Overview
Chief investigators, research supervisors and any other persons who design research activities have a responsibility to manage any risks to health and safety that may arise from the research work.
Research safety at UTS
Health and Safety Risk Management Responsibilities
The responsible investigator (e.g. First Chief Investigator) should:
- Document a Research Safety Plan in Research Master (RM). This is simply a declaration that references WHS risks and mechanisms employed to manage these risks arising from their research work. It is visible to others working on the project. It applies to both funded and unfunded research.
- Review the Research Safety Plan every 6 months or whenever there is a change to the risk profile of the project.
- Manage health and safety risks arising from the research activities you control. The UTS Risk Register can guide you through a general HSW risk management process and development of Safe Work Procedure for activities used by your project. Other specialist risk management mechanisms are available for e.g. pathogens, GMOs, fieldwork, diving, radiation sources.
eLearning module for UTS researchers that provides guidance on creating a Safety Plan in Research Master, creating risk assessments outside of Research Master.
Induction and training
People doing research must be provided safety information suited to the work they are doing. The responsible investigator must see that their research staff are provided this information prior to commencement of work. This is typically done during induction of new researchers and will include:
- general health and safety procedures (such as emergency evacuation, hazard reporting, accident/incident reporting and first aid) and
- specific hazards relating to the research project.
Research related risk management
Research Safety Plan Resources (UTS staff access) includes information on: