Understand health and safety roles
All university staff share responsibility for maintaining a safe, healthy and well workplace.
The Health, Safety and Wellness (HSW) Division supports this through 10 core functions. These are outlined in our service description (PDF, 214KB), which details the services provided by the Division and the distributed health and safety network.
Staff responsibilities are guided by the Work Health and Safety Act (2011) and the UQ Health, Safety and Wellness Policy. You can also refer to the one-page Health, Safety and Wellness Policy statement (PDF, 126.95 KB).
Your specific responsibilities depend on your role and should be included in your position description. Performance criteria should be discussed during day-to-day work and reviewed in annual recognition and development appraisals.
Know your responsibilities at UQ
Each role at UQ has defined responsibilities and performance criteria. For full details, see the Health and Safety Responsibilities – Procedure.
All UQ workers have an obligation to:
- take reasonable care for their own health and safety, and ensure they do not adversely affect the health and safety of others
- comply with all reasonable safe work procedures and instructions
- cooperate with any policy or procedure relating to health and safety at UQ
- assist with the preparation of risk assessments and safe operating procedures
- report all incidents, hazards and near misses in UQSafe and to their supervisor.
UQ workers include:
- staff: continuing, fixed-term, research (contingent funded) and casual staff
- contractors, subcontractors and consultants
- visiting academics and researchers
- affiliates: academic title holders, visiting academics, emeritus professors, adjunct and honorary title holders, industry fellows and conjoint appointments
- higher degree by research students.
Executive Deans, Institute Directors, Central Support Services (CSS) Directors and Controlled Entity Chief Executive Officers (CEOs), may be considered ‘officers’ under the Work Health and Safety Act (2011). This includes anyone who makes – or helps make – significant decisions that affect a substantial part of the business or its financial standing.
As officers, senior leaders must meet their due diligence obligations by taking reasonable steps to:
- acquire and maintain up-to-date knowledge of Work Health and Safety (WHS) matters
- understand the nature of UQ's operations, including the associated hazards and risks
- ensure appropriate resources and processes are available and used to eliminate or minimise health and safety risks arising from work conducted as part of UQ’s business or undertakings
- ensure UQ has effective processes for receiving and responding to information about incidents, hazards, and risks in a timely manner
- ensure UQ complies with its duties and obligations under the WHS Act through appropriate and implemented processes
- verify the provision and use of resources and processes outlined in points 3 to 5.
What is reasonable will depend on the circumstances, including the role and influence able to be exercised by the individual officer.
Resources for more detail
Heads of organisational units must ensure their area complies with legislative and university requirements for health and safety. This includes:
- setting the standard for HSW within their area of responsibility, and actively demonstrating proactive safety leadership and culture
- ensuring appropriate HSW induction, information, training and supervision are resourced, delivered and recorded
- allocating sufficient resources to ensure effective health and safety management, including designated HSW roles
- implementing and reviewing risk control measures, including ensuring risk assessments are completed
- establishing and maintaining consultative processes between management and staff, such as health and safety committees.
See the Health and Safety Responsibilities – Procedure for more detail.
Supervisors and managers must ensure effective health and safety measures are in place within their area of responsibility, in line with legislative requirements and those of the faculty, institute, controlled entity or CSS.
Principal Advisors are considered the supervisor of higher degree by research (HDR) students, as outlined in the Eligibility and Role of Higher Degree by Research Advisors Procedure.
Provide health and safety induction, information, training and supervision
Supervisors and managers must:
- share HSW information with UQ workers relevant to the specific hazards of their area
- provide induction and refresher training to ensure UQ workers can discharge their HSW responsibilities including:
- identify hazards
- follow safe operating and emergency response procedures
- use and maintain personal protective equipment (PPE) and safety equipment
- supervise the health and safety aspects of work within their area
- facilitate consultation between management and workers on HSW issues.
Undertake risk assessments
Supervisors and managers must:
- participate in or directly supervise hazard identification, risk evaluation and the design and implementation of control measures for work, research, teaching and fieldwork
- ensure risk assessments are recorded in UQSafe
- incorporate HSW considerations into the design specification, purchase, hire, lease and supply of new plant including equipment, materials, products and substances used in the workplace
- monitor the performance and effectiveness of risk management in their area.
Apply appropriate risk controls
Supervisors and managers must:
- implement hazard-specific procedures and develop local HSW procedures, updating them as needed
- provide the necessary plant, safety systems and PPE to control risks
- ensure ongoing maintenance of plant, safety systems and PPE required to minimise risk.
Respond to incidents, hazards and near misses
Supervisors and managers must:
- investigate injuries and illnesses related to work activities and recommend corrective actions (see the Health and Safety Incident Investigation Procedure)
- ensure hazards are reported in UQSafe promptly (the system will notify those responsible for corrective actions)
- oversee the creation and implementation of corrective action plans within required timeframes
- support return-to-work plans for injured workers.
See the Health and Safety Responsibilities – Procedure for more detail.
Understand your responsibilities as a UQ worker
All UQ workers play a role in promoting a positive HSW culture, including:
- participating in consultation and providing feedback to improve HSW practices
- contributing to health and safety committees.
Under legislation, all UQ workers must:
- take reasonable care for their own health and safety, and ensure their acts or omissions do not adversely affect the health and safety of others
- comply with all reasonable safe work procedures and instructions
- comply with UQ’s health and safety policies and procedures
- assist with the preparation of risk assessments and safe operating procedures
- report incidents, hazards and near misses in UQSafe and to their supervisor.
See the Health and Safety Responsibilities – Procedure for more detail.
UQ workers include:
- staff – continuing, fixed-term, research (contingent funded) and casual
- contractors, subcontractors and consultants
- visiting academics and researchers
- affiliates – academic title holders, emeritus professors, adjunct and honorary title holders, industry fellows and conjoint appointments
- higher degree by research students.
Connect with the UQ safety network
To find your unit’s Safety Team, check the UQ safety network contacts (staff login required).
If you're new to a health and safety role at UQ, complete a New Safety Role Appointment application via UQSafe so you can be added to the relevant systems.
Health, Safety and Wellness (HSW) Manager
This role provides additional support and leadership but does not replace the responsibilities of heads of organisational units, managers, supervisors or staff under the Act. HSW Managers help all parties meet their legislative and due diligence obligations.
They represent their faculty, institute, controlled entity or division when consulting with the HSW Division on UQ policies, procedures and guidelines.
Within their area, their responsibilities include:
- supporting HSW governance and consultative mechanisms
- developing, managing and maintaining the HSW management system
- facilitating risk management processes
- developing and delivering relevant HSW programs
- providing advice, information and services
- monitoring HSW performance
- building HSW capability
- reviewing incident reports and leading or supporting investigations and implementing control measures
- engaging with regulators and stakeholders
- assisting with workers’ compensation and return-to-work processes.
See the Health and Safety Responsibilities – Procedure for more detail.
Find resources for health and safety coordinators and representatives.
Work Health and Safety Coordinators (WHSC)
Many organisational units are supported by Work Health and Safety Coordinators (WHSCs). Appointing WHSCs strengthens local safety efforts but does not remove individual responsibilities under the Act.
Under the guidance of HSW Managers or the HSW Division, WHSCs advise heads of units, managers, supervisors and workers on their responsibilities under the Act and the overall state of HSW in the work unit.
Their duties include but are not limited to:
- conducting workplace inspections
- delivering training
- supporting the implementation of HSW management plans
- assisting with risk assessments
- reviewing hazards and incidents.
See the Health and Safety Responsibilities – Procedure for more detail.
Find resources for health and safety coordinators and representatives.
Health and Safety Representatives (HSR)
HSRs are not compulsory at UQ but must be established if requested by a work group. Managers should not nominate or appoint HSRs – this is a worker-led process.
Any staff member can be nominated by their work group, regardless of experience or qualifications.
For details on HSR powers, functions and the election process, see the Health and Safety Consultative Mechanisms Procedure.
Find resources for health and safety coordinators and representatives.
First Aid Officers
First Aid Officers are appointed by management based on risk assessment.
To learn more, see:
Drug and Poisons Officers
Appointed by management, Drug and Poisons Officers ensure scheduled substances and poisons are obtained, issued, used and stored in line with legislation.
See the Medicine and poisons page and the Substance Management Plan for Medicines and Poisons Procedure for details.
Radiation Safety Officers
Appointed by management to oversee compliance and worker safety related to the possession and use of radioactive substances.
See Section 4 of the Radiation Safety Procedure for more information.
HSW Committee members
HSW Committees provide a forum for consultation between management and workers on health and safety matters. Members are expected to actively participate and contribute to the meetings and play a lead role in promoting a positive HSW culture within their organisational units.
For more information, see: