USHA is the Universities Safety and Health Association.
Their role is to promote safety and health in the higher education sector and to ensure the wellbeing of staff, students and visitors.
USHA produces guidance documents which offer best practice for some of the common challenges that are found in the University sector.
The University of York is a member of USHA and we actively promote their style in safety management across our activities. As such, the starting point for many of our risk assessed activities and management should include USHA guidance where possible, as well as legislation, guidance notes, information sheets and codes of practice from organisations such as the Health and Safety Executive, British Compressed Gas Association, IOSH etc.
It produces statistical analysis of the sector’s H&S performance, runs events seminars and conferences, and publishes professional standards and guidance documents.
You can use this standard to help you understand your legal duties and demonstrate your visible commitment to the success of the health and safety management system in the University.
The broad principles can all be captured within the management system approach:
Plan, Do, Check, Review
This approach is no different to management processes used across Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) for other purposes, such as procurement, applying for research bids or developing institutional strategies.
This standard describes principles and practices which managers in any HEI will need to apply in order to demonstrate good health and safety management.
A healthy and safe environment is an important part of any work and study place, regardless of where that may be. Fieldwork forms a key element of academic teaching and research, enabling our Department to develop innovative and exciting solutions to a wide variety of problems, issues and intriguing questions.
The approaches and methods used in fieldwork can vary across disciplines and can be carried out in almost all parts of the world. As such the risks associated with fieldwork can be multiple and complex. It is important therefore that any assessment and mitigation of risk is carried out in a sensible, informed and pragmatic way.
This document provides a framework for establishing policies and procedures that enable staff, students and other participants in the Department to undertake fieldwork safely. It provides us with a way to demonstrate that we are following good practice to manage fieldwork, thereby facilitating fieldwork in even the most remote and challenging of environments and circumstances.
It is aimed at the Head of Department, fieldwork leaders and others who may be accountable for the health and safety of staff, students and other participants engaged in fieldwork. It also gives practical advice to other stakeholders, such as academic researchers; students; supervisors of students undertaking independent field research; advisers in health
and safety; occupational health advisers and insurance officers.
Research is about investigating new avenues of knowledge, and this carries an unavoidable element of the unknown. The outcome of research work can be uncertain or can differ from what was originally predicted.
Health and safety legislation applies just as much to research as it does to any other area of industry. Despite the
inherent elements of uncertainty, it is possible for research workers to innovate without exposing themselves or others to unnecessary health and safety- related risks. Sensible management systems, together with suitable
practical training for those involved, are essential to providing a framework in which people can work safely.
This guidance was written for higher education institutes and research councils engaged in research. You will find it useful in helping to understand your responsibilities under health and safety law, and providing a basis for good practice.