Health and Safety Governance Committee

Committee description

Secretary: Katie Blundell, Email: katherine.blundell@liverpool.ac.uk

Terms of Reference

The Committee is responsible to Council for providing:

  • Assurance that health and safety performance is compliant with statutory requirements and with the goals set by the University.
  • Proposals for a strategic approach to health and safety, a plan to deliver strategic objectives, and monitoring of performance against that plan.

The Committee will:

a)         Oversee the ongoing development and implementation of the University health and safety policy, strategy and action plan and annual iterations of this.

b)         On behalf of Council, approve new institutional health and safety codes of practice, as well as major amendments to existing codes of practice and policies.

 

c)         Continually monitor and review general health and safety performance and progress made against the strategic action plan.

 

d)         Ensure that a forward plan is developed to proactively monitor and enhance performance.

e)         Provide strategic oversight over the following bodies involved in the governance structure for health and safety:

  • Biohazards Sub-Committee
  • Dangerous Goods/Security Sub-Committee
  • Consultative Committee on Health and Safety (CCHS)
  • Wellbeing Activity and action plans
  • Personal Success Board (for Annual Report on Student Services and Mental Health)

This oversight will involve approving the terms of reference, membership and objectives of the above; considering progress reports on strategy and action plan development; recommending further actions as required; and approving the recommendations of the above or referring them on for Council’s approval, where necessary.

f)          Consider any plans proposed by the CCHS and recommend any further action where necessary.

g)         Provide strategic oversight to the implementation of Business Continuity Management and the work of the Business Resilience Community.

h)         Consider and approve the annual health and safety plans proposed by Occupational Health, Radiation Protection, the Safety Adviser’s Office, Facilities, Residential and Commercial Services, the Faculties, Central Professional Services, and Guild of Students and recommend further action where necessary.

i)          Consider and approve the annual health and safety reports from Occupational Health, Radiation Protection, the Safety Adviser’s Office, Facilities, Residential and Commercial Services, the Faculties, Central Professional Services, and Guild of Students and partner institutions on health and safety performance and recommend further action where necessary.

j)          Recommend action on health and safety matters to University management as and when required.

k)         Provide a report on health and safety performance and progress against strategic goals to Council at regular intervals.

Reporting Relationship

The Committee reports directly to the Council.

Frequency of Meetings

The Committee usually meets on four occasions during the academic year.

Quorum

The quorum for meetings of the Committee shall be one third of the membership.

Members or key people

Ex officio members:

The University Secretary and General Counsel (Chair)  K Ryan
The Executive Pro-Vice-Chancellor or Director of Operations, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences   Professor L Kenny/N Sandman
The Executive Pro-Vice-Chancellor or Director of Operations, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences Professor F Beveridge/K Jones
The Executive Pro-Vice-Chancellor or Director of Operations, Faculty of Science and Engineering  Professor W van der Hoek/Dr L Lightfoot
The Director of People and Services  Dr C Costello
The Director of Facilities, Residential and Commercial Services P Marsh
The Director of Human Resources (Chair of CCHS)  J Quires (Interim)
The Director of Strategic Change K Banks
The Director of Student Experience and Enhancement   Dr P Redmond
The Chief Digital Officer D Lawrence
The University Safety Adviser  S Dunkley
The Director of Estates Management (and BCM Lead) S Cottle

Appointed members:

A lay member of Council    V Griffiths
A Guild of Students representative  Vacant

Trade Union Representatives

Three Trade Union representatives (one from each recognised TU) Nominated in advance of each meeting from a pool of representatives

If non-University staff or University staff who are not members of the Committee wish to attend, then a formal written request must be made to the Chair who will then decide whether the attendance at the meeting is appropriate.

Meeting dates

  • 16 October 2024, 10.00 am
  • 29 January 2025, 10.00 am
  • 7 May 2025, 10.00 am
  • 4 June 2025, 2.00 pm

A full schedule of Committee meeting dates can be viewed here.