UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM
RECRUITMENT ROLE PROFILE FORM
Job Title:
CBS Safety Officer
School/Department:
Centre for Biomolecular Sciences
Salary:
£37,768 - £46,414 per annum, depending on skills and experience.
Salary progression beyond this scale is subject to performance
Job Family and Level:
Administrative, Professional & Managerial Level 5
Contract Status:
Permanent
Hours of Work:
Full-time (36.25 hours per week)
Reporting to:
Carl Winfield
The Purpose of the Role:
The provision of competent advice, for the management of health and safety, to the Centre
Director, Building Manager and CBS Occupants. The role seeks to ensure compliance with relevant
legislation by review, development and implementation of policies and procedures to promote a
safe and healthy working environment for staff, students and visitors.
Main Responsibilities
1.
Provide competent advice to the Centre Director, Building Manager and CBS
Occupants on health and safety requirements and performance and to develop,
implement and monitor health and safety management systems, policies and
procedures appropriate to the Centre for Biomolecular Sciences to ensure
compliance with statutory and university requirements. In particular:
 Act as Advisor to the Centre Health and Safety Committee meetings,
ensuring that the Committee meets at the required intervals. (The Director
will chair the Safety Committee and report to Centre Management Group).
 Member of the CBS Operations Group, comprising of senior building
management. Meetings will review all aspects of building operation.
 Undertake, and where necessary develop and formalise, regular liaison with
the Safety Officers from each of the CBS schools.
 Act with the delegated responsibility of the Centre Director or Building
Manager in matters of urgency in their absence.
 Liaise with the University Safety Office and outside bodies, such as the
Health and Safety Executive and Environmental Agency, to ensure that the
role holder keeps up to date with new legislation, changes in policy etc.
 Advise on safety-related aspects of laboratory redesign and refurbishment
and installation of major items of equipment.
 Provide advice on, and ensure appropriate use and disposal of, hazardous
chemicals as regulated by COSHH, including oversight of the systems for
disposing of hazardous chemical waste.
 Provide and arrange for monitoring of environmental conditions where
required.
% time
per
year
20%
2.
3.
4.
Proactively monitor the implementation of Centre and University policies
through:
 Monitoring compliance of research groups in producing required health and
safety documentation, with particular regard to risk assessment, SOPs,
CoPs, Local Rules and training records.
 Regular audits of laboratory management for all research areas in CBS.
Compile findings and produce a report with action items and time scales for
these to be actioned.
 Ensure that inspections are carried out by the designated Laboratory
Monitors on a regular basis to maintain agreed standards for good practice
in the laboratories and all other areas of the building. Compile findings and
produce a report with action items and time scales for these to be actioned.
 Ensure that all accidents, incidents and near misses are reported and
investigated, in order to ensure a proactive approach to management of
these.
 Co-ordinate the activities of Radiation Protection Supervisors to ensure that
their areas comply with the Ionising Radiations Regulations 1999.
 Oversee the purchase and use of isotopes and manage the disposal of
radioactive waste. Delegate disposal of radioactive waste to a competent
person.
Co-ordinate, maintain and develop the health and safety training and
information strategy for the Centre, in particular through:
 Providing, via e-learning general building inductions, for all new staff,
students and visitors to ensure that they are aware of Centre policies,
procedures and emergency arrangements.
 Providing in house safety training for the CBS Building team. Maintain risk
assessment and training records for all members of the team.
 Ensure that systems are in place to identify training needs for staff and
students and full records are maintained. (Training provided by others).
 Manage access to the building by ensuring that personnel are not granted
University Card access until they have successfully completed the
appropriate Health and Safety Induction.
 Provide access to information and training on how to perform Display Screen
Equipment Assessments and Manual Handling Assessments.
 Maintain and develop the CBS Workspace (intranet) information system,
ensuring that all information is up to date, easily accessible and relevant to
the building.
Act as Biological Safety Officer for CBS in relation to the use of Genetically
Modified Organisms, Genetically Modified Micro-organisms and Biological
Agents.
 Provide guidance and advice on project risk assessments to the principal
investigators to ensure compliance with the Genetically Modified Organisms
(Contained Use) Regulations 2003 and Control of Substances Hazardous to
Health Regulations 2002.
 Organise testing and servicing of Microbiological Safety Cabinets at the
appropriate intervals. Delegate the responsibility to competent personnel.
 Monitor and advise on the systems for disposing of hazardous biological
waste. Delegate the responsibility for day to day tasks involved with this to
trained, competent personnel.
 Prepare annual returns of biological agents and toxins covered by the AntiTerrorism Act.
 Liaise with Special Branch during their annual inspection of CBS.
 Liaise with the University Biological Safety Advisor.
 Membership of local GM committee.
 Ensure that autoclaves are serviced and maintained in accordance with the
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15%
15%
20%
written scheme and where appropriate waste is validated.
Management of Two Containment Level 3 suites.
 Deliver and manage induction, training and authorised users.
 Provide emergency training.
 Ensure that a service contract is in place, liaising with Estates.
 Where appropriate ensure that an emergency fumigation contract is in place.
 Ensure all user checks, inspections and audits are carried out.
 Liaise with HSE during their bi-annual visits.
 Maintain information on workspace.
5.
6.
8.
Develop and maintain an accurate record of all health and safety
documentation, to comply with the relevant legislation:
 Maintain and develop Access database and Excel spreadsheet systems for
record of inductions, general training, DSE training and assessments,
working out of hours approvals, Safety Monitors, and accident statistics.
 Maintain and update Excel spreadsheets on laboratory hazards in CBS and
keep up to date the Hazard Location plans in the online Estates Office
Building Information system.
 Maintain the Disaster Recovery Plan for CBS.
 Prepare annual returns of chemicals covered by the Chemical Weapons
Convention.
 Ensure provision of annual returns under the Misuse of Drugs Act.
Operational direction and monitoring of certain health and safety activities:
 Fire Safety.
 Arrange a fire evacuation drill annually.
 Liaise with University Fire Safety Adviser on all matters relating to fire and
evacuation within CBS.
 Gas Safety.
 Annual gas line pressure checks.
 Gas detection systems.
 DSEAR assessments.
 Service and inspection of cryo tanks.
 Maintain register and inspection records for gas regulators and associated
equipment.
 Ensure safe and appropriate access to all users of the building, including
those with disabilities.
 Co-ordinate and maintain provision of First Aiders and AED Operators.
 Co-ordinate and maintain provision of Evac Chair Teams.
 Maintain an up to date list of all pressure vessels which require annual
inspection, liaising with Insurers regarding their inspection and receiving and
acting on reports of inspections.
 Oversee the testing and servicing of Fume cupboards and bespoke LEV at
the appropriate intervals. Delegate the responsibility for organising this to
competent personnel.
 Administer the out of hours working system.
 Administer the Permit to Work System for contractors: delegate the issuing
of permits to trained competent personnel.
 To be familiar with most aspects of day to day building operation to be able
to provide adequate cover during the unforeseen absence of both the
Building and Operations Manager and the Support Services Manager.
Any other duties at the direction of the CBS Director or the Building and
Operations Manager.
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10%
5%
10%
5%
Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications & Experience
Essential
Qualifications/
 NEBOSH Certificate (or equivalent)
Education


Knowledge/
Skills/Training









Experience





Good organisational skills
Excellent communication,
presentation and influencing skills
Ability to produce concise written
material
Excellent IT skills
Ability to work to tight deadlines,
both prescribed and self-imposed
Ability to prioritise
Ability to establish and maintain
good working relationships at all
levels
Conscientious, with ability to see
project through to completion
Self motivated and able to
motivate others
Significant hands-on experience in
implementing lab based control
measures such as COSHH, local
exhaust ventilation, gas system,
pressure systems
Implementing Health and Safety
legislation
Auditing and inspecting laboratory
environments
Managing induction and training in
safety related areas
Providing health and safety advice











Other

Enthusiasm for the role and the
ability to communicate its
importance

Desirable
Hold or working towards NEBOSH
Diploma in Occupational Health
and Safety or equivalent
Degree or equivalent/higher
professional qualification in
Biology or relevant scientific
discipline
IOSH Membership
ISTR Membership
Knowledge of relevant
Environmental legislation
Significant hands-on experience
in similar or related roles in
biological/biomolecular research
Biological agents including GMMs
and GMOs
Experience of safety systems at
containment level three
Producing Codes of Practice
Managing Health and Safety
matters in a multi-disciplinary
building
Providing advice to Health and
Safety committees
Using a range of safety
monitoring equipment
Experience of providing advice
on safety-related aspects of
laboratory redesign and
refurbishment and installation of
major items of equipment
Experience of working in a higher
education environment
Decision Making
i) taken independently by the role holder;
Total discretion to manage own workload: planning and prioritising tasks on both a day to day and
forward planning basis.
Design and delivery of safety related training sessions and development of these as appropriate.
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Monitoring own standards of quality and output.
Design and development of systems for providing H&S information to all users of CBS and for
producing and maintaining required records of health and safety activities.
ii) taken in collaboration with others;
Proactive planning of safety policies within CBS.
Setting standards for the laboratories.
All matters raised at the CBS Health and Safety Committee meetings
All health and safety matters raised at the CBS management group meetings.
All health and safety matters raised at the CBS operations group meetings.
iii) referred to the appropriate line manager (CBS Building Manager) by the role holder.
Major problems with safety issues or personnel within the Centre that cannot be resolved directly
by the role holder.
Scope of the Role
The Centre for Biomolecular Sciences (CBS) is a multidisciplinary research building comprising of
research groups from many Schools and houses approximately 380 researchers and support staff.
The role will provide effective safety management systems essential to ensure statutory
compliance and a safe and healthy working environment for all building workers and visitors.
Additional Information
While the main responsibilities within CBS have been put in a perceived order of importance and
assigned percentages of time, all duties are important and cannot be viewed in isolation to each
other. The role holder will be responsible for co-ordinating and monitoring the health and safety
strategy and arrangements for approximately 380 people.
The role holder will be expected to co-ordinate planned leave (holiday leave or training) with other
Centre funded support staff in order that there is a skeleton staff available at all times to maintain
a reasonable service to the research community.
Informal enquiries may be addressed to Mr Carl Winfield, tel: 0115 951 3403, Email:
carl.winfield@nottingham.ac.uk Please note that applications sent directly to this Email address
will not be accepted.
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