Health, Safety and Welfare Policies

This Health, Safety and Welfare Policy has been compiled in accordance with the requirements of the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 and subsequent legislation, to give a basis of safe working for all employees, students and visitors to University College Birmingham. It is the responsibility of each and every employee to work in a safe way and such that he/she does not cause risk to him/herself or other employees or third parties.

University College Birmingham’s Health and Safety Policy and Procedures are available on the UCB portal.

Dangerous machinery

Some machinery used regularly in kitchens, salons and construction workshops needs extra special handling, for example, mixing machines, dough mixers, vegetable cutters, epilation instruments, laser equipment, electrical massage treatments. Anyone in University College Birmingham must, by law, be trained before they use such equipment and students under the age of 18 are not allowed to do the hazardous job of cleaning some items of equipment.

You must always follow the manufacturer’s and staff instructions on use and maintenance. A notice will be displayed nearby and safety guards should always be used where they are provided. Follow these guidelines at all times:

Do not use equipment unless full training has been given and is fully understood.
If in doubt - Ask.
Students under 18 must not clean dangerous equipment.
Read the instructions before using the machine.
Where safety guards are provided, these should always be used.
Never operate machines with the guards off
Beware of sharp blades. These can be dangerous even when they are not moving.
Hair should always be covered and kept away from machinery.
Clothing should be kept out of reach with nothing hanging to get caught in machinery.
Do not use equipment that you suspect is faulty. Report it immediately and do not attempt to operate it until approval has been given to do so.

Be aware of University College Birmingham’s Health and Safety Policy and Procedures and the appropriate legislation.

Working at Height

Falls can be a major cause of workplace accidents.

If items are out of reach, for example on a shelf, do not use chairs or furniture to reach them, use a stepladder or a kick stool.

Stepladders can easily overturn. Do not use the top platform unless it has special handholds.
Always keep both feet on the ladder, and maintain three points of contact when climbing and wherever possible at the work position.

Do not overreach. If it is not the right height, stop and find a safe way to get to the area you want to reach.

Fire (Students) Summer Row

All evacuation routes and final exits have a Fire Action notice informing you of what to do in the event of a fire and showing the location of the building Emergency Assembly Point. You must leave the building as quietly and calmly as possible as soon as the fire alarm rings and make your way to the designated assembly point. You should not return to the building until you are advised it is safe to do so.

Fire Procedures

Leave quickly and carefully. On discovering a fire you should:

Sound the nearest fire alarm.

If it is not possible to sound the alarm, report the fire to a member of staff.

If it is safe to do so, as you evacuate, turn off any gas and electrical appliances and close all doors and windows.

If you are not involved in the fire action, leave the building by the nearest safest route (routes are clearly signed).

Fire doors, which are secure for security reasons (such as Redland break glass bolts), can be opened by breaking the glass bolt, pushing the left-hand door and then pushing the right-hand door.

Go to your designated assembly point * where you should contact your class lecturer as soon as possible for a register check.

Do NOT stop to collect personal belongings.

Do NOT re-enter the building until given permission to do so by a senior member of staff or a fire marshall.

Do NOT use the lifts.

Refuge points for students requiring assistance to evacuate the building are clearly signed and located generally by the designated lifts or by evacuation chair stations.

Assembly Points

Summer Row Site

All students: Great Charles Street

The Link

Alongside McIntyre House on Holland Street

McIntyre House Campus

Alongside McIntyre House on Holland Street

Moss House Campus

Nursing and Exhibition Space: George Street alongside James Cond/Camden House
All other students: Alongside McIntyre House on Holland Street

Camden House Campus

Alongside McIntyre House on Holland Street

James Cond Building

Alongside McIntyre House on Holland Street

Baskerville House Campus

Point 3, as designated alongside the canal - follow directions on Fire Action Notices

Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences (RIDDOR):

The responsibility for informing the appropriate enforcement authority of any notifiable disease or dangerous occurrences lies with the UCB Health and Safety Compliance Manager.

To assist the Health and Safety Compliance Manager in this, all staff have a responsibility for ensuring that any personal injury, however slight, and whether to staff, student or member of the public, is reported to their immediate line manager without delay.

An electronic accident form should be completed in all cases and immediately sent to the Health and Safety Compliance Manager.

NB: This includes accidents which occur outside University College Birmingham while the staff or student is undertaking University College Birmingham related activities.

Electronic Accident Forms can be obtained from the UCB portal.

Hard/paper copied of Accident forms can be obtained from the following places:

The Main Reception Desks at Summer Row, McIntyre House, Moss House, Camden House, Link and James Cond.

First Aiders will also carry Accident Forms.

All injuries, diseases and dangerous occurrences should be reported to an appropriate member of staff.

First Aid

The risk of accidents is greatly increased at the beginning of term when new students are becoming familiar with University College Birmingham. Please act in an orderly and responsible manner at all times to minimise the risk of injury to yourselves and others. Any accident must be reported immediately to a member of staff

Accidents are caused - they don’t just happen.

University College Birmingham First Aid Policy:

1. University College Birmingham will provide both a nurse and appropriately trained and qualified persons to provide first aid to ensure it meets its duties under the Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981.

2. University College Birmingham will ensure that the number of ‘first aiders’ is adequate having regard to: the number of employees, students and other persons and the location of various buildings used by University College Birmingham. This will be the responsibility of the Nurse in conjunction with the Deputy Principal.

3. University College Birmingham will ensure that adequate first aid facilities are also available for staff who are working away from the main site and/or accompanying students on visits. This will be the responsibility of the relevant line manager and will include the provision of first aid boxes in those University College Birmingham owned vehicles that are booked out by staff.

4. The provision, checking and replenishment of first aid boxes will be the responsibility of the University College Birmingham Nurse who must be informed by members of staff when stock from any first aid box (including those in vehicles) is used. All first aid boxes will include guidance details.

5. University College Birmingham will provide a sick/first aid room near the Student Information Suite on the 3rd Floor of the Summer Row Building.

Accident or Sudden Illness

Student: In the event of any accident, injury or illness you must inform a member of University College Birmingham staff so that either the Nurse or a First Aider can be summoned. Staff contact points outside classrooms, practical rooms, etc, are:

Staff Workrooms

Main Receptions

University College Birmingham Nurse (3rd Floor - Summer Row Building)

First aid staff will assist the student to decide whether they should:

Be sent or taken home

Remain in University College Birmingham in the first aid/sick room

Return to their class

Be taken to hospital using a University College Birmingham car, taxi or ambulance.

Legally, a student who is under the age of 18 is the responsibility of their parents/guardians. It is important that there is a contact number for them, should the student be taken ill, whilst in University College Birmingham.

If no-one is available to collect the student, they will then have to remain at University College Birmingham until the time that they should have attended has lapsed, and then will be allowed to go home at the discretion of the nurse.

In the event of an accident, injury or illness, the procedure to follow in the event of a person requiring first aid treatment is as follows:

Ensure the injured person is comfortable and safe

Report to the main reception area immediately - telephone number 0 to contact a reception desk.

Food Hygiene Regulations

It cannot be stressed just how important the following Food Hygiene Regulations are with regard to the health and safety of your fellow students, staff and the members of the public. Please read carefully:-

Students are advised that they should present themselves dressed in the appropriate clean protective clothing listed below before entering a food production area within University College Birmingham.

White chef's jacket
White neck tie
White aprons within kitchen areas

Blue aprons within larder areas

Blue or black, small checked trousers

White skull cap or chef’s hat

Oven cloth

Requirements Relating to Hairdressing and Beauty Therapy

A person engaged in the practice and delivery of hairdressing and beauty therapy services should be dressed in the appropriate uniform and shoes designated by University College Birmingham, before entering hair and beauty salons.

Uniforms must be clean and ironed. No jewellery should be worn with the exception of a wedding band and one pair of small stud earrings. In addition, Beauty Therapy students' hair must be clean, tied back or up, if long, and off the collar and face. Nails need to be kept short and well-manicured with no varnish or nail enhancements.

All Students Working in Food and Hair and Beauty Areas

Students should remove all exposed jewellery before entering any food and hair and beauty production environments within University College Birmingham. Jewellery includes:

Earrings, studs and all visible body piercing ie eyebrows, nose, tongues, lips and cheeks etc.

Bangles

Rings - with the exception of plain gold wedding rings

Watches (except Hair & Beauty students)

Students are advised that they should not have any exposed body piercing undertaken unless it can be physically removed before entering a practical environment.

NB: Applying a sticking plaster over exposed body piercing jewellery is not allowed in a practical environment

Disciplinary Action will be taken against any students who do not comply with the above regulations at all times.

The Food Safety (England) Regulations 2006

Persons suffering from certain medical conditions:

1. A person working in a food handling area who either:

(a) knows or suspects that he/she is suffering from or that he/she is a carrier of a disease likely to be transmitted through food; OR

(b) is afflicted with an infected wound, a skin infection, sores, diarrhoea or with any analogous medical condition:

In circumstances where there is any likelihood of him/her directly or indirectly contaminating any food with pathogenic micro-organisms, shall report that knowledge, suspicion or affliction to the proprietor of the business at which he/she is working.

(Anyone suffering from any symptoms listed above (or similar) must report the symptoms to their Tutor prior to entering/working in any practical food environment.)

Requirements Relating to Food Handlers and the Handling of Food

1. Every person working in a food handling area shall maintain a high degree of personal cleanliness and shall wear suitable, clean and, where appropriate, protective clothing.

2. No person, known or suspected to be suffering from, or to be a carrier of, a disease likely to be transmitted through food or whilst afflicted, for example with infected wounds, skin infections, sores or with diarrhoea, shall be permitted to work in any food handling area in any capacity in which there is any likelihood of directly or indirectly contaminating food with pathogenic microorganisms.

These Regulations state that good food hygiene practices should be adopted by food handlers to protect food against the risks of cross-contamination between and during operations.

To sum up, this is says that under no circumstances should you wear any chef’s whites or food service uniforms outside University College Birmingham (except in the case of an emergency eg fire).

Now for the Translated Version

If you suspect you have food poisoning, perhaps because of contact with someone who has food poisoning or because you think you may have eaten something to cause it, do not handle food.

Also, if you are suffering from diarrhoea and/or vomiting, fever, abdominal pain, nausea, headache or you have any septic inflammation or cuts, notify University College Birmingham straight away and do not attend any practical lectures until you have been advised to do so.

Smoking Policy

University College Birmingham operates a no-smoking policy. Neither smoking nor vaping are not allowed anywhere on the premises or at the entrances.

Safeguarding Policy

If you are the victim of abuse, if you see something you think could be abuse of a child or vulnerable adult or if you suspect that abuse of a child or vulnerable adult has occurred or may do:

In University College Birmingham – Contact Natalie Stanley, the Designated Safeguarding Lead, on 0121 232 4151

On Placement – FOLLOW THE PLACEMENT PROCEDURE FOR SAFEGUARDING. Contact the person at the placement responsible for safeguarding. If he or she is not available, INSIST on speaking to the most senior person on site. If all else fails, call 999 and report the incident, then contact your placement tutor.

Remember:

ALWAYS... report as soon as you have a concern;

ALWAYS... make clear notes of anything that happened/was said to you;

NEVER... offer promises of complete confidentiality – you MUST report abuse if it has been disclosed to you;

NEVER... investigate with or without others;

NEVER... take photographs of marks;

NEVER... ask a child/person to remove any clothing. Be aware of your own vulnerability in this and minimise risk to yourself whilst supporting the child/person.

Accessibility

University College Birmingham's seven main Campuses - Summer Row, The Link, Moss House, Camden House, McIntyre House, James Cond and Baskerville House - are fully accessible by wheelchair users.

The main passenger lift at Summer Row, which operates between the Basement and Eleventh floor, is reserved for visitors, staff and students with mobility issues. Students with mobility issues who need to use this lift should speak to their tutors or the Principalship who will arrange for a pass to be issued. All students may use the three passenger lifts in Summer Row building that operate between the Second and Eighth floors and the two passenger lifts in Moss House and McIntyre House. On occasions when the lifts are full, please use the stairs.

When using the stairs, please keep to the right whilst moving up and down the buildings. For everyone’s safety, running is not permitted on the stairs or in the corridors.

Mobile Phones - Safety on Stairs

University College Birmingham takes your safety seriously and aims to ensure that all significant risks are controlled to prevent accidents from occurring. You also have a responsibility to act in a safe manner.

Research has shown that a significant number of slips and falls are caused by people being distracted and not concentrating fully on what they are doing. It has also been found that whilst using your mobile phone you are not able to absorb enough information to judge steps or slopes correctly, and you are potentially much more likely to fall.

Please refrain from using your mobile phone on staircases at all times. Staff will challenge any students found to be doing so and persistent offenders may be dealt with under the disciplinary process if appropriate.

Student Vehicle Parking

We regret that due to the very restricted availability of parking spaces, students’ cars may not be parked on the University College Birmingham site. There is a good deal of on- and off-street parking nearby but charges and other restrictions do apply. There are public disabled parking bays near to UCB campus.

There is a limited number of cycle and motorcycle bays adjacent to the main entrance to the Summer Row building and the Link. University College Birmingham cannot accept any liability for loss or damage to cycles and motorcycles parked in these areas. There is no facility for parking cycles or motorcycles at either Moss House, Camden House, James Cond or McIntyre House.

Discover More

Other important information

Throughout your studies here, we will issue you with questionnaires to help us monitor your level of satisfaction with the course and University College Birmingham…

Getting started

This page will tell you everything you need to know when starting student life at University College Birmingham.

College Student Handbook

This handbook has been produced to give you an insight into UCB and your course, so please bookmark it for easy reference.

Higher Education Student Handbook

University College Birmingham HE Student Handbook deals with everything you will need to organise prior to your arrival here as a First Year student.

Terms and Conditions

The University College Birmingham terms and conditions can be read through or downloaded here.

Accessibility Statement

The website will aim to achieve the recommended government standard for web accessibility.