Health and safety managers and coordinators
Safety Professionals at UQ include:
- Health Safety Wellness (HSW) Managers
- Work Health and Safety Coordinators (WHSC)
Complete the Work Health and Safety Coordinator (WHSC)/Safety Manager (staff login required) (PDF, 147.5 KB) form if you are new to a safety role at UQ.
Page contents:
Roles and responsibilities
HSW Managers and WHS Coordinators play an important role in minimising health and safety risks. These roles are appointed by management, and may be a full-time position, or additional duties added to an existing role. This decision is based on the risk profile of the organisational unit.
Key duties include:
- identifying and reporting health and safety risks
- reviewing and investigating reported incidents and hazards
- reviewing and assisting with the development of risk assessments
- conducting health and safety workplace inspections
- monitoring and reporting on health and safety performance
- educating and advising workers about work health and safety.
Health, Safety and Wellness (HSW) Manager
In Organisational Units where work activities present the potential for significant risk to the health and safety of UQ workers, the training and appointment of a HSW Manager should be considered.
The appointment of this role does not relinquish the responsibilities of Heads of Organisational Units, managers, supervisors or staff under the Act. These appointments are part of the HSW strategy to assist all parties in meeting their legislative responsibilities and due diligence obligations.
HSW Managers provide additional support and leadership on health and safety matters. They represent the relevant Faculty, Institute, controlled entity or Division when consulting with the HSW Division on UQ policies, procedure and guidelines.
There are ten main responsibilities and functions of HSW positions at UQ. For HSW managers, this includes:
Supporting UQ health, safety and wellness governance and consultative mechanisms.
Developing, managing and maintaining UQ's HSW management system within their area.
Facilitating risk management processes at UQ.
Developing and delivering health, safety and wellness programs relevant to the area.
Providing advice, information and services.
Monitoring health, safety and wellness performance of the area.
Developing health, safety and wellness capability.
Incident investigation (reviewing incident reports, and supporting investigations and implementation of preventative measures).
Engagement with regulators and stakeholders as required.
Workers’ compensation return to work assistance.
See the Health and Safety Responsibilities Procedure for more detail on fulfilling these responsibilities.
Work Health and Safety Coordinators (WHSC)
Many Organisational Units are supported locally by Work Health and Safety Coordinators (WHSCs).
Under the guidance and direction of a HSW Manager or the HSW Division, the WHSC advises the Head of the Organisational Unit, managers, supervisors and UQ workers about responsibilities and obligations under the Act and the overall state of HSW in the work unit.
The duties they provide include, but are not limited to:
- workplace inspections
- training and educating workers about work health and safety
- supporting the implementation of HSW management plans
- assisting in the development of risk assessments
- reviewing workplace hazards and incidents.
See the Health and Safety Responsibilities Procedure for more detail on fulfilling these responsibilities.
Monitoring Health and Safety Performance
HSW Strategic Plan
The UQ Health, Safety and Wellness Strategy provides a framework for health and safety governance, and supports the core strategic aims of the University.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
A set of annual key performance indicators (KPIs) have been developed as the measures of success to translate our strategic vision into practical delivery. The heads of each organisational unit have responsibility for integrating the strategic priorities into their local operations and management plans, and for reporting on the associated KPIs annually to collectively deliver on the strategy.
HSW Management Plan
To support the heads of organisational units, HSW Managers and WHS Coordinators are required to develop an annual HSW Management Plan (DOCX, 96.4 KB) for their area of responsibility, to facilitate monitoring and reporting of KPI targets, which are embedded in the template. Annual HSW Management Plans are developed and approved at the first meeting of the relevant HSW Committee each year, and submitted to the committee quarterly to monitor performance throughout the year.
Annual performance reporting
At the end of each year, a summary of performance against the strategic KPIs is submitted to the HSW Division. This data is compiled into a University wide performance report, submitted to the Vice-Chancellors Risk and Compliance Committee as a key part of annual reporting.
Training and capability development
Safety Seminar Series
The HSW Division coordinates a series of seminars throughout the year on a broad range of health, safety and wellness topics. HSW Managers and WHS Coordinators are encouraged to participate in discussions, which contribute to the ongoing improvement of UQ's HSW Management System. Register via the Health, Safety and Wellness Events Calendar.
Newsletters and Alerts
The HSW Division produces regular safety alerts, memos, wellness updates, newsletters and communiqués covering a wide range of health, safety and wellness topics. Stay informed and review archived material via the Health, Safety and Wellness (HSW) communications webpage.
Staff Training
UQ promotes a culture of continuous learning and performance improvement. Training courses are provided to support the capability development of UQ's network of safety professionals. Registeration is via Workday learning.
Recommended Training Courses for WHSCs
| Course Title | Course Description |
|---|---|
| Work Health and Safety Officer (WHSO) Training | The course is for UQ HSW Managers and WHS Coordinators (WHSC). Participants will gain an understanding of their role and attain the necessary skills to meet the requirements of the WHS Act for WHSOs. |
| Health and Safety Incident Investigation | The aim of this course is to provide HSW Managers and WHS Coordinators (WHSC) with the knowledge and skills to plan, conduct and report on investigations of incidents that have resulted in, or have the potential to result in, injury or illness. |
| UQSafe System Training for Safety Coordinators | The aim of this course is to provide HSW Managers and WHS Coordinators (WHSC) with knowledge and skills to effectively use the UQSafe Database. |
| Conducting Workplace Safety Inspections at UQ | This course aims to develop the participants understanding in conducting workplace safety inspections using iAuditor as a tool, to enhance the understanding of how the data can be analysed for immediate corrective actions and to identify trends for ongoing procedural change. |
| Manual Tasks Risk Assessment and Control | This course will provide attendees with knowledge of musculoskeletal injuries and risk factors associated with manual tasks and the skills to identify, assess and control their musculoskeletal injury risk. |
| Computer Workstation Assessments for Safety Coordinators | This course will provide WHS Coordinators and HSW Managers with the knowledge of musculoskeletal injuries and risk factors and the skills to identify, assess and control musculoskeletal injury risk through optimal workstation set-up and work practices. |
APD delivery, citizen and leadership goals
Developing skilled safety professionals is an integral aspect of the UQ Safety Network.
UQ has considered the professional development frameworks by both The Australian Institute of Health and Safety (AIHS) and the OHS Professional Capability Framework (INSHPO). These frameworks establish benchmarks for education, practical experience, and demonstrated knowledge and competencies to ensure that Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) experts have the right skills to do their jobs well.
Work Health and Safety Coordinators (WHSCs) are asked to consider incorporating the following safety related delivery, citizen and leadership goals into your yearly APD. The level of goal is to be aligned with your role, experience and HSW qualifications.
Safety related delivery, citizen and leadership goals
| Goal | Role, experience and HSW qualifications |
|---|---|
| Foundation goals | WHSC’s should aim to meet foundation goals if they lack prior experience in Health and Safety (HSW) or if safety tasks constitute less than 30% of their role. WHSC’s may also choose to include higher goals based on their experience and in discussion with supervisors (consider talking to org unit HSW Manager too). |
| OHS Practitioner goals | These staff members typically maintain HSW administrative processes, conduct basic training, and oversee monitoring and compliance related to technical and behavioural risk controls. They work under supervision or mentoring, focusing on known contexts within established parameters. Qualification and Experience: Certificate IV in Work Health and Safety, or an Advanced Diploma in Work Health and Safety, or similar. They should have worked in OHS for 3 years or have more than 40% of their role as safety tasks. |
| OHS Professional goals | These staff members typically design HSW strategies in the context of organisational unit, wider university or external requirements. They provide advice based on conceptual and technical knowledge, experience, analysis, and critical thinking. They work independently or give direction to others. Qualification and Experience: Bachelor's, Graduate Diploma, or Master's Work Health and Safety, or similar. They should have worked in advanced OHS roles for 3 to 10 years, or have more than 40% of their role as safety tasks. |
Find your WHSC or HSR
You can find health and safety coordinators and representatives for your organisational unit in the UQ safety network contacts.