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Occupational Health and Safety

Health and safety is the responsibility of everyone working and studying within the School.

Each individual staff member and student must recognise their responsibility in regards to health and safety, whether they are working in an office, workshop, laboratory or lecture room.

The School Safety Policy is directed by the policies of the Occupational Health and Safety Unit of the University with the main concerns being focused on the care of students and staff in the engineering laboratories and workshops. Each working area is unique in its safety requirements and as such, each work area will have variations in policy. The relevant safety requirements applicable to a work area will be displayed in a prominent position in the work area.

Individuals should understand the parameters of their workplace and be conscious of any constraints or limitations that apply in particular areas. It is also important that individuals are familiar with any other workplaces they may visit during their course of work or study. People should never become complacent with their surroundings.

Should any health and safety problems arise that cannot be resolved easily, the matter should be directed to the Workplace Health and Safety Committee for action.

Staff and students should be aware of the correct work practices that apply to individual work areas they encounter. The Work Health and Safety Act 2011 sets very clear guidelines as to what the employers responsibilities are in relation to health and safety.

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Responsibilities

  • Supervisors are responsible for ensuring that risk analyses are performed by or on behalf of staff / students operating in areas for which they are responsible
  • Lab supervisors should ensure their laboratories and high risk environments have been risk assessed
  • A risk assessment should be carried out on computer laboratories to ensure the layout of computers does not contribute to eye strain, bad posture etc
  • Lecturers in charge of courses should ensure all facilities and activities that are undertaken by students have been risk assessed.This also applies to HDR and Project Supervisors.
  • The Engineering and Technical Support Manager is responsible for conducting risk assessments of engineering laboratories
  • The School Research Director is responsible for conducting risk assessments of research projects
  • The School HDR Coordinator is responsible for conducting risk assessments of HDR projects
  • Thesis Coordinators are responsible for conducting risk assessments of fourth year theses
  • Discipline leaders are responsible for conducting risk assessments in the groups or courses assigned to that discipline
  • The School Coursework Director is responsible for conducting risk assessments of coursework and teaching & learning activity
  • The Head of School has overall responsibility

ITEE Laboratory Safety

Anyone using laboratories within the School of ITEE should familiarise themselves with the following:

Failure to comply with these rules and guidelines may result in disciplinary action being taken.

To be able to enter laboratories the appropriate Online OH&S Declaration Form must be completed and the relevant General Risk Assessment must be acknowledged as having being read.

Electrical Safety

Electrical safety regulations require that regular inspection and testing of specified electrical equipment is carried out in accordance with the relevant Australian Standard.

It is the operators responsibility to:

  • Visually inspect any equipment prior to use
  • Ensure that it is fit for the intended purpose
  • The test and tag label is current
  • That cords and leads are run in such a way as to be protected from harm and not present a risk to others

Double adaptors, piggy-back plugs, un-switched power boards and the daisy chaining of power boards is strictly prohibited in any University operation.

All personal mains powered equipment (including laptop power supplies) intended for use on campus must be tested and tagged for electrical safety before use.

Removal of non-compliant items from service is the responsibility of the person in control of the area.

Further information regarding Electrical Safety can be found on the UQ Occupational Health & Safety website

Ergonomic Furniture

The selection of the correct ergonomic furniture is important in the care of staff and students in preventing muscular strains and sprains associated with the use of screen-based equipment. The Occupational Health and Safety Unit of the University has a specialist advisor for the assessment of peoples needs in obtaining the correct furniture.

Accident, Incident, Injury & Hazard Reporting

Any accident, incident or injury should be reported following the completion of any necessary emergency action. The University has an online Incident Reporting Database designed to be used in any situation where a work-related incident, accident or injury has occurred.  This is for staff, students, volunteers, visitors or contractors.

The database is accessed through the UQ Occupational Health and Safety Division website: www.uq.edu.au/ohs/.  All students and staff can access the database by logging in with their UQ username.

If you suffer an incident:

  1. Open the incident in the UQ Incident Reporting Database
  2. Report the incident to the Head of School by email or phone (E: hos-pa@itee.uq.edu.au | P: 3365 3869)
  3. If as a Supervisor you become aware of an incident, please report it to the Head of School by email or phone (E: hos-pa@itee.uq.edu.au | P: 3365 3869)
  4. If as a Supervisor you receive an incident in the Database which you are unable to immediately approve (e.g. perhaps more informaiton is required) please report this to the Head of School by email or phone (E: hos-pa@itee.uq.edu.au | P: 3365 3869)

Any enquiries related to the School's duty of care may be directed to any member of the Workplace Health and Safety Committee.

Important Resources