ICU Health and Safety Policy

The Board, as Imperial College Unions governing body, carries the ultimate responsibility for health and safety at Imperial College Union and has overall and final responsibility (under section 37 of the Health and Safety at Work Act (1974) as the "Controlling Mind" of the organisation) for all health, safety, and welfare within Imperial College Union.

The Trustee Board has devolved day-to-day responsibility for Health, Safety and Welfare to the Managing Director.

The MD, and those acting on their behalf, will ensure:

• The policy is effectively implemented so there is always statutory compliance.
• Adequate resources are available for the provision of the appropriate health, safety, and welfare arrangements.
• Competent persons are nominated to provide assistance on health and safety, and that external health and safety advice is available and sought when necessary.
• Imperial College Union complies with its responsibilities with regards to compliance with current legislation.

The FHSM is appointed by the MD to undertake the following:

• The FHSM will manage the co-ordination and implementation of ICU's responsibilities in relation to health and safety. Suitable training will be provided to ensure capability in this role.
• The FHSM will be a member of the ICU Operational Health and Safety Committee.
• The FHSM will ensure that the ICU’s Health and Safety Policy is up to date and will notify the MD when the safety policy needs revision due to legislative change, changes in circumstances, or else annually.
• The FHSM will ensure that notifiable injuries, diseases, and dangerous occurrences are reported to the enforcing authorities as required by the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR, 2013).
• The FHSM will ensure that statistics for all accidents, incidents, dangerous occurrences and near misses are recorded, investigated, and reported to the ICU Operational Health and Safety Committee, ICU Trustee Board and the College’s Health and Safety Management Committee.
• The FHSM will assist ICU Line Managers, Officer Trustee's and members of Clubs, Societies and Projects (CSPs) in producing risk assessments, advise on safe working practices and necessary revisions to the assessments.
• The FHSM will oversee ICU`s risk assessment process, ensuring that all parts of the organisation and all activities are covered by suitable and sufficient risk assessment. Reporting on significant risks to the MD and ICU Operational Health and Safety Committee. The FHSM should carry out inspections to ensure that the control measures arising from risk assessments are in place and that people are carrying out activities.
• The FHSM will facilitate the distribution and communication of relevant health and safety information to employees, as well as the CSP members.

The Operational Health and Safety Committee will meet at least once per term, although additional meetings may be called by the Chair, Managing Director, Officer Trustees, or the Board of Trustees should the need arise.

• To maintain and review the measures necessary to ensure the health and safety of Union employees, students and others engaged in legitimate activities on its premises.
• To set and review health and safety performance and objectives to improve health and safety management and maintain a positive health and safety culture.
• To monitor the management processes employed within the Union to mitigate risk, notably the implementation and annual review of risk assessments.
• To monitor and review health and safety related incidents, implement investigations and complete corrective action (where appropriate and necessary) in a timely manner not to exceed 6 months.
• To monitor and review the health and safety audit and inspection process, both internal and external, and implement recommendations where appropriate.
• To monitor and review the adequacy and implementation of health and safety related training, awareness, and competency standards.
• To enable complaints and reports from employees to be investigated, remedial action to be implemented, and response provided.
• To submit an annual report to the Trustee Board summarising the committee’s output and effectiveness.
• To consult with Imperial College Safety Department on health and safety issues.

The Committee will have the following membership:

• Director of Support Services;
• Director of Membership Services;
• Director of Commercial Services;
• Deputy President Finance & Services;
• Deputy President Clubs & Societies;
• Facilities, Health & Safety Manager;
• Student Activities Manager;
• Venue Operations Manager.
• Imperial College London Beit Building Manager

Imperial College London Director of Health, Safety and Environment (or nominee)

Line Managers are accountable to their Senior Manager for the health and safety of their service delivery and for its compliance with ICU health and safety management, and statutory requirements. Line Managers have a duty of care for those employees and students under their responsibility.

Line Managers are responsible for the following:

• To ensure that effective arrangements are in place for the implementation of ICU health and safety policies their arrangements and procedures.
• To promote a positive health and safety culture by, for example:
  • Ensuring effective communication of health and safety information amongst staff;
  • Including health and safety as an agenda item at team level meetings;
  • Promoting and celebrating safe working practices;

• To liaise with the ICU Facilities, Health and Safety Manager to advise on health and safety issues.
• To ensure they are aware of the principal hazards and risks present in their areas of service delivery, 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 measures.
• To ensure for the service they are responsible for, that arrangements are in place for the regular monitoring, reviewing, updating and approval of risk assessments, resulting control measures and there are properly documented and that these records are managed appropriately.
• Line managers must ensure that all staff receive the appropriate induction, on the job training and receive health and safety information and instruction relevant to their duties,
• To ensure that health and safety is considered in planning and budgeting and that resources are used effectively and in proportion to the local risks.
• To suspend activities where health and safety is being or is likely to be compromised.
• Line managers must put in place the corrective measures identified as the result of the investigation of accidents and incidents. 
• Line managers must participate and engage with health and safety training where this has been identified as necessary. 
• Ensuring that proper arrangements are in place for dealing with emergencies, providing first aid and reporting accidents, incidents, and non-compliances.

All ICU employees have a legal duty to take care for their own health and safety, take care where their acts or omissions affect the health and safety of others.

All Imperial College Union staff will be responsible for the following:

• To comply with ICU and College health and safety policies, and procedures and with the arrangements in place to control health and safety risks. 
• To ensure that their working area does not present unnecessary or uncontrolled risks to themselves or to others. 
• To understand that breaches of safety rules or interfering with safety equipment will be treated as a serious disciplinary matter. 
• To ensure that their working area does not present unnecessary or uncontrolled risks to themselves or to others. 
• To ensure they do not undertake any task for which authorisation and or training has not been received.
• To ensure that all incidents, accidents, near misses are reported to their Line Manager of via the College reporting system.
• To attend appropriate induction training and ensure that the Imperial Essentials compliance on-line training is completed within 4 weeks of commencing employment at ICU.

ICU, whilst an independent charity in its own right, is an integral part of the Imperial College community and could not exist without the College. The Union and College work in partnership to ensure that adequate measures are in place to ensure health, safety and welfare within the Union. The Union is committed to working with the College Health & Safety Unit and where appropriate, ensuring that the Union's Health and Safety Policy is in accordance with the College Health and Safety Policy.

The Union staff contracts of employment are with the College. Whilst the Union accepts its duty of care and responsibilities, the College also has a duty to ensure, and support, the safe management and operation of the Students’ Union.

The spaces that ICU occupy are owned and managed by Imperial College London and therefore a landlord/tenant relationship also exists in practice. It is important that a strong relationship exists between College Estates Department and the Students’ Union to ensure absolute clarity around respective responsibilities. Relationships between the Union, Estates and Health and Safety Department are governed by service level agreements to ensure continuity and clarity over roles and responsibilities.