Occupational Health and Safety Policy

The University of Wollongong acknowledges that effective OHS is an integral part of achieving its vision of excellence in leadership; innovation; student learning and community engagement. The university and its senior management are therefore committed to ensuring the health, safety and welfare of its employees, students, contractors and visitors. All members of the university community have a collective and individual responsibility with regard to the prevention of workplace injuries and working safely.

Our commitment to eliminating work related illness and injury will be attained through:

• implementing uniform risk management processes to adequately control risks in the workplace
• compliance with all applicable relevant legislation, codes of practice and standards
• ensuring equipment and substances are safe and without risk to health when properly used
• providing, monitoring and maintaining safe systems of work for the use, handling, storage and transportation of equipment and substances
• providing adequate facilities for the health, safety and welfare of all employees, students, contractors, labour hire employees and visitors
• identifying and providing appropriate OHS training and dissemination of relevant OHS information to all employees, students, contractors, labour hire employees and visitor
• provision of appropriate supervision for all employees, students, contractors, labour hire employees and visitors
• consultation with all university employees, students, and contractors to enhance the effectiveness of the OHS Management System
• providing adequate resources, including finances, to facilitate the fulfilment of the university’s OHS responsibilities
• ensuring continual improvement toward progressing overall performance by monitoring OHS outcomes against performance indicators on an annual basis and integrating OHS into the university’s overall strategic development
• communicating this policy through public display and training throughout the university.

The Vice Chancellor has ultimate responsibility for, and is committed to, the effective implementation of the university OHS policy, and delegation of OHS management responsibilities. The Senior Executive will support Deans, Department Heads, Managers and Supervisors to fulfil their OHS responsibilities and accountabilities within their area of responsibility. Descriptions of OHS responsibilities are defined in the UOW document “Roles and Responsibilities for OHS”

The OHS Unit is available to provide advice regarding specific OHS matters and assist with the development, implementation and monitoring of the OHS system.

This policy will be regularly reviewed following legislative or organisational changes, or as a minimum, every three years.

Professor Paul Wellings
Vice Chancellor
January 2012

Download Occupational Health and Safety Policy [pdf-87kb]