Health and Safety

The Head of Division has overall responsibility for Health and Safety in the Humanities Division. This authority is delegated via the Faculty Board Chair to the Safety Officers appointed in each faculty. It is recommended that Health and Safety is included as a standing item on a Faculty Board Agenda at least once a year. The Divisional Health and Safety Committee is a virtual group. Workshops dedicated to a particular subject are arranged at least twice a year. Everyone with a safety function in faculties is invited to participate. 

The Divisional Office works closely with the University’s Safety Office to provide support to Safety Officers in faculties in the range of tasks for which they are responsible (e.g. Building, Events and Fire Risk Assessments, Travel, Ruskin School workshop safety).

Each faculty, the Ruskin School, and Divisional Office, produces an annual Statement of Safety for submission to the University Safety Office. This document describes the organisation and arrangements for safety within the specified unit and is made available to every individual at their induction.

While the Humanities Division is 'low risk’ in terms of Health and Safety, when compared with a science department, some areas require closer support and monitoring, for example:

• Travel by students: undergraduate students on courses such as Modern Languages, on ‘Year Abroad’ study periods
• Travel by graduate students, researchers and academic postholders: research trips

The Division, in collaboration with the faculties, has developed policy documents and forms to help faculties to assess risk relating to travel.