Systematic HSE work

Systematic HSE work is all systematic measures that ensure that the company's activities are planned, organised, carried out and maintained in line with authority requirements and internal regulations to prevent accidents and damage to people, the environment and material. Preventive HSE work is most effective and least resource-intensive.

Participation from employees is a prerequisite for success in HSE work. Participation is ensured by employees being involved in planning and carrying out working environment surveys, as well as being involved in decision-making processes in the HSE work.

Responsibility in HSE work

The Working Environment Act establishes that the responsibility in the systematic HSE work is vested in the line managers and that each employee is obliged to participate.

• The responsibility for following up the HSE work at UiB is delegated from the University Board to the University Director.
• Line managers are responsible for following up and improving the HSE work. If HSE tasks are delegated, this must be documented
• Employees and students are obliged to show responsibility for own and others safety and must follow UiB’s rules and regulations.
• The safety delegate’s role is to ensure that line managers obtain their HSE responsibility in accordance with The Working Environment Act. Safety delegates do not have responsibility, but shall participate in the systematic HSE work to secure a safe and sound working environment.

The following HSE activities are carried out annually:

• Carry out HSE mapping, such as HSE meeting and HSE round and risk assessments.
• Prepare/revise HSE goals and HSE action plan, based on UiB's overall HSE goals and HSE action plan, as well as local challenges and activities.
• Implement HSE measures.
• Review the elements of the systematic HSE work and report in the line (internal control).
• Responsibilities and tasks in the HSE work (NO only)
• Action plan for HSE
• HSE annual cycle

The unit must survey the psychosocial and physical working environment and, on this basis, assess risks, as well as prepare associated plans and measures to reduce the risk conditions. The survey includes an assessment of which conditions are particularly important for health, environment and safety at UiB. The mapping method must be adapted to the challenges and activities of the individual unit.

The minimum requirement for HSE mapping is one HSE meeting and one HSE round each year. At units with risky work due to e.g. laboratory work and field work, as well as in the case of reorganizations, the minimum requirements will not be sufficient.

The unit must also carry out and update HSE risk assessments regularly within the values of people, materials, operations, reputation and external environment and take measures

HSE mapping.

The line manager shall in cooperation with safety delegate work out/review local Action Plan for HSE, based on results from HSE mappings, risk assessments and overarching plan documents.

Prioritised measures for improving the working environment must be incorporated into the local Action Plan. It is important to establish deadlines and to ensure that responsibility for implementing measures is assigned to specific individuals.

• The Action Plan for HSE
• Local Action Plan for HSE (NO)

The line manager and the safety delegate must ensure that the measures in the HSE action plan will be carried out.

HSE measures that require extra resources (time, money and labour) must be included in the unit’s budget and activity plan. This will provide an overview of the resources required to initiate necessary measures.

Non-conformities, near-accidents and accidents must be reported and followed up according to UiB’s guidelines.

• Non-conformities, near-accidents and accidents

The line manager and the safety delegate shall annually evaluate the elements of the systematic HSE work and report HSE status according to line.

• Guidelines for annual review of systematic health, safety and environment work (Internal control)

Irrespective of the systematic HSE activities, there will be problems and individual matters that must be solved immediately.

At UiB non-conformities, near-accidents and accidents shall to be solved at the lowest possible level in the organisation and accordance with Guideline for reporting non-conformities, near-accidents and accidents.

The employee/student who discovers the deficiency must report to the nearest leader. The safety delegate represents the employee and can on behalf of the employee discuss matters with the line manager.

• Non-conformities, near-accidents and accidents

According to the internal control regulations, there are the following minimum requirements for documentation:

1. Objectives for the HSE work and HSE action plan

The university board has adopted UiB's HSE action plan and HSE targets.

The units must, in accordance with UiB's overall HSE action plan, outline local challenges and activities, prepare local HSE action plans and HSE targets.

Template for local HSE action plan (NO only)

2. Distribution of responsibilities and tasks

For the overall distribution of responsibilities and tasks within HSE, reference is made to Part 3.2 HSE of the Rules Collection.

At unit level, the organization of responsibilities and tasks within HSE must be documented in writing.

Responsibilities and tasks in the HSE work (NO only)

Template: Organization of the HSE work at the unit (NO only)

3. Mapping and assessment of risk

The unit must survey the psychosocial and physical working environment and, on this basis, assess risks, as well as prepare associated plans and measures to reduce the risk conditions.

Special challenges will entail a stricter requirement for formalized risk assessment. The action plan that is drawn up will be documentation, together with any minutes and checklists.

HSE mapping and risk assessment

4. Guidelines and routines

HSE guidelines that are common to all or parts of UiB have been drawn up centrally in collaboration with the units. The units must prepare and implement local routines to detect, rectify and prevent breaches of requirements laid down in or pursuant to health, environmental and safety legislation. There must be written routines/procedures for risky work tasks.

UiB's HSE guidelines

5. Internal audit and internal control of HSE

At UiB, the University Director is responsible for preparing, carrying out and reporting internal audits of HSE. The university director must ensure that the responsible line manager follows up on comments and corrective measures.

All units must annually conduct a review of the local systematic HSE work and report in the line (HSE annual report/internal control). On behalf of the University Director, the HR department carries out an annual review of the systematic HSE work at UiB to ensure that this works as expected (UiB's annual HSE report/internal control).

Guidelines for internal auditing at UiB (NO only)

Guidelines for annual review of the systematic HSE work (internal control)
Annual report HSE (NO only)

Collect HSE documentation

A useful way to collect all HSE documentation is for the unit to prepare a local HSE manual.

The unit's local HSE manual (NO only)

• Working Environment Act