H&S Round Up January 2025
Posted on Thursday 16 January 2025
Happy New Year from the WHSO!
Seasonal Advice
During the cold weather, please be mindful of our advice regarding heaters in November's Safety Alert.
Take care travelling around campus in adverse weather. It is extremely dangerous to go on the ice if the lake is frozen - please report anyone on the frozen lake to Campus Safety.
The future of risk and safety is.....
We are proud to share that the Director of H&S, Dev Agarwal, has recently had an article published in the International Institute of Risk and & Safety Management (IIRSM) magazine, The Sentinel (page 6). Dev's piece discusses the importance of health and safety in the workplace and showcases his insights into risk management. Read the full article here.
Innovative Health and Safety Drive in The School of Arts and Creative Technologies
Colleagues in ACT have joined forces with their industry-endorsed skills body to increase their students awareness of health and safety in the film and TV industry.
Film and TV students complete an on-line course and receive an endorsed certificate which lasts for 5 years. Alongside this, the school introduced compulsory risk assessment training and guidance specifically for their students going out on location.
It is great to hear about H&S initiatives across the University.
Congratulations to Andrew Fravigar and colleagues on the success of this scheme.
Fire Safety Advice
If you need practical assistance to exit buildings under emergency circumstances, you may need a Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan (PEEP). This might include if you have a mobility impairment (including temporary impairment such as a broken leg); sight or hearing impairment, have neuro divergent or mental health conditions or any other circumstances which may affect your ability to evacuate.
More information including policies and procedures can be found on the fire safety pages (login required) including Generic and Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (GEEPs and PEEPs).
Overseas Travel
The overseas travel web pages have been reviewed and updated by the WHSO and insurance teams.
We recommend that you check the pages to stay up to date if you are travelling overseas. If you have any questions, please contact the WHSO or insurance teams.
Health and Safety training
Fire safety training across the University currently has a completion rate of 79%. DSE training currently has a completion rate of 89%. Both of these training courses are mandatory with a target completion rate of over 90%.
If you haven't completed your training then please do so as soon as possible.
Upcoming H&S training:
| Training courses planned | Target audience | Spaces available | Date planned |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Role of the DSA | DSAs | 10 | 16/01/2025 |
| 10 | 21/01/2025 | ||
| Gaining confidence in risk assessment - a practical workshop | Student and academic services | 12 | 12/02/2025 |
| All staff | 10 | From Feb 2025 |
For general enquiries, please contact us on whso@york.ac.uk.
For fire-safety queries, please contact us on firesafety@york.ac.uk