The Strategic View

Occupational Health and Safety Planning at the University of Western Sydney

The University of Western Sydney considers prevention of injury or ill-health to all individuals foremost in conducting its activities.

Therefore, the University is committed to ensuring that all legislative requirements are met and to maintaining a position of excellence through a systematic and preventative approach in handling occupational health, safety and welfare issues affecting its activities.

Occupational health and safety legislation in New South Wales requires that an employer has a duty to take reasonable care of an employee and that 'due diligence' should be exercised in carrying out this obligation.

Due diligence requires that an employer take every precaution reasonable in the circumstances to protect the health, safety and welfare of all who work in, are contracted to and visit the employer.

This involves every person in the workplace (e.g. Board of Trustees, Vice-Chancellor, Deputy Vice-Chancellors, Deans, Heads of School, Divisional Managers, Line Managers, Supervisors and employees) understanding and complying with their duties as set out in the OH&S Act and associated legislation.

It also requires that every person in the workplace identify risks to health, safety and welfare, and that these risks be addressed through a properly functioning and documented health and safety management system.

To facilitate compliance with health and safety and rehabilitation legislation, UWS has developed a strategic plan that provides key focus areas, and intent for the university’s health, safety and rehabilitation goals.

UWS has a shared and explicit set of values which underpin all that it does. These are:

• ethics and accountability
• innovation and creativity
• excellence and quality in all its endeavours
• academic responsibility and freedom
• equity of access and inclusiveness
• scholarly rigour and integrity
• collegiality and participatory decision making
• relevance and responsibility to our communities.

This set of values has guided the formulation of the University's OHS&R strategic goals which also form the cornerstone of the UWS OHS&R strategic plan 2004-2008.

The University also recognises the need to carefully monitor the implementation of the OHS&R Strategic Plan 2004-2008. To ensure that this task is undertaken effectively, the Vice-Chancellor’s Advisory Committee (VCAC) will, on a bi-monthly basis, meet as the UWS Executive OHS&R Committee. The primary roles of the Executive OHS&R Committee will be to:

• act as the principal advisor to the Vice-Chancellor and Board of Trustees on all matters relating to occupational risk management throughout the University, including the implementation of the UWS OHS&R Strategic Plan 2004-8
• receive and consider the bi-monthly progress reports provided by colleges, divisions, schools and departments using a standard report template (MS Word, 125Kb)
• receive and consider reports and matters from other specialist areas of the University, e.g. OHS&R Unit, Bio Safety and Radiation Committee
• provide strategic OHS&R guidance to colleges, divisions, schools and departments
• monitor the OHS&R performance of the colleges, divisions, schools and departments against key performance criteria
• make recommendations to ensure that resources are utilised in the most cost effective manner having regard to the nature and extent of risk exposures
• make recommendations and provide reports on OHS&R to the Vice-Chancellor and the Board of Trustees.

To ensure that strategic OHS&R goals are fully met, divisions, colleges, schools and departments will develop an OHS&R Management Plan (or action plan) which sets out the way they will achieve the key priority areas of the UWS Strategic Plan.