Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S)

The Institute of Advanced Studies has a Workplace Advisory Group (WAG) that deals proactively with issues concerning the occupational health and safety of staff and students. This group is also responsible for dealing with OH&S issues for the Research Office. Please contact your representative if you have any issues you would like to bring to their attention.

IAS WAG Terms of Reference
Field and safety manuals
Workplace assessments
IAS OH&S action plan
Minutes
Links

Institute of Advanced Studies Workplace Advisory Group

Establishment

The Institute of Advanced Studies (IAS) Workplace Advisory Group (WAG) was established in August 2005 in response to the need to create a group to address the issues affecting workplace health and safety as per the provisions of the Work Health Act 1992.

Broad areas of concern

Assist in the formulation and review of procedures and programs relating to health and safety
Monitor workplace hazards and the effectiveness and appropriateness of measures taken to protect health and safety
Review reports on health and safety matters, such as reports on hazards, accidents, injuries, near misses and environmental or medical monitoring
Consider health and safety matters referred to it by the Director (Deputy Vice-Chancellor Robert Wasson), Manager SHARM (Neville Garrett), unions or other health and safety groups
Make recommendations aimed at improving health and safety
Assist in implementing recommendations and monitoring their effectiveness
Adopt such measures as the group determines
Report and recommend action for health and safety matters to the university Health and Safety Group.

Type of committee

The IAS WAG is a group with an advisory role to the Director of the IAS and participation in the University Health and Safety Group (UHSG).

Reporting requirements

The IAS WAG is required to promote its meetings and make the minutes readily available to staff and students. To facilitate this, the minutes will be uploaded onto the IAS website under the OH&S section after each meeting. Minutes will also be supplied to the Manager of SHARM.

Terms of reference

The Workplace Authority Group is a consultative group, which advises the Director of the IAS on health and safety issues relevant to its workplaces. The group addresses issues that affect the institute as a whole or which lie outside the responsibility or resources of the Heads of School within the institute. The groups shall promote its meetings and make readily available and accessible the minutes of all meetings. A copy of its minutes is to be forwarded to the Manager SHARM for presentation at the next University Health and Safety Group meeting. Decisions concerning solving health and safety issues are to be made at the closest operational level possible but actions may need to be ratified by the UHSG through the Manager SHARM.

Membership

Chairperson and SER representative: Julian Gorman (SER Livelihoods & Policy theme and OHS Officer - seconded off campus until January 2008)
SER representative and temporary Chairperson: Kirsty Mines
SER representative: Michael Douglas (SER Aquatic ecosystems theme)
SSPR representative: Donna Feltus (SSPR OHS Officer - currently on leave)
SSPR representative: Elizabeth Creed
GSHP representative: Natasha Lawrence (GSHP OHS Officer)
Research Office representative: Hemali Seneviratne (Research office OHS Officer)
Student representative: Sarah Bar-Zeev (Masters student)

Chairperson

The Chairperson is to be elected by the group from the group to attend quarterly meetings of the University Health and Safety Group. The interim Chair elected as of establishment in 2005 is Julian Gorman, to be replaced by the SER Chief Technical Officer once that position is filled. Kirsty Mines currently fills the position of Chairperson for Julian while he is on secondment.

Field and safety manuals

The following are the field and safety manuals for the IAS. These manuals are particularly useful for staff and students who conduct research out in the field, or who are exposed to hazards not normally encountered in the office. Many thanks to the Faculty of Education, Health and Science for allowing us to adapt their safety manuals for use.

Workplace assessments

Workplace assessments are available to staff and students who wish to check or improve the ergonomic safety of their work station.

The IAS WAG recommends that anyone who has a concern about the comfort or safety of their workplace contact their OH&S officer in the first instance to report the problem so that your OH&S officer is aware of the situation and can take the appropriate steps. Your OH&S officer will arrange for Horst Walters from CDU's SHARM (Safety Health and Risk Management) to inspect your work station and make recommendations. These recommendations may include adjusting posture, repositioning computer equipment, and/or require the purchase of ergonomic equipment.

IAS OH&S action plan

OHS action plan for the IAS WAG. Currently includes the School for Environmental Research, the School for Social and Policy Research and the Graduate School for Health Practice.

IAS Action Plan

Minutes

The IAS WAG is required to meet at least four times a year, with emergency meetings called as necessary.

Links

Information on university OH&S policies, procedures and forms can be found at: