PRINCIPLE INVESTIGATORS/SENIOR MANAGERS – Safety Responsibilities
Principle Investigators [PI] and Senior Managers [SM] are responsible for the safe
conduct of work within their work area. In general this involves ensuring that School's
arrangements for compliance with the University safety policy are implemented
thereby assisting the Head of School in the discharge of his/her overall
responsibilities.
Where a PI/SM delegates authority to a senior post doctorate or member of technical
staff for carrying out day to day safety monitoring and management, the PI/SM still
carries the ultimate responsibility for health and safety management.
The following indicates the main responsibilities of PIs in the School of Biosciences:
Risk Assessment

The PI/SM must ensure that risk assessments have been carried out for all
hazardous activities within the work area for which they have responsibility
and that they are available and current. Advice can be obtained from
Divisional Safety Representatives, a list of which is contained in the School
Safety Manual,

The PI/SM must ensure that the risks associated with the introduction of new
equipment or techniques into the work area are assessed and appropriate
controls provided before the work commences. In the School/Division, risk
assessments must be recorded on the appropriate form and PIs must sign off
all forms prior to work commencing.

The PI/SM must ensure that there are written safe operating procedures
available and readily accessible for all hazardous activities.

The PI/SM must ensure that risk assessments and SOPs are reviewed
regularly and in relation to any changes in equipment/procedure.

Training, Competency & Supervision

The PI/SM must ensure that all staff and students within his/her research
group are competent to carry out the tasks assigned to them and that they are
provided with appropriate training and instruction to enable them to work
competently and safely.

The PI/SM must ensure that initial and ongoing training needs are identified in
a timely fashion. The regular post graduate supervisory meetings are an ideal
opportunity for ensuring training and competence is recorded and ongoing
training needs are identified.

The PI/SM should ensure that there are records of provision of training and
attainment of competence. They should ensure that all staff and students
have a training record that is up to date and readily available. Records of
training and competence should include both externally provided courses and
in-house training. These forms are available on the MOL Safety Web pages.

PIs should ensure that individuals for whom they are responsible are
supervised to an extent appropriate to the severity of the hazard and their
knowledge and experience. In the School, records of this are kept using the
appropriate training record which also records a competency test.

To ensure that on completion of a research project those involved have left
the area in a safe and tidy condition and that all surplus or waste materials
have been properly removed or disposed of.

Monitoring

PIs must ensure there are effective arrangements in place for proactively
monitoring their areas to ensure that standards of safety and housekeeping
are maintained. A checklist can be found at the back of the School Safety
Manual.

The PI/SM must regularly meet with staff and students to ensure that the
safety issues relating to the work are being regularly reviewed, e.g.
implications of new work, working out of hours, etc. The PI/SM is expected to
sign research lab books on a regular basis as deemed appropriate.

The PI/SM must ensure that accidents, ill-health and dangerous situations
are reported and investigated in accordance with School and University
procedures.
In the first instance report the incident to your local safety rep to ensure that
the appropriate incident form is completed and any remedial action carried
out.