View Current

Work Health and Safety Policy

This is the current version of this document. You can provide feedback on this policy to the document author - refer to the Status and Details on the document's navigation bar.

Section 1 - Purpose

(1) The University of Canberra (University) has established, implemented and maintained a Work Health and Safety Policy, which is appropriate to the purpose and context of the organisation. This Policy expresses the University’s continued commitment to: 

  1. comply with applicable legislative requirements and satisfy continual improvements of work, health and safety management systems in line with the standard AS/NZS ISO 45001:2018; and
  2. maintain a framework to achieve the intended outcomes of the WHS management system.
Top of Page

Section 2 - Scope

(2) This Policy applies to all University staff, students, affiliates and visitors.

Top of Page

Section 3 - Principles

(3) The University is committed to:

  1. ensuring the health and safety of all people who work, study at, or visit the University by creating an accessible work, health and safety management system that eliminates or minimises risk of physical and psychological injury or illness to all people associated with the University’s operations;
  2. engaging with all staff, students, visitors and partner organisations in creating safe environments and systems for learning and work;
  3. developing and maintaining a culture that encourages all staff to actively manage health and safety risks;
  4. providing a continually improving work, health and safety management system; and
  5. establishing a work, health and safety management framework to meet legislative obligations.

(4) The University will achieve this commitment through:

  1. communication on the importance of a positive safety culture;
  2. safety leadership at all levels that is demonstrated through actions, accountability and commitment to the safety and wellbeing of our people;
  3. a systematic approach to the planning, implementation, monitoring and review of the work, health and safety processes to ensure legislative requirements compliance;
  4. maintaining injury management procedures (including rehabilitation) in accordance with legislative requirements;
  5. providing and undertaking measures to identify risks and eliminate risks to health and safety, so far as is reasonably practicable. If it is not reasonably practicable to eliminate risks, then to minimise those risks so far as is reasonably practicable;
  6. providing information, training, and resources to our people to assist them to manage risks innovation and technologies to minimise health and safety risks for our people;
  7. consulting, cooperating, and coordinating with our key stakeholders to achieve health and safety goals and objectives;
  8. monitoring and reviewing processes to ensure the effective measurement, evaluation and continuous improvement of the work health & safety management system; and
  9. reporting on the effectiveness of the work health and safety management systems and this Policy externally and to senior management as required..
Top of Page

Section 4 - Responsibilities

Delegation Band
or Role		 Responsibility
Band 0 Responsible for approval, amendment or revoking policy consistent with legal requirements where it is recommended by the relevant Council Committee.
Band 1 Approve, amend and revoke University-wide plans, policies and strategies that generally support legislative requirements or are where ownership sits across more than one Portfolio. Responsible to Council for the overall implementation of this Policy. This includes the allocation of resources for effective implementation, and ensuring workers (including staff, affiliates and contractors), students and visitors are aware of their responsibilities through appropriate delegation.
Band 2 Executive and Senior Management have the primary responsibility and accountability for the implementation of University policies at all levels of the organisation and the overarching responsibility for workplace health and safety within their areas of control.
Band 6 and/or higher Personally responsible for understanding, promoting and complying with work, health and safety policies, procedures and for completing any system documentation (if needed). 
All Workers, students and others All workers, students and visitors have a responsibility to take reasonable care for their own safety and the safety of others and to comply with any reasonable instruction, policy, procedures or guidelines of the University in relation to work, health and safety
People and Diversity Responsible for the provision of advice on work, health and safety matters, updating the University on legislative changes and assisting with the development, implementation and monitoring of this Policy and the work, health and safety management system.
Top of Page

Section 5 - Procedures

(5) Nil.

Top of Page

Section 6 - Definitions

Terms Definitions
Health Means physical and psychological health.
Reasonably practicable Means that which is, or was at a particular time, reasonably able to be done to ensure health and safety, taking into account and weighing up all relevant matters
Worker An individual who carries out work in relation to a business or undertaking, whether for reward or otherwise, under an arrangement with the person conducting the business or undertaking, including work as:
  • an employee;
  • a contractor or subcontractor;
  • an employee of a contractor or subcontractor;
  • an employee of a labour hire company who has been assigned to work in the person’s business or undertaking;
  • an outworker;
  • an apprentice or trainee;
  • a student gaining work experience;
  • a volunteer; or
  • a person of a prescribed class.