Safety management roles and responsibilities

This guidance is aimed at helping you understand the legal duties of your role and how to demonstrate your visible commitment to the success of health and safety management at the College. It focuses on the behaviours associated with a positive health and safety culture and how you can demonstrate commitment to health and safety at institutional, faculty, departmental and individual level.

Under UK law line management has accountability for health and safety which cannot be delegated. However, you may choose to delegate day to day activities and associated responsibility related to the management of health and safety; you must them ensure that those nominated have sufficient time and resources to fulfil their duties, and that these duties are being effectively fulfilled. 

When line management at any level is absent for any period, a named responsible individual must be appointed to manage health and safety. The line manager will remain accountable, so it is important that they appoint a competent individual who understands the specific activities being undertaken and the associated risks and is empowered to make decisions and act. Delegation of H&S responsibilities should be handled in the same manner as you would people management and financial responsibilities.

Where there is no suitable person within the immediate team, it is advisable to delegate up the management chain.

Further guidance for leadership roles is available from the USHA guidance Leadership and management of health and safety in higher education institution.

The Council has strategic oversight of all matters related to health and safety for the College and should seek assurance that effective arrangements are in place and are working. To this end it receives an Annual Report on Safety, Fire, Health & Wellbeing.

Executive responsibility for the development and implementation of health and safety policy is delegated to the Provost.

The Audit Committee is responsible, on behalf of the Council, for monitoring the effectiveness of the University's risk management policy and procedures including health and safety, and in this regard, it receives regular reports on Risk Management and the management of Health and Safety within the College.

The Provost is accountable to Council for the effective implementation of College health and safety policy and arrangements. In this regard, the Provost has overall responsibility for health and safety at the College and is responsible for:

• Reviewing and approving the College's Health and Safety Policy Statement.
• Ensuring that appropriate systems are in place and adequate resources are available to provide for the effective management of health and safety at the College.
• Promoting a positive health and safety culture throughout the College.
• Delegating health and safety duties, and the necessary authority and resources to a responsible person.
• Ensuring that the Principal Officers such as Deans of the Faculties and of the Business School, Heads of Departments/ Divisions and other senior College officers adequately discharge their health and safety duties in accordance with the requirements described here.

The Principal Officers are the senior members of staff who report directly to the Provost and to whom the Provost has delegated the local management of health and safety together with the necessary authority and resources to discharge these duties. They are accountable to the Provost for the health and safety of their Faculties, Departments or Divisions and for their compliance with College and statutory requirements.
Within their management areas the Principal Officers are responsible for:

• Ensuring that effective local arrangements are in place for implementation of College health and safety policies & arrangements, procedures, and codes of practice.
• Promoting a positive health and safety culture by, for example:

1. Ensuring effective communication of health and safety information.
2. Including safety as an agenda item at all management level meetings.
3. Demonstrating their commitment to safety via ‘visible leadership’ – walkabouts and accompanying inspections.

• Delegating health and safety duties, and the necessary authority and resources to discharge them, to the managers who report directly to them.
• Ensuring that adequate resources are allocated to mitigate health and safety risks.
• Ensuring that there is proper coordination, cooperation and communication with other users of shared and/ or adjacent space.
• Suspending activities where health and safety is being, or is likely to be, compromised or the environment damaged.
• Taking appropriate disciplinary action where staff have breached the College's Health and Safety Policies and Procedures.
• Ensuring that arrangements are in place for the regular monitoring, auditing and review of health and safety performance.
• Personally, attending the College's Health, Safety and Environment Committee

In addition to his or her responsibilities as a Principal Officer, the College Secretary is the line manager for the Director of Safety and the Director of Risk Management. The College Secretary has been appointed by the Provost and as part of the governance role, is responsible for:

• Assisting the Provost in promoting a positive health and safety culture throughout the College.
• Ensuring that the Management Board is made aware of the health and safety incidents and operational developments.
• Chairing the meeting of the College's Health, Safety and Environment Committee.
• Ensuring that independent monitoring and audit mechanisms are in place to verify that compliance and performance standards are met.
• Reporting to the Provost Board and Council on the College's performance in the management of Health and Safety.

Heads of Department/ Division are accountable to the Dean of their Faculty or, for those outside the Faculties, to their line manager for the health and safety of their Department/ Division and its compliance with College and statutory requirements. They must ensure that proper arrangements are in place to discharge their responsibilities.

Within their management areas, Heads of Department/ Division are responsible for:

• Ensuring that effective local arrangements are in place for the implementation of College health and safety policies & arrangements, procedures, and codes of practice.
• Promoting a positive health and safety culture by, for example:

1. Ensuring effective communication of health and safety information.
2. Attending and normally Chairing the Departmental/ Divisional Health and Safety Committee.
3. Including safety as an agenda item at all management level meetings.
4. Taking a personal and proactive interest in safety inspections and audits.

• Delegating health and safety duties, and the necessary authority and resources to discharge them, to the managers and safety officers who report directly to them.
• Appointing competent persons to advise on the effective management of health and safety (DSO appointment pro-forma)
• Ensuring that they themselves are aware of the principal hazards and risks present in their Department/ Division, that appropriate risk assessments of all hazardous items, areas and activities have been undertaken, and that work is being carried out in accordance with specified controls.
• Ensuring that staff and students comply with College health and safety policies & arrangements, procedures, and codes of practice.
• Ensuring that appropriate induction and training is provided for all staff, students, visitors and contractors and that staff attend such training.
• Ensuring that arrangements are in place for the regular monitoring, auditing and review of health and safety performance.
• Ensuring that there is proper coordination, cooperation, and communication with other users of shared and/ or adjacent space.
• Ensuring that health and safety is considered in planning and budgeting and that resources are used effectively and in proportion to the local risks.
• Suspending activities where health and safety is being or is likely to be compromised.
• Taking appropriate disciplinary action where staff and students have breached the College's Health and Safety Policies and Procedures.
• Ensuring that proper arrangements are in place for dealing with emergencies, providing first aid and reporting accidents, incidents and non-compliances.
• Ensuring that their staff are aware of and discharge their health and safety responsibilities for students.
• Ensure that academic supervisors fully understand their health and safety responsibilities in relation to postgraduate students (whether for lectures, practical classes, projects, hosted research or fieldwork).

NOTE: For the purposes of this document, the term "Departments/ Divisions" includes academic departments, divisions, institutes and centres, the support service divisions and other significant organisational units.

Heads of Section are accountable to their Head of Department/ Division or their line manager for the health and safety of their Section and for its compliance with College and statutory requirements. They must ensure that proper arrangements are in place to discharge their responsibilities.

Within their management areas, Heads of Section are responsible for:

• Ensuring that effective local arrangements are in place for the implementation of College health and safety policies & arrangements, procedures, and codes of practice.
• Promoting a positive health and safety culture by, for example:

1. Ensuring effective communication of health and safety information.
2. Where applicable, chairing the local Health and Safety Committee.
3. Including safety as an agenda item at all section-level meetings.
4. Taking a personal and proactive interest in health and safety by, for example, accompanying the Departmental Safety Officer on inspections and audits.

• Delegating health and safety duties, and the necessary authority and resources to discharge them, to the managers who report directly to them.
• Liaising closely with the persons appointed by the Department/ Division to advise on health and safety.
• Ensuring that they themselves are aware of the principal hazards and risks present in their Section, that appropriate risk assessments of all hazardous items, areas and activities have been undertaken, and that work is being carried out in accordance with specified controls.
• Ensuring that all staff, students, and others working within their areas of activity comply with College health and safety policies & arrangements, procedures and codes of practice.
• Ensuring that appropriate induction and training is provided for all staff, students, visitors and contractors and that staff attend such training.
• Ensuring that arrangements are in place for the regular monitoring, auditing and review of health and safety performance.
• Ensuring that there is proper coordination, cooperation, and communication with other users of shared and/ or adjacent space.
• Ensuring that health and safety is considered in planning and budgeting and that resources are used effectively and in proportion to the local risks.
• Suspending activities where health and safety is being or is likely to be compromised.
• Taking appropriate disciplinary action where staff have breached the College's Health and Safety Policies and Procedures.
• Ensuring that proper arrangements are in place for dealing with emergencies, providing first aid and reporting accidents, incidents, and non-compliances.

Principal Investigators have the same responsibilities as Heads of Section. In addition, they must ensure that:

• All project proposals and grant applications take full account of the health and safety risks of the proposed research and that the likely costs of mitigating these risks are included in the proposal/ grant application.
• An initial risk assessment is completed and that all hazardous activities are assessed and that controls are identified and implemented before work commences.
• All risk assessments and control procedures are regularly reviewed, are properly documented and that these records are managed appropriately.
• Individuals are properly supervised until they have received the necessary instruction, information, and training to ensure that they are competent to carry out their work.

Each member of staff is legally responsible for looking after their own health and safety and that of others with whom they are working. To this end, members of staff have the following specific responsibilities:

• Complying with all local and College health and safety policies, and procedures and with the arrangements in place to control health and safety risks.
• Ensuring that their working area does not present unnecessary or uncontrolled risks to themselves or to others.
• Comply with warning signs and reasonable health and safety directions and instructions given to them by College
• Attending appropriate induction and training.
• Reporting to their line manager and College (Salus) any accidents, unsafe circumstances, or work-related ill health of which they become aware.
• Not interfering with any equipment provided for Health and Safety.
• Where a member of staff is not confident that he or she is competent to carry out a work activity safely, informing his or her line manager rather than compromising his or her own safety or the safety of others.

To ensure that health and safety is properly coordinated for undergraduate programmes within the Department and to be answerable to the Head of Department on such matters.

Must ensure that procedures exist to monitor the health and safety management processes described under 'Supervisors of Postgraduate Students' and ensure that health and safety responsibilities are properly communicated to relevant persons.

Supervisors of postgraduate students are responsible for and must ensure:

• Risk assessments for student-related activities i.e. areas and equipment, demonstrations, and class practical, research projects, hosted research, field work and placements are in place and that these take account of the relative inexperience of students.
• Risk assessments are conducted by competent persons, recorded, and implemented.
• There is a system in place for a suitably competent person to check and verify any risk assessments conducted by students.
• There is a system in place to review risk assessments routinely and in the event of a significant change or an incident.
• Students are informed of any significant risks and their outcomes
• Students have appropriate vaccinations and health control measures depending on the work and its location (the supervisor having sought advice from the College Occupational Health department), e.g. Hepatitis B, Tetanus, etc.
• Where students are known to require Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEPS), they are notified to the Faculty Safety Advisors, the College Fire Officer and the College Disability Officer.
• The training requirements of students are identified, attendance / progress is monitored, and reviewed.
• Students are instructed in and made aware of the fundamental health & safety requirements at the beginning of their courses, and this is supplemented during their studies in teaching and research environments.
• Students are given area inductions and training in procedures, associated hazards and their controls, and emergency procedures should these fail. Records of that training to be kept.
• There are appropriate levels of supervision for the student(s)
• Incidents (accidents, near misses and failures of control measures) are reported and action taken to prevent further incident; any lessons learnt are communicated to the Director of Studies for dissemination and further action if appropriate.
• They consider and act upon if necessary, any health and safety concerns raised by students and tutors.
• They escalate any health and safety concerns to the appropriate level (Department, School, Faculty).
• They encourage students to feed-back health and safety concerns and positive suggestions for improvement.

Each student is responsible for looking after their own health and safety and that of others affected by their College-related work and leisure activities. To this end, each student must:

• Comply with all local and College policies, procedures, and codes of practice and with the arrangements which the College has in place to control health and safety risks.
• Ensure that their activities do not present unnecessary or uncontrolled risks to themselves or to others.
• Comply with warning signs and reasonable health and safety directions and instructions given to them by College
• Attend appropriate induction and training.
• Report any accidents, unsafe circumstances, or work-related ill health of which they become aware to the appropriate person.
• Not interfere with any equipment provided for Health and Safety.
• Where a student is not confident that he or she is competent to carry out a work or leisure activity safely, inform his or her supervisor or the person in charge of the activity rather than compromise his or her own safety or the safety of others.

The Managing Director of the ICU has the same responsibilities for health and safety as a Head of Department/ Division. In addition, the Managing Director is responsible for ensuring that the Union meets its legal obligations for health and safety in respect of all its activities.

Other employers (for example subsidiary companies), consultants and contractors working for the College have a responsibility to look after their own health and safety and that of their employees and not to put others at risk through their activities. They must:

• Comply with College health and safety policies & arrangements, procedures and codes of practice as instructed by their College contact.
• Comply with warning signs and reasonable health and safety directions and instructions given to them by College staff.
• Advise their employees of College Health and Safety policies & arrangements, procedures and requirements.
• Inform the appropriate College contact of any risks from their activities which could affect others at the College and the control measures being employed to mitigate these risks.
• Report to the appropriate College contact any accidents or unsafe circumstances of which they become aware.

Visitors to the College have a responsibility to look after their own health and safety and that of others with whom they come into contact. They must comply with warning signs and reasonable health and safety directions and instructions given to them by College staff. The College also expects them to report to a member of the College's staff any accidents or unsafe circumstances of which they become aware.

The role of the Academic Champion is that of a critical friend, not usurping in any way the responsibilities of Heads of Department and Faculty Deans for Health & Safety, but providing assistance, for example by scrutinising any light touch annual review of health & safety which a Faculty may commission. They have specific responsibilities to:

• champion an improved health and safety culture in their Faculties.
• assist in improving consistency in the quality of safety systems used within Faculties.
• be involved in discussions of the audits carried out in their Faculty (in preparation for high level discussion at the College Health, Safety and Environment Committee).

A FOO's primary role is to provide operational support to the Dean.  As senior members of staff within their Faculties, the FOOs are well placed to enter into cross-faculty discussions on the identification and promulgation of best practice. 

In his or her Faculty each FOO must:

• Support the Dean in the discharge of his or her health and safety responsibilities.
• Advise the Dean on the appropriate arrangements for resourcing, managing and monitoring health and safety in the Faculty's Departments/ Divisions.
• Understand the Faculty's principal hazards and the necessary controls for managing the associated risks.
• Have knowledge of, and where appropriate coordinate, Faculty planning (including that for new research initiatives as well as proposals for refurbishments, relocations and any new build initiatives) to ensure that these do not conflict with, or compromise, existing safety controls and arrangements.
• Where Faculties have appointed Faculty Safety Advisor(s) (FSAs), manage the work of those FSAs
• Support the Dean in the development of an effective communications strategy for health and safety information within the Faculty.
• Ensure that appropriate arrangements are in place for effective liaison on health and safety matters with other parts of the College.

Where Faculties have appointed FSAs to support the Dean and the FOO to provide advice to the Faculty's Departments/ Divisions on implementing College Safety policies, sharing best practice and monitoring safety performance.

FSAs do not have line management responsibility for health and safety in their Faculty.  This responsibility lies with the Dean and the Heads of Department/ Division.

The FSA must:

• Support the Dean in the discharge of his or her health and safety responsibilities.
• Advise the Dean on the appropriate arrangements for managing and monitoring health and safety in the Faculty's Departments/ Divisions.
• Understand the Faculty's principal hazards and the necessary controls for managing the associated risks.
• Ensure that best practice is communicated to, and shared between, the Faculty's Departments/ Divisions.
• Monitor safety performance across the Faculty.
• Carry out safety inspections and audits within the Faculty.
• Attend meetings of the faculty and departmental/ divisional health and safety committees.
• Participate in cross faculty fora to share experience and lessons learnt

To carry out their duties, FSAs must be competent (i.e. appropriately qualified, experienced, and trained) and must:

• Recognise situations with the potential to cause damage or harm.
• Design and implement effective preventive or protective measures.
• Communicate effectively with staff and senior management.
• Advise on compliance with statutory and College requirements and standards.
• Advise on safe systems of work.
• Advise on the selection of suitable departmental staff for health and safety duties.
• Identify areas of weakness in health and safety arrangements and take appropriate action, including sanctioning the suspension of activities where health and safety is being, or is likely to be, compromised or damage caused to the environment.
• Understand the limits of their own health and safety competence and seek advice from the College's health and safety specialists where necessary.
• Follow a programme of continuing professional development.

Departmental/ Divisional Safety Officers (DSOs) are appointed by, and are responsible to, their Heads of Departments/ Divisions. There is normally one DSO in each Department/ Division, but more safety specialists may be appointed where the Head deems this to be necessary. The DSO may be full or part-time depending on the size, complexity and risk profile of the Department/ Division. Where no DSO has been appointed, the Head of Department will seek advice from the Faculty Safety Advisors. Follow this link for the DSO appointment pro-forma.

The DSO's primary responsibility is to assist their Head of Department/ Division in the development, implementation, monitoring and review of the Department's health and safety management systems.  The DSO must also:

• Support the HOD in the discharge of their health and safety responsibilities.
• Advise the HOD on the appropriate arrangements for managing and monitoring health and safety in the Department/ Division.
• Understand the Department/ Division's principal hazards, and check that risk assessments are carried out and that the necessary controls for managing the risks are implemented effectively.
• Advise Principal Investigators, Heads of Section, departmental/ divisional staff and students on day-to-day operational safety and compliance with College and statutory requirements.
• Co-ordinate health and safety training across the Department/ Division, including the provision of appropriate information and induction training for staff, students, visiting workers and contractors.
• Monitor safety performance across the Department/ Division.
• Carry out safety inspections and audits within the Department/ Division.
• Investigate accidents and near misses within the Department/ Division.
• Ensure that best practice is communicated to and shared across the Department/ Division and that arrangements for effective co-operation with other Departments and Divisions, including the occupational health service, estates, external contractors, and other employers, are maintained.
• Be a member of the Departmental/ Divisional Health and Safety Committee.

To carry out their duties, DSOs must be competent (i.e. appropriately qualified, experienced, and trained) and must:

• Recognise situations with the potential to cause damage or harm.
• Design and implement effective preventive or protective measures.
• Communicate effectively with staff, students, contractors, and visitors.
• Advise on compliance with statutory and College requirements and standards.
• Advise on safe systems of work.
• Identify areas of weakness in health and safety arrangements and take appropriate action, including sanctioning the suspension of activities where health and safety is being, or is likely to be, compromised or damage caused to the environment.
• Understand the limits of their own health and safety competence and seek advice from the FSAs or the College's health and safety specialists where necessary.
• Follow a programme of continuing professional development.

Safety Co-ordinators (SCs) are appointed by, and are responsible to, their Heads of Departments/ Divisions in consultation with Heads of Section.

The SC's primary responsibility is to assist their Head of Section in the day-to-day implementation and monitoring of the Department/ Division's health and safety management systems.  The SC have the same roles and responsibilities as DSOs (see section above) but at a sectional level.

The Building Manager's primary health and safety role is to ensure that Health and Safety operations associated with the delivery of Facility Services in the building(s) for which he or she is responsible are carried out in a safe manner. His or her responsibilities in this regard are to:

• Ensure that operations associated with the delivery of Facility Services, are properly assessed for risk and carried out in a safe manner and that College safety policies and procedures are followed.
• Ensure that building safety controls, such as fire precautions, waste disposal arrangements, statutory licences, and electrical testing regimes, are in place and are regularly reviewed.
• Be a member of relevant safety committees and building user groups.
• Take the lead on building matters, ensuring that health and safety is given appropriate priority and managing any conflicts in priorities where necessary.
• Be the designated 'Duty Holder' representing building operation issues in the coordination of capital projects.
• In close liaison with the Departments/ Divisions occupying the building(s)/ campus, manage minor projects and works on behalf of the Estates Operations to ensure that they are carried out in accordance with College procedures.
• Liaise with the College's specialist advisory services, including the Safety Department, the Occupational Health Service, the Fire Office, and the Security Department and with the specialist safety staff within Faculties and Departments/ Divisions, including the FSAs, DSOs and SCs.
• Liaise with the local NHS Trust and/ or other external organisations occupying the building(s)/ campus where appropriate.

The Maintenance Team Manager's primary health and safety role is to:

• Coordinate with the Building Managers, ICT and the FM Helpdesk to help ensure that building plant and interfaces with departmental equipment are maintained, repaired, inspected and tested as required.
• Communicate to the BM (for onward transmission), any planned and reactive maintenance work programmes which may impact on the building operation or its users.
• Inform the BM (for onward transmission) of any serious breakdowns or stoppages which may affect building users adversely or be a potential business risk (e.g. for research).
• Ensure that contractors and College personnel who have good reason to enter into FM-controlled space have a health and safety induction.
• Operate a Permit-to-Work system for areas they control.
• Abide by the Permit-to-Work system for certain activities (such as hot work), and areas controlled by others, such as laboratory staff
• Conduct or ensure risk assessments are in place for areas, equipment, processes, and persons they control. 
• Ensure that all staff within the Team are provided with sufficient information, instruction, and training to carry out their roles safely. 
• Conduct both formal and informal inspections of areas they are responsible for and report back any significant findings to the Head of Maintenance Operations.
• Regularly review the safety performance of the Team and strive for continuous improvement.

The College Safety Director reports to the College Secretary and is responsible for:

• Promoting a positive safety culture throughout the College.
• Advising the College on its statutory health and safety obligations and of the effect of new or amended legislation on the management of health and safety at the College.
• Developing the College's health and safety management system and the policies and procedures necessary to ensure the College's compliance with legislation and the effective control of its health and safety risks
• Developing appropriate guidance and codes of practice to support these policies and procedures.
• Advising College senior managers of their health and safety responsibilities.
• Providing specialist health and safety advice, information, and support to all parts of the College, including the dissemination of good practice.
• Establishing a system of inspecting, monitoring, and auditing the implementation of health and safety policies, procedures, and codes of practice across the College.
• Developing, setting and reviewing health and safety performance standards and targets as necessary.
• Advising on health and safety training needs and providing in-house training and instruction as necessary.
• Ensuring that best practice on health and safety is communicated to, and shared across, the College.
• Managing the interface between the College and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), the Environment Agency (EA) and other regulatory and enforcement agencies.
• Suspending activities where health and safety is being, or is likely to be, compromised or the environment damaged.
• Managing the Safety Department comprising specialists in Biosafety, Radiation, Process Safety, and Auditing.
• Liaising with the College's specialist advisory services, including the Occupational Health Service, the Fire Office, the Estates Operations and the Security Department and with the specialist safety staff within Faculties and Departments/ Divisions, including the FSAs, DSOs and SCs.
• Co-ordinating the investigation and reporting of accidents, near misses and dangerous occurrences across the College.
• Providing reports on health and safety to the Health, Safety and Environment Committee and Health and Safety Consultative committee.
• Liaising closely with Trust health and safety personnel and establishing mutually agreed MOUs.

The Director of Occupational Health reports to the Director of Human Resources and is responsible for:

• Promoting a positive health culture throughout the College.
• Advising the College on its statutory obligations regarding health issues in workplace and of the effect of new or amended legislation.
• Developing the policies and procedures necessary to ensure the College's compliance with legislation and the effective control of its occupational health risks
• Developing appropriate guidance and codes of practice to support these policies and procedures.
• Advising College senior managers of their responsibilities for the health and welfare of their staff.
• Providing specialist advice, information, and support to all parts of the College including the dissemination of good practice, on the management of occupational health risks.
• Advising on the appropriate provision of clinical and mental health services to protect College staff and students against work-related health risks.
• Arranging provision of clinical occupational health services including pre-employment screening, fitness assessments, health surveillance, travel advice and vaccination services.
• Inspecting, monitoring and auditing the implementation of occupational health policies, procedures and codes of practice across the College.
• Developing, setting and reviewing performance standards and targets as necessary.
• Advising on training needs.
• Ensuring that best practice on health matters is communicated to and shared across the College.
• Managing the interface between the College and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) on occupational health issues and the local authorities on food safety issues.
• Suspending activities where occupational health or food safety is being, or is likely to be, compromised.
• Managing the Occupational Health Service.
• Liaising with the College's specialist advisory services, including the Safety Department, the Estates Operations, and the Security Department.
• Co-ordinating the investigation and reporting of occupational ill-health and disease across the College.
• Providing reports on occupational health matters to the Health, Safety and Environment Committee and Health and Safety Consultative committee.

The Head of Fire Safety reports to the Director of Estates Operations and is responsible for:

• Promoting a positive fire safety culture throughout the College.
• Advising the College on its statutory obligations regarding fire safety and of the effect of new or amended legislation.
• Developing the College Fire Safety Strategy and the policies and procedures necessary to ensure the College's compliance with legislation and the effective control of its fire hazards, including conducting building fire risk assessments and issuing hot work permits.
• Developing appropriate guidance and codes of practice to support these policies and procedures.
• Advising College senior managers of their responsibilities for fire safety.
• Providing specialist advice, information, and support to all parts of the College including the dissemination of good practice, on the management of fire safety.
• Inspecting, monitoring, and auditing the implementation of fire safety policies, procedures, and codes of practice across the College, including the testing and maintenance of firefighting equipment and fire alarm systems.
• Developing, setting, and reviewing performance standards and targets as necessary.
• Advising on training needs and providing in-house training and instruction, including arranging regular fire drills.
• Managing the interface between the College and the local fire authorities.
• Suspending activities including closing down College Buildings, or parts of buildings, if he believes there is a serious risk of fire. 
• Managing the Fire Office.
• Liaising, with the College's specialist advisory services, including the Safety Department, Estates Operations and the Security Department.
• Liaising on fire safety matters with associated NHS Trusts, contractors working on College premises and external organisations with a presence on College campuses.
• Providing reports on fire safety matters to the Health, Safety and Environment Committee and Health and Safety Consultative Committee.

The Director of Estates Operations is responsible for:

• Supporting the Chief Operating Officer in the discharge of his or her health and safety responsibilities with respect to Fire Safety.
• Ensuring that the maintenance of College buildings meets both statutory obligations and the highest health and safety standards.
• Developing the health and safety policies and procedures for the maintenance of buildings necessary to ensure the College's compliance with legislation and the effective control of hazards. 
• Developing appropriate guidance and codes of practice to support these policies and procedures.
• Inspecting, monitoring, and auditing the implementation of maintenance policies, procedures and codes of practice across the College, including statutory testing of equipment such as lifts, pressure vessels and water and ventilation systems.
• Developing, setting, and reviewing related performance standards and targets as necessary.
• Developing, maintaining, and reviewing the College's Asbestos Management Plan.
• Ensuring that all maintenance and cleaning contractors working on College premises comply with College health and safety policies and procedures.
• Ensuring that all such contractors and College staff involved in maintenance work on College buildings receive appropriate induction and other training.
• Suspending maintenance activities where health and safety is being, or is likely to be, compromised. 
• Liaising with the College's specialist advisory services, including the Safety Department and Occupational Health Department.
• Providing reports on Estates Operations health and safety matters to the Health and Safety Management and Consultative Committees.

The Head of Projects reports to the Director of Estates Operations and is responsible for:

• Ensuring that the design and construction of all major new builds and refurbishments of College building meet the highest health and safety standards.
• Advising the College on its statutory obligations regarding the health and safety of building construction and of the effect of related new or amended legislation.
• Developing the College's construction health and safety policies and procedures necessary to ensure the College's compliance with legislation and the effective control of construction hazards.
• Developing appropriate guidance and codes of practice to support these policies and procedures.
• Inspecting, monitoring and auditing the implementation of construction policies, procedures and codes of practice across the College.
• Developing, setting and reviewing related performance standards and targets as necessary.
• Ensuring that all contractors working on College major projects comply with College health and safety policies and procedures.
• Ensuring that all staff and principal contractors involved in construction work on College buildings receive appropriate induction and other training.
• Managing the interface between the College and the local planning authorities.
• Suspending construction activities where health and safety is being, or is likely to be, compromised. 
• Liaising with the College's specialist advisory services, including the Safety Department, the Facilities Management Division, the Fire Office, and the Security Department.

In addition to his or her duties as a Head of Division, he or she is responsible for ensuring that:

• The College meets its legal obligations for health and safety in respect of all premises it leases to third parties.
• Tenancy agreements place the College's tenants under a legally enforceable obligation to comply with the College's health and safety policies and procedures.