School of Cancer Sciences Health & Safety
SCS Health & Safety Committee
| David Vetrie | Chair | WWCRC | Principal Investigator |
| Stacey Hoare | Safety Co-ordinator | WWCRC | Chief Technician |
| Hannah Morgan | Safety Co-ordinator | QEUH | Technician |
| Alan Hair | Biological Safety/Chemical Safety | Paul O’Gorman | Technician |
| John Kinsella | Beatson Institute | H&S Manager | |
| Jennifer Cassels | Paul O'Gorman | Technician | |
| Scott Kelso | Beatson Institute | Facilities Manager | |
| Julie Galbraith | Polyomics, WWCRC | Technician | |
| Allan McVie | Radiation and LASER Safety | WWCRC | Technician |
| Sharon Burns | Biological and Fire Safety | WWCRC | Technician |
| Shaun Patterson | Post-Doctoral Scientist | ||
| Vignir Helgason | GM Safety Advisor | WWCRC | Principal Inverstigator |
| Cheuk Yin Yuen | WWCRC | PhD Student | |
SCS Health and Safety Manual
This document is designed mainly to cover SCS staff and students working in the University managed Buildings / floors of the Wolfson Wohl Cancer Research Centre, the McGregor Building and the Paul O’Gorman Leukaemia Research Centre.
Staff and students working in groups based in other buildings such as the BEATSON INSTITUTE and NHS hospitals managed areas should refer to their local safety manuals for their buildings and Management systems, and use this as a guide to University Practices, references and useful contact information.
Health and Safety Guidelines 2022
School of Cancer Sciences Safety Policy
The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, along with other regulations and approved Codes of Practice, secure the health, safety, and wellbeing of not only employees of the School of Cancer Sciences and the wider University community, but also students and visitors and other Institutions from out with Glasgow. It is recognised that the School of Cancer Sciences spans several buildings namely, the Wolfson Wohl Cancer Research Centre (WWCRC) Garscube, the CRUK Scotland Institute, the Paul O’Gorman Leukaemia Research Centre, the Beatson Oncology Centre and locations within the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital. This policy and subsequent health, safety and wellbeing systems have been put in place to take account of the geography and occupants of all places of work.
The School of Cancer Sciences, in conjunction with the University’s Health, Safety and Wellbeing policy (copies of which are available on the University Web Site) is committed to the provision of a safe and healthy workplace and environment. In addition to meeting statutory requirements, this School will strive to continually improve on standards of health, safety and wellbeing and as such, this document enhances the University’s policy by describing the organisational structure in place for safety in the school and indicating potential hazards and the precautions required to prevent accidents and ill health.
The successful management of health and safety at work requires active participation of every member of staff and all students within the school. Although the Head of the School has delegated responsibility through the Head of College and ultimately the University Court for the establishment of suitable and sufficient arrangements for health, safety, and wellbeing for everyone working or visiting within School property, all staff, students, and registered visitors have a duty to ensure that they behave in a manner that will not affect the welfare of colleagues.
Every level of management within the school is accountable through line management, and at the same time responsible for the health, safety, and wellbeing of those reporting to them. Supervisors should visibly lead, motivate, and encourage their staff to report on hazards and to discuss all matters relating to health and safety.
The Safety Policy is developed, and safety performance monitored, under the guidance and advice of the School Safety Committee comprising staff representatives from various locations, plus interested and associated groups.
The school recognises that safety requirements enacted by law set only a minimum standard. It is also recognised that safety standards are dynamic in nature and the school underlines the importance of its commitment by constantly reviewing its own safety standards. As far as conditions and resources permit, the school is committed to continual and progressive improvement in standards of safety.
All staff, students and registered visitors are required to observe the health and safety rules and standards and adhere to the School Health and Safety Policy Statement. Deliberate deviation from the established rules and standards may result in disciplinary action.
This policy statement will be reviewed by the Safety Committee of the School of Cancer Sciences in conjunction with SCS Senior Management annually.
To implement this policy, the School of Cancer Sciences is committed to maintaining and enhancing the health, safety and wellbeing of all staff, students, and registered visitors. This will be achieved by:
- Maintaining an appropriate framework for the consultation with all School staff and students on effective measures for continual development and the promotion of health, safety, and wellbeing.
- Continuing to develop and implement procedures and codes of safe working practice.
- Ensuring effective management of risks by assessment, implementation of systems and review.
- Providing training in safe working methods with the requirement for all to participate.
- Forming a health and safety committee with engagement at all levels.
- Developing School guidelines to ensure adherence to statutory regulations and University of Glasgow policies.
Should any member of staff or student have any suggestion or comments regarding the above Policy Statement, please contact Stacey.Hoare@glasgow.ac.uk, the SCS Safety Co-ordinator.
As part of the School of Cancer Sciences safety policy, all new members of staff and new students are required to read through the School’s Health and safety policy and manual and carry out the University e-induction health and safety course and the fire safety induction. Renewal of this fire training is required by all staff every 3 years. Additional training is recommended and encouraged for all staff and students.
Mode of Operation
Principal Investigators have responsibility to ensure that all staff and students working with them are aware of their safety responsibilities within any laboratory in which they work, and ensure that they do not put themselves, other colleagues and other authorised individuals working in the vicinity at risk.
Everybody has a responsibility for safety and any infringements noticed should be brought to the attention of the person in the first instance. After which further safety issues should be reported to group safety representatives and brought to the attention of PI’s / line managers. If further input is required, this should be passed onto safety co-ordinators or safety advisors. Any concerns not resolved should then be brought to the attention of the SCS Health and Safety Committee for discussion at the next meeting.
Prior to a safety committee meeting, an e-mail will be sent to the safety representatives of each group asking for items for the agenda, all of whom are encouraged to attend the meetings. The Safety Representatives should then bring any safety issues or concerns within their group to the attention of any safety committee member for discussion at the meeting. Safety items should be discussed at group meetings.
After the safety committee meeting any feedback will be communicated to the individuals and PI’s/ Line manager. The minutes will be placed on the communal J-drive Health and Safety area for School distribution and a copy sent to the School’s Head for discussion at the next School Executive Group meeting for further authorisation and distribution where required.
This safety Policy has been developed by the School of Cancer Sciences Safety Committee and approved by the School of Cancer Sciences Executive Group.
Signed:
Professor Christina Halsey
Head, School of Cancer Sciences
Date: 9th February 2024
Travel Information
Travel
Guidance for sustainable Business Travel.
Travel Booking Policy
Travel Risk- Assessment
Booking Travel
Downloading SafeZone APP
Insurance
Reach Pharmacy & Travel Clinic - Fraser Building and Glasgow Airport
Reach Pharmacy & Travel Clinic provides a range of services, including a free prescription collection and delivery service, a specialist travel clinic, and over-the-counter remedies.
University of Glasgow Emergency and Crisis Support Service
For help and support to deal with accidents or incidents with staff and students.
UofG SAFEZONE APP
Safety and Risk Assessment Forms
University Safety Forms to be used within the Institute of Cancer Sciences.
The purpose of risk assessment is to help you identify the significant risks of your work to ensure that control measures are in place to protect people against harm so that the work can be carried out safely. The Health and Safety at Work Act and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations require a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks to the health and safety of workers. You are legally required to assess the risks in your work so that you can put in place measures to control the risks. The law does not expect you to eliminate all risks but you are required to protect people as far as reasonably practicable by controlling the risks of your work.
- Consult your group safety representative for advice and any help required in completing forms to ensure quality standards in group.
- Have a unique identifying number specific to your group that can be referred to.
- Please make sure the Risk Assessment forms are signed and dated by both the assessor and the Principal Investigator.
- The Principal Investigator needs to sign that the Risk assessment is fit for purpose for this work and of the legally required standard.
- File the signed Risk Assessment forms in your groups’ area on the J-drive in the Health and Safety folder as complete.
- Forms need to be reviewed and updated every 2 years or earlier if there have been any changes to the procedure or location of the work.
- Risk Assessment should then be provided to staff and students as a matter of practice when starting this work in your group.
- New starts should ask to see the Risk assessments for the work prior to starting the procedure so they are aware of the hazards involved, the control measures stated and the disposal, Spill and First Aid procedures required for the work they are undertaking.
Health Surveillance: Process, Responsibilities, Assessment and Arranging
Health Surveillance Process and Responsibilities
Respiratory Sensitisers
H334 May cause allergy or asthma symptoms or breathing difficulties if inhaled.
Small Laboratory Animals
Surveillance likely to be necessary for any recurring work with live animals or handling of waste unless the process is fully contained. Work only with extracted tissue poses no significant risk of sensitisation and does not require surveillance.
The Health Surveillance Risk Assessment form can be used to help carry out this risk assessment to identify whether health surveillance is needed. Further information and this form can be found on the Safety and Environmental Protection Services Health Surveillance website.
Anyone working with animals, assigned a PIL and has access to the BSU are highly likely to require Respiratory Health Surveillance.
Please follow the process below to arrange Health Surveillance for your group members.
If the assessment concludes that Health Surveillance is required, the Line Manager/PI/PhD Supervisor must ensure that the relevant member(s) of staff/students are then identified to the Occupational Health Unit using the Health Surveillance Request Form.
A completed SEPS Health Surveillance Risk Assessment form covering the work MUST accompany ALL referrals to the OHU. Failure to submit both completed forms will result in your request not being processed by the OHU.
Send both completed forms to ohu@admin.gla.ac.uk
Occupational Health will arrange to carry out examinations in appropriate cases.
The Line Manager/PI/PhD Supervisor should ensure their groups members undertake an annual review as part of their responsibilities.
Staff Attendance for Health Surveillance is recorded within the individual’s CoreHR record.
Undertaking Health Surveillance is an extremely important part of H&S, and for all BSU users. If there are persistent users who have failed to attend Health Surveillance, access to BSU will be reviewed and potentially withdrawn.
Advice, Information, FAQs for individuals attending for Health Surveillance.