Ensuring that our offices are safe

You may have recently noticed members of the Registrar’s Office wandering around your office looking around and asking questions about all things from first-aid kits to ventilation. These are your Departmental Safety Officers. They are currently conducting inspections of all of our offices to ensure that we are working in safe spaces. Although regular inspections are important for keep our areas safe it is also necessary that everyone does their bit!

A survey published by Accident Advice Helpline, suggested that hazards in the workplace often aren’t reported. 1 in 6 said they would not report identified workplace hazards. When asked why, the respondents gave the following answers;

• 29% said they didn’t have the time

• 24% felt the hazard didn’t affect them

• 23% said it wasn’t their responsibility

• 23% didn’t know who to report a hazard to

• 13.2% worried about getting in trouble

• 7.5% were told not to report an issue

To ensure that UCL is able to address any observations (hazards), near misses and accidents (incidents) in a timely manner please can you ensure that you report any concerns through the “Report New Incident” or “Log Observation/Near Miss” section of RiskNet. Even if you are unsure, please report it, so that a Safety Officer can conduct a check.

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to email srs@ucl.ac.uk or speak to one of your Departmental Safety Officers: Terry McKay, Emily Izatt, Sarah West.