Safety induction - guidance for managers

Taking the time to provide a health and safety induction is essential to protect new members of staff from harm. New members of staff are more likely to have accidents or ill health from work-related activity because they have:

• A lack of familiarity with their working environment
• A lack of understanding of the risks specific to their role
• Reduced risk perception due to a lack of knowledge or awareness leading them to underestimate risks

The steps below outline the UCL Safety Induction process which all new members of staff must complete. As a manager you must ensure that your staff complete all of the steps.

Steps to completing safety induction

Step 1 - emergency procedures

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It may seem like common sense, but it’s important to show new members of staff around the work environment as this will help them to become familiar with the site layout and the location of welfare facilities.

You should point out departmental arrangements for first aid and how to respond in the event of a fire - this should include the location of emergency exits and explaining how to raise the alarm. The basic fire safety induction will also cover fire safety arrangements on campus including in an emergency. You must ensure that the Fire Safety Induction Form (TN086) is completed. 

This should be completed on the new member of staff's first day

Step 2 - UCL safety induction

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The purpose of UCL Safety Induction eLearning is to explain how health and safety is managed at UCL and the part that employees play. It outlines UCL's approach to keeping employees, students and visitors safe, as well as the arrangements UCL has put in place to ensure risk is kept to a minimum.

The UCL Safety Induction will also let them know they should report accidents, near misses and dangerous occurrences using riskNET.

This should be completed during the new member of staff's first week

Step 3 - local safety induction

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The UCL Safety Induction summarises the institutional risk and hazards. A Local Safety Induction must be provided which covers specific hazards associated with the new member of staff's role and their work environment.

One of the best ways to raise awareness of the risks associated with a new member of staff's role is to share departmental Risk Assessments drawing their attention to hazardous situations and the control measures in place to protect them.

If there are specific risks involved in their role, such as the need to work at height or operate machinery, you must make sure that they understand these risks, are properly trained, and have appropriate safety equipment.

Job-specific training can be provided to develop an understanding of safe systems of work for specific tasks or when working in particular environments.

This should be completed during the new member of staff's first week

Step 4 - confirm

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Once the new member of staff has completed all the elements of the Safety Induction, you will need to confirm that the new member of staff has completed the Local Safety Induction on their Probation Record.

Remote working

The steps identify that all stages of the safety induction should be completed in the first week of starting at UCL. 

Where a new member of staff is working remotely at the start of their employment at UCL, the Local Safety Induction and emergency arrangements should be covered on their first day attending campus. Where practical, other aspects should be completed in their first week, such as the UCL Safety Induction eLearning.

Who carries out the Local Safety Induction

The Local Safety Induction can be carried out by anyone who has a clear understanding of the safety arrangements in the department. The responsibility of ensuring that it is carried out lies with the new member of staff’s manager.

People with specific knowledge of a particular activity or piece of equipment or who have responsibility for departmental safety may be involved in carrying out the Local Safety Induction.

Tips for carrying out a Local Safety Induction

• Set aside adequate time to do the Local Safety Induction during the new member of staff's first day - if this isn't possible it should be done as soon as possible but certainly within the first week
• Don’t assume that parts can be skipped because they are ‘common sense’ or assume that the new member of staff has understood - always check before moving on
• Encourage new members of staff to ask questions and let them know who they should contact if they think of any further questions or have any concerns after the induction

Local Safety Induction checklist

We have created a helpful Local Safety Induction Checklist which you can use to support the delivery of a local safety induction with your new member of staff. You do not need to use this checklist if there are already arrangements for local safety induction in your department.

You should ensure that the information included in the local safety induction covers all the risks, needs and arrangements of the department or specific areas of activity.

> The Manager's Local Safety Induction Checklist