Chapter 6 - Communication, consultation and co-operation

On this page 

• Internal communication
• External communication
• Enforcing authority contact and liaison
• Consultation
• Co-operation 

Internal communication

Health and safety communications are distributed using a number of routes:

• The Safety Services website 
• Workplace Health
• Occupational health advice given by occupational health advisors on an individual or group basis
• Health and safety briefings given by Safety Advisors to the appropriate targeted audience
• Management and safety forum meetings
• Departmental nominated safety persons
• Noticeboards
• Emails

External communication

UCL plays an active role in a number of Higher Education (HE) and professional forums such as:

• Universities Safety and Health Association (USHA)
• Higher Education Business Continuity Network (HEBCoN)
• Engineering Professors Council (EPC)
• Business Continuity Institute (BCI)
• Institute of Risk Management (IRM)
• Confederation of British Industry (CBI) Health and Safety Panel
• Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA)
• Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH)
• Institute of Safety in Technology and Research (ISTR)
• Higher Education Occupational Practitioners (HEOPS)
• Health and Safety Executive (HSE) working groups etc

Enforcing authority contact and liaison

Contact, including correspondence from any enforcing authority relevant to health and safety, e.g. from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), Environment Agency (for radiation), Fire Authorities and Police (Counter Terrorism Security Advisor in respect of chemicals, radiation and biological agents), must be notified to Safety Services by the quickest possible means. Safety Services will provide the appropriate support and advice to the managers.

> Read more about contact with enforcing authorities

Any person needing to contact any of the enforcement authorities listed above, on other than ongoing business, must liaise with Safety Services to facilitate the approach and monitor the outcomes from any contact.

Consultation

The arrangements for consultation on health and safety issues are set out in Chapter 3.2 - Management Team Safety Responsibilities.

The recognised unions represent all UCL employees for the purposes of formal consultation on matters of health and safety. Local arrangements to ensure compliance are identified in a Department’s organisation and arrangements.

> Union appointed health and safety representatives

Co-operation 

UCL will ensure as far as is reasonably practicable that:

• Third parties appointed by UCL to carry out work on its behalf are competent for the activity they are to carry out
• There are arrangements for the co-ordination by those in control of the activities
• Arrangements are in place for the exchange of information on risks, responsibilities and controls
• There are suitable arrangements for supervision, reporting and monitoring
• The UCL manager in charge of an activity for which any contractor is engaged is responsible for co-ordinating the contractor's work with the activities of UCL and the exchange of information on risks and controls
• There are suitable arrangements for shared workplaces

> Shared workspaces
> Contractors and consultants