Health and Safety Sub-Committee

Role:

The Health and Safety Sub-Committee is a sub-committee of the People, Health and Equality Committee. It is chaired by the Director of People and Organisational Development, or in their absence, the Director of Finance, Infrastructure and Corporate Services.

The Health and Safety Sub-Committee advises the People, Health and Equality Committee on matters of Health and Safety and reports annually to Court on such activities.

Such powers delegated to the Committee by Court are as defined in the Scheme of Delegation. The Committee shall have full authority to undertake and review activities associated with any matters within its terms of reference. For the purposes of such activities, it shall be provided with adequate resources and full access to information and University personnel.

Reports to

The Health and Safety Sub-Committee reports to the People, Health, and Equality Committee, which in turn reports to the governing body, Court.

The Committee will therefore report through a paper relating to any substantive matters for consideration and through the submission of the minutes (these can include unapproved minutes agreed with the Committee Chair) of each meeting to the next available meeting of People, Health, and Equality Committee. The Committee Chair will provide a brief report to the People, Health and Equality Committee highlighting items to recommend to Court to formally approve and/or note.

Responsibilities

To keep under review all matters involving the health and safety of staff (including occupational health), students and other persons within the University environment and in particular to:

(a) oversee the link with the appropriate inspectors of an enforcing authority e.g. the Health and Safety Executive;

(b) consider reports and information submitted by inspectors appointed by an enforcing authority in accordance with the Health & Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and as specified by the Health & Safety (Enforcing Authority) Regulations 1959 or other legislation;

(c) consider the Annual Health and Safety report prior to submission to the People, Health and Equality Committee and thereafter Court for approval.

(d) consider reports and information relating to fire safety, including regular reports on progress with identified action plans to maintain/improve fire safety.

(e) consider safety audit reports and, where appropriate, to report thereon to People, Health, and Equality Committee and/or instigate corrective action;

(f) consider reports submitted by Local Health and Safety Committees or safety representatives and take any action considered appropriate in the circumstances of the case;

(g) give consideration to environmental matters (such as waste disposal) where these have safety implications and to instigate and monitor such action as is required under statute or is otherwise necessary to manage the same;

(h) advise on the development of, and ensure adherence to, policies, codes of practice, safety rules and safe and healthy systems of work;

(i) advise on drawing up, reviewing, implementing and monitoring Faculty/Office/Service health and safety documentation and to approve the same;

(j) monitor the effectiveness of the health and safety content of employees’ training and advise the People, Health and Equality Committee on training requirements in the area of health and safety;

(k) monitor the adequacy of communications and publicity regarding health and safety in the workplace;

(l) establish appropriate working groups or sub-committees from time to time as necessary to consider issues or deal with matters within the Committee's

(m) take such other actions as are required by People, Health and Equality Committee and Court in relation to the maintenance of health and safety within the University.

(n) To ensure it pays due attention to equality, diversity and inclusion in undertaking its work.

Composition

The expectation is that every Faculty, Office and Service is represented at each meeting. Representation should normally be at the level of Dean of Faculty or Director of Service, but substitutes are accepted†.

Membership

Appointed:

Staff member of Court (excluding those where there is a clear conflict of interest)

Ex Officio:

Director of People & Organisational Development (Chair)

Director of Finance, Infrastructure and Corporate Services (Vice-Chair)

Director of Student and Academic Services

Director of External and Corporate Relations

Deans (excluding the Dean of Enterprise and Commercialisation)

Chief Estates Officer

Health & Safety Manager

Occupational Health Adviser

Chief Executive of the Students’ Association

Technical Team Leader

Advisory Service Manager

*Chair and Deputy Chair of Local Health and Safety Committees†

Nominated:

UCU representative: 1

UNITE representatives: 2

In Attendance

Health and Safety representatives and other relevant staff roles including:

Radiation Protection Supervisor
Biological Safety Officer
Hazardous Substances Adviser

Non-members may be invited to attend meetings at the discretion of the Chair to contribute expertise to specific agenda items.

Members of the People, Health and Equality Committee may be invited to attend to observe the meeting.

Secretary to the Health and Safety Sub-Committee

Head of Governance and Deputy Secretary or their nominee (nominated as Secretary by the Vice Principal (Strategy & Governance) and University Secretary)

Clerk to the Health and Safety Sub-Committee

Governance and Policy Officer (Minute Secretary) or their nominee.

Frequency of Meetings

The Committee will meet a minimum of four times per academic year.

Extraordinary meetings will be convened as appropriate.

Quorum

A majority of members (50% plus 1)* must be present.

*individuals who are a member of the committee due to their substantive position count once towards the quorum.

Review

The terms of reference shall be reviewed by the People, Health and Equality Committee at least every three years.

Approved by People, Health and Equality Committee, 7 May 2024

Current Composition of the Health and Safety Sub-Committee

Appointed Members:

Eilidh Fraser – Chair

Gordon Weir – Vice-Chair

Thomas Sloan - Staff Member of Court

Ex-Officio

Jackie McKenzie – Director of External Corporate Relations

James Nicholson – Director of Student and Academic Services

Professor James Bown - Dean of the Faculty of Design, Informatics and Business

Andrea Cameron – Dean of the Faculty of Social and Applied Science

Claire MacEachen – Dean of International and UK Partnerships

Professor Luke Millard – Dean of AbLE Academy

Professor Nia White – Dean of Graduate School and Head of Research

Cullen Warnock – Chief Estates Officer

Ian Wilson – Health & Safety Manager

Sharon Jeffrey – Occupational Health Adviser

Elley Petrie – Chief Executive of the Students’ Association

Angus Jackson – Technical Team Leader

Hazel Petrie – Advisory Service Manager

Gordon Cringle – Chair of Local Health and Safety Committees (People, Planning and External Relations)

Frazer Greig – Deputy-Chair of Local Health and Safety Committee (Finance, Infrastructure and Corporate Services)

Jim Huntingford – Chair of Local Health and Safety Committee (Student and Academic Services)

Yvette Wharton – Chair of Local Health and Safety Committee (Faculty of Social and Applied Sciences)

Nominated

Dr Donncha Marron – UCU representative

Tom O'Brien – Co-UNITE representative

Roy Henderson – Co-UNITE representative

Colin Rae – UNITE representative

In Attendance

Angus Jackson – Hazardous Substances Adviser (SAS) and Radiation Protection Supervisor

Dr Ian Ferguson – Health and Safety representative for the Department of Cybersecurity and Computing (Faculty of Design, Informatics and Business)

Gerald High – Faculty of Design, Informatics and Business Technician