Policy overview
- 1 Purpose
- 2 Scope
- 3 Policy Statement
- 4 Principles
- 5 Responsibilities
- 6 Procedures
- 7 References
- 8 Schedules
- 9 Policy Information
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 Standard Work Practices Schedule Contractor Management Procedure Equipment, Inspection, Testing and Tagging Procedure Furniture and Fittings Procedure High Risk Biological Materials and Activities Schedule Incident and Hazard Reporting and Investigation Procedure Motor Vehicles and Travel Fatigue Procedure Rehabilitation and Workers' Compensation Procedure Safety Investigation Reporting Schedule 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 |
| Subordinate Schedules | |
| Approved Date | 15/4/2024 |
| Effective Date | 15/4/2024 |
| Review Date | 3/4/2024 |
| Relevant Legislation | Biosecurity Regulation 2016 (Qld) Defence Trade Controls Act 2012 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 Regulation 2021 |
| Policy Exceptions | |
| Related Policies | |
| Related Procedures | |
| Related forms, publications and websites | |
| Definitions | Terms defined in the Definitions Dictionary |
| 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. 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. 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. An operational instruction that sets out the process to operationalise a Policy....moreAn operational instruction that sets out the process to operationalise a Policy. 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. 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 |