Health and Safety Policy Statement

The University is committed to the provision of a safe and healthy working environment for its staff, students, visitors, and contractors. It acknowledges the need for continual improvement beyond legal compliance and strives to ensure that health and safety is a fundamental and integral part of management responsibilities.

Council, as the Governing Body of the University, has overall responsibility for health and safety matters and has delegated day-to-day responsibility to me as the Vice Chancellor.

All members of the University community, including staff, students and contractors share a responsibility for their own health and safety and are required to co-operate in the achievement of the objectives of this policy. Specific responsibilities are detailed in the ‘Health and Safety Responsibilities’ document, which must be read in conjunction with this policy statement. Senior leaders within the University are aware of their health and safety duties and promote safe working practices and legal compliance within their teams and across the University.

This policy will be implemented through a commitment to the following objectives:

1. An environment that encourages and promotes safe behaviour and refrains from unsafe acts.
2. Provision and maintenance of safe and healthy working conditions, equipment, and safe systems of work.
3. Effective communication between all levels across the University, including consultation with members of staff, students and recognised health and safety union representatives.
4. The promotion of good practice in health and safety throughout the University.
5. Ensuring the training & competence of staff and students with designated health and safety responsibilities.
6. Appropriate consideration of health and safety risks, including at all stages of construction projects.
7. A process to identify hazards and risks, alongside a process to report them with a follow up to ensure suitable and sufficient measures are put in place to adequately control the hazards and risks.
8. An effective wellbeing and engagement programme to encourage a fit and healthy workforce, including for mental health and stress management.
9. The implementation of a health and safety management system involving a process of regular inspection, audits, risk assessments and follow-through actions to ensure the University meets all of its legal obligations.
10. The allocation of sufficient health and safety resources and specialist advice, along with annual health and safety objectives and targets against which its performance is monitored and reported on through health and safety committee.

As the Vice Chancellor, I, together with the University Executive Committee, will ensure that this policy is implemented through the approval of policies, procedures, and regular monitoring. This policy statement will also be on display at all campuses and available on Staffnet were employees, students, contractors and other interested parties will have access to it.

This policy will be reviewed annually by the Health and Safety Manager for effectiveness and revised as required to ensure its relevance to the University.

Clare Marchant
Vice-Chancellor

Date: 1 October 2025