital), print, audio, video, image, graphical, cartographic, physical sample, textual or numerical form....moreAny collection of data that is processed, analysed, interpreted, organised, classified or communicated in order to serve a useful purpose, present facts or represent knowledge in any medium or form. This includes presentation in electronic (digital), print, audio, video, image, graphical, cartographic, physical sample, textual or numerical form.

Policy

A high level strategic directive that establishes a principle based approach on a subject. Policy is operationalised through Procedures that give instructions and set out processes to implement a Policy....moreA high level strategic directive that establishes a principle based approach on a subject. Policy is operationalised through Procedures that give instructions and set out processes to implement a Policy.

Procedure

An operational instruction that sets out the process to operationalise a Policy....moreAn operational instruction that sets out the process to operationalise a Policy.

Student

A person who is enrolled in a UniSQ Upskill Course or who is admitted to an Award Program or Non-Award Program offered by the University and is: currently enrolled in one or more Courses or study units; or not currently enrolled but is on an approved Leave of Absence or whose admission has not been cancelled....moreA person who is enrolled in a UniSQ Upskill Course or who is admitted to an Award Program or Non-Award Program offered by the University and is: currently enrolled in one or more Courses or study units; or not currently enrolled but is on an approved Leave of Absence or whose admission has not been cancelled.

University

The term 'University' or 'UniSQ' means the University of Southern Queensland....moreThe term 'University' or 'UniSQ' means the University of Southern Queensland.

Definitions that relate to this policy only

Contractor

An entity or individual who contracts to perform work for another person or organisation, but is not employed by that person or organisation.

Officer

Is defined in section 9 of the Corporations Act 2001.

By virtue of their membership of the University Council under the University of Southern Queensland Act 1998, all members of the Council are regarded as Officers.

Reasonably Practicable

Is defined in Subdivision 2, Section 18 of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Qld).

Safety Management System

Is the system to plan, implement, evaluate, review and audit the effectiveness of existing and future policies, Procedures and work practices, and achieve compliance with relevant legislation.

University Site

Includes a campus or other area owned, managed or controlled by the University.

Visitor

Includes those volunteers, trainees, researchers and other persons who are engaged in unpaid activities on a University Site or Workplace.

Workplace

Is defined in Subdivision 2, Section 8 of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Qld).

Keywords

WH&S, duty of care, OH&S, health, safety, accident, injury, obligations, hazard identification, risk assessment, hazard, incident, sick, sickness, crisis

Record No

13/482PL

Complying with the law and observing Policy and Procedure is a condition of working and/or studying at the University.

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