Health & Safety Policies & Procedures

The procedure to be followed in emergency situations involving a fire, medical or first aid are summarised here. The Emergency Procedures highlight the key role of the Control Room which is situated in James Watt II and can be contacted by dialling 2222 on any internal telephone.

Unprotected exposure to sunlight can increase the risk of skin cancer. It can also cause the skin to become dry and lose elasticity, thus causing wrinkling and accelerating the skin ageing process. The University's guidance is promote awareness in outdoor workers and their managers or supervisors of the effects caused by exposure to sunlight and to provide information on the precautions necessary to reduce the risk to health.

Stress results from the interaction of environmental and individual factors, which provide potential sources of stress and affect the ability to cope. There is no simple way of predicting what will cause harmful levels of stress as people respond to different types of pressure in different ways. Stress may be caused by various personal circumstances or a range of aspects of work. The University's approach to recognising and reducing stress is explained with reference to support contacts for sufferers.

The University's General Guidelines for Employees on Good Hygiene Practices reflect not only good hygiene practices in general but aim to eliminate the risk of accidental infection by the HIV virus or other potentially harmful infections. The guidelines cover good practice in relation to personal hygiene, general hygiene, accidents involving external bleeding, mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and waste disposal. The guidance are of great value to staff members who undertake first aid duties.

The University regards AIDS in the same way as any other long-term serious illness from which an employee might suffer. Everyone has a responsibility to limit the spread to HIV. The University as an employer will help to make sure that employees are well informed about HIV/AIDS. The policy outlines the position with regard to recruitment and selection, transfer and redevelopment, leave and sickness arrangements, working relations and service provision, confidentiality, training, education and information, counselling and support, first aid and medical precautions and grievances.

Contractors providing work or services for the University must comply with particular criteria before work can commence. This includes having adequate insurance in place, making contact with the Estates and Buildings Office before coming on site, providing adequate barriers, protective fencing, warning signs and other safeguards, and more. This checklist should be studied before soliciting or evaluating tenders or quotations.

Heriot-Watt University has implemented a risk assessment programme, which includes the assessment of your workstation. This assessment cannot be conducted effectively without feedback from yourself. Therefore this guide has been provided to help you understand the requirements of the regulations, including the obligations placed upon by Heriot-Watt University, and your responsibilities as a user. This guide also sets out to give you some advice on how to best use the furniture and other aspects of the workstation to make you comfortable whilst working at your workstation.

It is the policy of the University Court to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of all University employees and students and the safety of others who may be affected by the undertakings of the University. The policy outlines the roles of the various bodies and individuals responsible for implementation, the monitoring procedures and the reporting requirements.

University staff intending to travel to a country that is subject to a terrorist threat, political instability, a high level of crime or is subject to a natural disaster should refer to the Foreign & Commonwealth Office website for guidance on the advisability of travel. All staff must ensure that they have confirmed with the University Insurance Officer that insurance is in place prior to making any flight arrangements. The advice lists countries the University advises against travelling to and those where all but essential travel is not advised. General travel advice and safety tips are also provided.

The purpose of these local rules is to ensure that the hazards arising from lasers are adequately controlled and to ensure that people are not exposed to laser radiation in excess of the Maximum Permissible Exposure Limits. The roles of the Laser Safety Committee, University Laser Safety Officer and Building Laser Safety Supervisors are explained as well as registration, safety procedures, incident reporting and more.