What's new in Health and Safety?
The Health and Safety team have been busy developing new ways for you to understand your role in workplace safety at the University. They've also developed an easier way for Researchers to assess project risks.
Online Health and Safety
The refreshed online Health and Safety Induction is now available.
The induction module will assist you to integrate the management of health and safety into the teaching, research and administrative functions of the University so we can ensure all staff, students and visitors are provided with a safe work environment.
It only takes 30 minutes to complete, and will inform you about the new Work Health and Safety Act, the consultative mechanisms in place for you at the University, how to resolve any Health and Safety issues that you encounter, and a wealth of other useful information such as good ergonomic practice at your workstation and what to do in an emergency.
New Research Safety Review form
This is an exciting improvement. The new four page interactive PDF format replaces the previous 17 page word document. Its interactivity means that further sections will become available if required, based on answers to specific questions.
Plus, the form can be saved once you type your text and researchers can also save a copy of their final submission for future use (new projects or variations or resubmissions).
There are a number of pop-up information boxes, and mouse-over helpful notes, which has reduced the amount of instructional text appearing on the surface level of the form. Hyperlinks to other websites or documents appear underlined in blue text.
The new Safety Review Form (Research Projects) can be accessed here
Requirements
The form functions best in Adobe reader 9 or above (free download) as well as Adobe Acrobat Pro. It also works on Mac operating systems (preview will not open or operate in the form however). Once you view the form, please save a copy to your desktop or another location in order to access all of the form's functionality.
If you have any feedback regarding the form, or need assistance with the functions of the form, please email HealthAndSafety@newcastle.edu.au or phone Senior Safety Officer, Dylan Mitchell on (02) 4921 2053.
