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Model (H) ADMIN OFFICES ONLY

MODEL (H-A) - ADMIN OFFICES ONLY

The SS work manual comprises 4 Volumes and Appendices

Please choose from the links below to enter the different sections (sub documents).  If you are not sure what you are looking for browse through all sections or consult the FAQ tab over.

Users are also encouraged to utilise the new Dept Risk Assessment reconciliation/estimator workbook tool ( Excel spread sheet) given in the second section tab below. 

The School/Dept Safety Statement must be based on an adequate Risk assessment(s) of the tasks/all work activities. (Vol 3). An adequate RA must be in place befor the work/task commences. ( This is an operational line management responsibility & legal SHWW Act requirement)

Note: The content of a departments Safety Statement (SS) should match the extent of risks identified for all dept work activities - the new RA reconciliation/estimator tool will assist.

The SS work manual comprises 4 Volumes and Appendices:

Volume 1:Safety Management Systems (revised 2014) (ADMIN OFFICES)

Volume 2:Requirements for the Control of Hazards and Risks (ADMIN OFFICES)

Volume 3:Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (ADMIN OFFICES)

Volume 4:Safety Action Plans

Appendices (ADMIN OFFICES)

Preface to Model (H-A)

This is the third issue of the Safety Statement manual that was produced to:

  • Meet new Health & Safety legislative changes
  • Make minor revisions or corrections to some sections including date proofing
  • Add new sections or include extra detail to other sections
  • Be available in CD format

Apart from template revisions and selected revised RA forms as now contained within the attached, there is no need for departments to change anything they have done with their existing risk assessments or other records, as most of this issue is identical to the first manual. Any actions required in individual Sections are indicated in Section 2.4 and should be reviewed, if applicable. 

As stated previously in the first issue, the purpose of this manual is to comply with current Health & Safety legislation and to provide a template, aid or guide for the Department/Centre/Unit to produce or customise their own department’s Safety Statement, to a professional standard. 

Its objective is to give general guidance aimed at the prevention of accidents and occupational ill health in the workplace and to ensure compliance with the requirements of current Health & Safety legislation. However, the Work Manual is not intended as a legal interpretation of this legislation.

The Manual establishes the structure/format and typical contents, which Departments should adopt. It consists of 4 constituent Volumes, which in turn are divided into numerous Sections. These may be adopted in full or altered to suit the individual department. The Manual also has an Appendix that contains miscellaneous information relevant to the content of the Manual. 

It must be emphasised that whilst the scope and content of this Manual is reasonably comprehensive, it does not purport to be an exhaustive or comprehensive safety manual, which covers every aspect of the University’s or a Department’s activities.  Each constituent department must initially identify and continually update the unique hazards encountered in their sphere of activity.  Hazards thus identified and not covered by this manual must be included by the Department/Unit/Centre in question and should be catered for by revising and/or devising new sections.

Departments should adapt the contents of the manual, in particular ‘Arrangements and Controls’ in Volume 2, to the circumstances in their own department.  Departments may alter, amend any section to simplify and take account of its circumstances/work practices, providing it does not diminish:

  1. It ’s legal obligations or responsibilities and
  2. Best safety practice requirements, Codes of Practice or guidelines established or recognised by EU/National Standards, the Health & Safety Executive, the Health & Safety Authority or guidelines produced by Expert Advisory Committee’s at National level in the University Sector or College specialist safety sub-Committees.

Departments must alter /reset the template dates and revision numbers to reflect their own document generation and revision history

Office Admin only Departments only need to use 60-75% of the former Humanities model. 

Note for Office Administration only Departments: Firstly ascertain that your staff do not undertake work activities such as : (organising events or conferences on or off campus, organising field work, supervision of students, student placements, engagement of contractors to maintain equipment, use of vehicles for work, organising deliveries by vehicles, use of noise generating equipment etc.) 

The flow diagrams on the following pages indicate the steps to be taken to complete the relevant sections in each constituent Document. 

The safety statement template consists of four constituent Volumes, which are intended to be used in conjunction with each other.

Volume 1: Safety Management System (Model H)

 

This Volume contains Sections 1 - 17 of the department safety statement and should be read in conjunction with Volume Nos. 2,3 & 4.  This Volume sets out the department’s/centre's/unit’s proactive safety management system, which is intended to secure the safety, health & welfare of staff and students whilst ensuring compliance with current and developing health and safety legislation. 

It details the safety responsibilities for all departmental personnel, together with the arrangements for safety monitoring, safety consultation, training, first aid and up-keep of the safety statement.

Volume 2: Requirements for the Control of Hazards & Risks (Model H)

 

This Volume contains Section 18 of the departmental safety statement, and should be read in conjunction with Volume No. 3, the Departmental Hazard identification and Risk Assessment (D.H.R.A.).

It summarises the individual hazards and risks that may be found within the department and those associated with the activities of the department. It also indicates the requirements to eliminate or control the hazards and risks. 

Volume 3: Hazard Identification and Risk Assessments (Model H)

 

This Volume contains Section 19 of the department safety statement, and should be read in conjunction with Volume No. 2, the departmental requirements for the Control of Hazards and Risks (D.C.H.R.). 

It outlines terminology and risk assessment methodologies used to control and monitor hazards for the entire department's activities, rooms, equipment, processes, work undertaken and substances/agents used.

Specimen checklists are also provided in relation to specific regulations/ specific headings to enable hazards/ safety issues to be identified. Once identified, risk levels may require to be assessed and appropriate arrangements and controls identified. This information together with a programme of implementation will form the basis for the Department's Safety Action Plan (D.S.A.P.) in Volume No.4.

Volume 4: Departmental Safety Action Plan (Model H)

 

This Volume contains Section 20 of the department safety statement, detailing a prioritised phased programme of actions, the Departmental Safety Action Plan (D.S.A.P.), to implement the arrangements and controls necessary to reduce hazards/risks identified in Volume No. 3. It should also be read in conjunction with Volume No. 2, under the relevant sections.

Appendices (Model H)

 

Volume 2 (H-A): Control of Risks - Typical Admin Area Hazards

 NOTE: These to be read in conjunction with Section 19, Document No.3 and relevant Appendices

Foreword for Office Administration only Departments:

Office Administration only Departments may only need to utilise 60-75% of the sections or content within the standard Humanities Model. (restricted as below for ADMIN OFFICES)

ADDITIONALLY where Heads/ Managers of ADMIN OFFICES have firstly ascertained that their staff undertake no work activities such as : (organising events or conferences or meetings either on or off campus, organising field work, supervision of students, student placements, engagement of contractors to maintain equipment, use of vehicles for work, organising deliveries by vehicles, use of noise generating equipment etc., then content such as  18.8 may not need to be downloaded/used. 

Note: In all cases content within these WORD document templates:

  • content may/should be further ammended or reduced by the end user department - as and where it is not applicable to a particular ADMIN departments work and location.
  • Header dates should be changed to reflect department issue/adaptation.

Requirements for the Control of Hazards and Risks (ADMIN ONLY OFFICES)>

Note: All documents have individual rev #s ( most current in each case)

Outdoor Work (Sun UV Safety)

  Year Normal Work Hazards (Admin Offices)
 18.1 2020 Offices 
 18.2  2022 Fire-and-other-emergencies-Jan-2022-(Offices-and-Non-Offices)
 18.3  2020 Visual-Display-Screen-Equipment
 18.4  2020 Manual-Handling
 18.5 2006 Slips-Trips-and-Falls
 18.6  2006 Violence-at-Work
 18.7  2006 Machinery-and-Equipment-(Offices-and-Non-Offices)
 18.8 2006 Movement-of-Vehicles 
 18.9 2006 Lecture-Theatres-Seminars-and-Meeting-Rooms
 18.10  2006 Electrical-Safety
 18.11 2007 Falls-from-Height
 18.13 2006 Noise-at-Work 
 18.14  2020 Occupational-Stress
 18.15  2006 Working-Alone
 18.17  2006 Bullying-and-Intimidation-in-the-Workplace
 18.47 2021 Covid-19 & Occupational Health & Safety
 18.48 2022 Outdoor Work (Sun UV Safety) 

Volume 3a (H-A): Hazard Id. & Risk Assessment - General S.O.P.

How to identify hazards and manage and assess risks

After reading 19.1 to 19.7, and appendix IV, commence with using the Dept RA reconciiation tool. Once this has been filtered down to the activities of relevance, then proceed to complete 19.10 in that light. ( for the risks identified). 

 
The checklists given in the sections 3b below can further inform for the Admin area. (Note: Some of these will need inputs from B&E).
 
Alternatively proceed straight to conduct an indept RA , using 3c, for the entire scope of activity and where it is being undertaken. e.g. considering all elements and persons impacted and circumstances for the work incl specic environns at the time and persons involved.
 
Risk assessments must be specific to the task/activity and not generic.
19.1.0 Terminology-and-Checklist 
19.2.0  Risk-Assessment-Methodology
19.4.0 Risk-Assessment-Procedures 
19.5.0 Controlling-Risks
19.6.0 Monitoring-and-Review
19.7.0  Hazard-Identification-and-Risk-Assessment-Flow-Chart
19.10

Basic-Hazard-Spotting-and-Risk-Assessment-Exercise

 

   Dept RA Reconciliation 2016 (77kB)  Guide to FA & Dept RA reconciliation 2016
Appendix IV

Occupational Health Hazards 

 

Volume 3b (H-A): Admin Area Hazards & simple RA Checklists

19.3.1 General-Workplace-Safety-Checklist-July2020
19.3.2 Work-Equipment-Machinery-Checklist

19.3.3 Manual-Handling-Checklist-05-03-12

to be completed after using the companion form 19.3.3.2 below [ or 19.3.3.1 for more complex tasks/loads]

19.3.3.2 Manual-Handling-Simple/ General MH RA
19.3.3.3 Manual Handling MAC Tool 2020
Note: Form 19.3.3.1 is an aide to more indepth MH RA of complex shaped items or complex activities and in areas such as store rooms, equipment room or post rooms. ‌19.3.3.1 Manual-Handling-Self-Assessment-Checklist for Indepth MH RA

19.3.4 VDSE and Assessment Checklist Feb 2022

VDSE Assessment Managers Log Oct 2020

19.3.4.1 Stress-Checklist
19.3.5 Fire-and-Other-Emergency-Checklist-Jan-2022
19.3.6Electrical-Safety-Checklist
19.3.7 Personal-Protection-Checklist-May-2022
19.3.8 Meeting-Rooms-Lecture-and-Seminar-Theatres-Checklist
19.3.9 Movement-of-Workplace-Vehicles-and-Traffic-Checklist
19.3.10 First-Aid-Checklist

19.3.19 This form is ommitted. Employees must notify HR of their pregnancy. HR will then issue them direct with an Pregnancy Job Risk Assessment Form. ( Students and Postgraduates should notify their department and Student health)

19.3.21 Work related travel RA Oct 2023

19.3.22 Review of Existing OH&S RA & Controls Arising from Covid-19 Checklist (#20) (updated July 2021)

19.3.23 Outdoor Work (Sun UV Safety) Checklist (May 2022)

Note: Only use those sections or elements therein as are relevant to the Departments activities as and where work is conducted both within and external to UCC.

Add additonal content to cover activities that are not captured within the above. B&Es inputs may be needed for 19.3.5, 19.3.6 and 19.3.9. 

Repeat travel journeys by an individual or group may be covered by an initial travel RA provided the circumstances remain constant/ unchanged.

A VDSE RA must be conducted for each staff workstation (to capture different personal circumstances and set ups).

Footnote: The UCC Risk Assessment SOP and Risk Assessment topic and activity forms generally apply to wherever work is undertaken. No special Risk Assessment forms are needed for remote working. Such places of work should be assessed using the standard Risk Assessment forms provided commencing with the Basic Hazard Spotting Exercise (19.10), the General Workplace Safety Checklist (19.3.1) and the VDSE Risk Assessment 2020 (19.3.4) in particular.

Revised September 2020

H.S.A. Covid-19 Advice
For up-to-date information on Covid-19, please visit this page

 

Volume 3c (H-A): Risk Assessment Template

General Risk Assessment Form

Volume 3d (H-A): Summary of Dept Hazards/Assessed Risks

19.11 Summary-of-Simple-Actions-Arising-from-All-Hazards
19.12 Risk-Assessment-Summary-Sheet

Note: A risk conclusion should be available to coincide with all hazards/risks that were indentified as applying to the departments work activities ( per the Dept Rsk Reconciliation Tool)

Dept RA Reconciliation 2016

Volume 4 (H-A): Dept Safety Action Plans

21.0 21.0 Record and Status Report Form 
22.0 & 23.0 22 & 23 Record and Status Report Forms- Part I and II

This must be dynamic. It must be reviewed at least annually and revised regularly.

Appendices for Model (H-A)

Appendix I Hani-Rafaat-Risk-Assessment-Nomogram sample
Appendix II Assessing-and-Recording-Forms sample
Appendix III Quick-Reference  
Appendix IV Occupational-Health-Hazards  
Appendix V VDU-Issues   
Appendix VI Irish-and-EU-Leglislation  
Appendix VIII Safety-Responsibility-Towards-Students   
Appendix X  Selection-and-Operation-of-Fire-Extinguishers  
Appendix XI  First-Aid-Procedures  
Appendix XII Bomb-Alert-Procedures  
Appendix XIII Health-and-Safety-Information-Sources  

Health & Safety Office

Sláinte agus Sábháilteacht

5 Carrigside, College Road, Cork

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