Convener: Ms Veronica Strachan
University Secretary: Jaqui Azeem
Membership, Remit and Composition
Scope
The H&S Committee will consider and advise the university on the health, safety and welfare aspects of all RGU policy, procedure and practice relating to staff, students, visitors, contractors and others within RGU campuses and related off-site activities.
Remit/terms of reference
The role of the H&S Committee will be to:
- Ensure effective and representative two way communication and consultation between staff, students, trade unions, other stakeholders and the management of the university.
- Advise the university on emerging issues, significant changes, proposals and recommendations regarding the university’s policy, procedures and practices having properly assessed the issues and implications.
- Monitor the H&S performance of the university and review the completion of any actions arising from routine audits, incident investigations or external regulatory interventions.
- Recommend to both the Executive and SGC, steps which can be taken to promote and sustain a positive H&S culture within the university, having properly considered options and implications.
Membership
The number of management representatives on the H&S Committee must not exceed the number of employee representatives and vice-versa.
Permanent Committee Membership
- Convener: Ms Veronica Strachan
- University Secretary: Jennifer Brown
Management Representatives
- Director of Student Life
- Director of Estates - representing all departments
- Head of School - Pharmacy and Life Sciences
- Head of School - Engineering
- Head of School - Gray's School of Art
Employee Representatives
- EIS appointees (2)
- Unison appointees (2)
- UCU appointees (2)
Student Representatives
- Student Union President
Contractor Representatives
- Catering (local manager)
- Facilities Maintenance (local manager)
- Health Board (partner/ manager from Garthdee Campus)
- International College (local manager)
- Nursery (local manager)
Advisory Representatives
- Director of Human Resources
- Head of Occupational Health & Environmental Safety
Additional Co-opted Members
In attendance by invitation – examples only
- Any RGU manager or employee for relevant agenda item
- Director of Library Services
- Accommodation Services Manager
- Risk and Compliance Officer
- Fire Safety Adviser
- Occupational Health Provider representative
- Local H&S Coordinator (specific / outstanding issues)
- Other competent persons as and when required (RPS, LSO, etc.)
Meetings & Minutes
Frequency of Meetings
The H&S Committee will meet at least 3 times a year and the meeting schedule will be published one year in advance. It is expected that meetings will not be cancelled or rearranged without good justification and the Convenor will have the deciding authority on this point.
Attendance
The expectation is that all permanent members of the H&S Committee will attend each meeting. However if this is not possible then a nominated substitute can attend provided they have been:
- Nominated by the permanent member & approved by the H&S Committee (RGU staff).
- Nominated by the permanent member (non–RGU organisations).
In order to enable the efficient and accurate flow of information the nominated substitute should be identified to the H&S Committee and their attendance notified within 2 weeks of the draft agenda being issued.
Where a substitute has been agreed it will be the responsibility of the Committee member being substituted to ensure the substitute is fully briefed and able to fully contribute to the meeting.
As a minimum expectation any meeting of the committee will require a quorum of at least 4 management and 4 employee representatives in attendance.
Publication & Communication of Agenda and Minutes of Meetings
The draft agenda will be circulated by the secretariat 4 weeks before the planned meeting date. Any items members wish to add to the agenda should be submitted to the Convenor via the secretariat not less than 2 weeks before the meeting date.
The draft minutes of the meeting will be produced by the secretariat within 4 weeks following the meeting date and circulated to all members for comment.
Comments on the draft minutes should be submitted to the Convenor via the secretariat within 2 weeks following the draft circulation. The final approved minutes will then be published once ratified by the Committee at its subsequent meeting.
The outcomes of the meetings will be reported to the Executive within the Quarterly H&S Report. This report is also subsequently considered by the Staff Governance Committee.
The agenda and minutes will be made available to staff and students on the university website. Contractors will be supplied with electronic copies through their nominated contacts.
Standing Agenda Items
The committee has agreed that the standing agenda includes:
Agenda
- Apologies for absence
- Minute of previous meeting
- Report from Head of OHES – progress against annual H&S plan
- Consideration of current statutory developments
- Consideration of current policy developments
- Consideration of audit reports and actions
- Consideration of fire safety risk assessments and actions
- Consideration of quarterly reports and accident / incident investigations
- Consideration of reports from enforcing authorities and actions
- Consideration of strategic H&S issues arising at local membership level
- AOCB
- Date of next meeting - reminder only as pre-set
Minutes
Meetings
- Tuesday 10 October 2023
- Tuesday 20 February 2024
- Thursday 20 June 2024
All meetings will be held at 14:00 in N204.