Health & Safety

This page gives advice on general aspects of health and safety. Please try to be aware of what is happening around you. If you become aware of a hazard or safety problem that cannot be easily solved by the people around you, then you must report it to your supervisor or to the Faculty Safety Officer.

Safety Management – Who is Responsible?

Post	Current Post Holder	Room No.	Tel No.
Head of Faculty	Mike Younger	3S5	767611
Faculty Health and Safety Officer	Kim Down	2S2	767726
Dep. Faculty Health and Safety Officer	Paul Rogers	MAB	767713

Induction and Training

Induction and training is available i.e. risk assessment, manual handling, and fire safety training for all staff and students.

A list of courses is available through the Health and Safety Division.

Fire Safety

In the event of a fire and on hearing the fire alarm, all staff, students and visitors must leave the building by the nearest exit as quickly and calmly as possible, closing doors as they leave and assembling in the staff car park at the rear of the building. Do not use the lift or re-enter the building until told to do so by the Senior Fire Officer or the Faculty Fire Officer (Philip Vale).

Nominated fire wardens will evacuate their designated areas and check "Refuge Points" for disabled staff, students and visitors who may require help to be evacuated.

Nominated Fire Wardens in NFB

Ground Floor: Hannah Drake and Allen Saunders

Library: Emma Batchelor and Mel Eyeons

First Floor: Ursula Clarke and Karen Webb

Second Floor: Linda Bott and Jan Oram

Third Floor: Pauline Mason and Philip Vale

Trumpington House: Nichola Daily

Fire Wardens responsibilities: To ensure that all occupants resident in their designated area are alerted to the fire alarm and that all rooms and refuge points are physically checked.

Note: Would all Lecturing staff notify students at the start of lectures/seminars of the procedures notified above.

Accidents and Emergencies

In an emergency call (1) 999 for police, fire and abulance, and call University security on 101.

If you have an accident, health condition or any other related issue please contact the Health and Safety Officer, Kim Down on 67726.

Any injuries or incidents should be reported to the Health and Safety Officer and an accident report must be filled out.

Current First Aiders are:

Title	First Name	Last Name	Location & Tel.
Mr	Paul	Rogers	MAB (36287)
Ms	Hannah	Drake	NFB (67735)
Ms	Natasha	Fegan	ERP Lab (67508)
Mr	Tim	Fosker	ERP Lab (67522)
Mr	Peter	Miles	MAB (67588)

If you need first aid assistance:

during office hours please call reception on 67600.
out of office hours contact Security on 31818

First aid boxes are kept on each floor of the New Faculty Building, on the ground floor of Trumpington House and in the foyer of the New Science Block. Please acquaint yourself with their location.

Assessing and Controlling Risks

A risk assessment is the process of identifying, assessing and remedying hazards and risks involved in activities. Risk assessments should be carried out before any work is begun.

A hazard can be defined as a potential source of harm or damage, or a situation with a potential to cause harm or damage. Risk is a function of the probability of that harm occurring and the severity of its consequences if it occurs.

Guidance on risk assessments as well as a general risk assessment form

If you are in any doubt as to whether or not an activity should be risk assessed please contact the Faculty Health and Safety Officer.

Lone Working

"Lone working" covers all work proposed to be undertaken alone where the risk to the individual lone worker may be increased either by the work activity itself or by the lack of available support should something go wrong. This can include working at home, driving, fieldwork, shift work, overseas visits and work away from the University.

If you are working alone in any of these sorts of situations then it is important that you complete a risk assessment.

See Guidance to Lone Working in the University of Cambridge.

Electrical Safety

All electrical equipment should be tested annually to ensure that it is suitable for use. Any electrical equipment brought in from offsite must be reported to the Health and Safety Officer and tested for safety.

Hazardous Substances

It is the responsibility of any individual working with hazardous substances, including chemicals and cleaning products containing chemicals to ensure that a risk assessment has been carried out and that personal protective equipment is used wherever necessary.

Manual Handling (Carrying, Pushing, Pulling AND Lifting)

Anyone whose job includes an element of carrying, pushing, pulling or lifting (even stacks of paper or boxes of files) should attend a Manual Handling course. These are offered by the Health and Safety Division but the Faculty can also arrange on site courses.

Personal Protective Equipment (Science Block and Art Room)

Personal protective equipment is clothing that protects the wearer from hazards. When engaged in any activity where hazards (such as chemicals or lathes) are being used it is imperative that the person engaged in that activity ensures that they wear suitable personal protective equipment.

Display Screen Equipment (Computers)

Working with desktop computers and other types of display screen equipment (DSE) can cause both mental and physical fatigue. Anyone who experiences problems while using display screen equipment should report to the Faculty Health and Safety Officer who will be able to advise you on the best course of action to be taken.

Smoking

A no smoking policy is in effect for all of the buildings on the Faculty of Education site.

Children and Young Persons

The Faculty's policy on children is that they should be supervised at all times (in view of the potential dangers for children in the building such as staircases and open walkways) and that risk assessments should be undertaken to demonstrate what precautions and supervision is in place. These risk assessments should be submitted to the Faculty Health and Safety Officer.

Work Related Driver and Vehicle Safety

Guidance on travel at work is available from the Health and Safety division.

Responsibility for Students Undertaking Fieldwork

Where a student's fieldwork requires them to travel overseas, the following health and safety guidance applies:

The University has a legal duty of care towards its students whilst on fieldwork.
The supervisor and the student should ensure that any project is risk assessed and appropriate measures taken to control the risks. The supervisor will question the student about their practical arrangements (where they will stay, how they will travel) to satisfy themselves that the student is handling the trip in a sensible manner. If the level of risk is found to be too great, even when appropriate control measures have been put in place, then the student will be advised by the supervisor not to undertake the particular project.
The student should take out full medical and personal accident insurance, together with travel insurance.
The following should also be considered by both the student and the supervisor:
Care should be exercised in assessing the nature of any current hostilities in the country that the student proposes to visit, particularly as foreign visitors have in the past been used as hostages for the purposes of driving home a particular political message.
All appropriate medical advice should be obtained by the student prior to leaving this country to avoid unnecessary potential long term illness.
In some countries particular areas of the country may be the only problem areas and this should be investigated and discussed with the student prior to departure.
If the field trip is likely to involve any physically challenging territory the appropriateness of the student to meet this physical challenge should be assessed before agreement is given to their undertaking such field work.

The Safety Office and the Occupational Health Unit can provide advice on risk assessments and precautionary measures for field work.

Before leaving to go on fieldwork, students should complete and submit a 'Fieldwork Risk Assessment Form' (which can be collected from the Higher Degrees Office).

Working Away from Cambridge

See Guidance on working away from Cambridge.

Faculty Health and Safety Policy

Health & Safety Policy

First Aid and Fire Safety at Homerton College

If you discover a fire or require first aid while attending lectures at Homerton College please contact the Porter's Lodge, located in the Mary Allen Building - Main Entrance. The telephone number for the Porters' Lodge is +44 (0)1223 507111. Information about fire safety and refuge points can be found in each lecture room on the site. If you are unsure about procedures please contact the Porters' Lodge for clarification.