Head of Department Responsibilities

Head of Department safety responsibilities are published in UCL's Organisation and Arrangements for Safety and are as follows:

Plan

The preparation, annual review and authorisation of the organisation and arrangements specific to each department for managing health and safety including confirmation of the departmental Responsible Persons Register
Ensuring the allocation of the necessary resources including the appointment of Departmental Specialist Officers and competent persons
The setting of departmental safety objectives and action plans to manage the risks including those identified by the UCL Fire risk Assessment process
The identification of activities critical to their business continuity and preparation of plans to minimise the impact of a major incident, in conjunction with the overall UCL plan and including arrangements for all relevant persons who have restricted mobility, sensory disabilities or who are temporarily incapacitated
Ensuring all new members of staff and full-time postgraduate research students complete the health and safety induction requirements
Ensuring the competence of employees including the maintenance of records on the appropriate UCL systems e.g. training records

The identification, assessment and review of significant risks and ensuring the planning, implementation, monitoring and review of measures to control the risks
Ensuring that all persons who may be affected by the department's activities understand the arrangements for health and safety and have access to the necessary information
Establishing local consultative health and safety arrangements or, in low risk departments, placing health and safety as a standing item on the agenda of the departmental management committee if a departmental health and safety committee is not justified
Making explicit and documenting the co-operation and coordination responsibilities and arrangements where workplaces are shared with other UCL departments and other employers
Ensuring all activities undertaken on behalf of UCL are carried out by, or supervised by, competent people who have the necessary authority to meet their responsibilities
Ensuring adequate supervision of all students and visitors to UCL

Ensuring that their areas of control and responsibility meet statutory and UCL safety standards
The planning, implementation, monitoring and review of measures to control risk arising from the activities of their department

Reviewing the health and safety performance and adequacy of existing health and safety arrangements of the Department in accordance with agreed standards