The Department has arrangements in place for inspecting workstations to assess any potential health and safety risks to users. A Display Screen Equipment user is defined as an employee who habitually uses display screen equipment as a significant part of their normal work, typically defined as more than one hour per day.

All DSE users are required to complete a DSE self-assessment either:

Online (all P&A) - Online DSE self-assessment form

Or

Paper based – DSE paper based self-assessment form

Online forms are automatically sent to FSE safety, please send paper based forms to fse safety fse.safety@manchester.ac.uk

Where issues exist following completion of the assessment, the Department DSE Assessor will arrange to meet with individuals, where a full DSE assessment may be necessary. If problems are still occurring after a full DSE assessment, then the DSE assessor or user should refer the individual/themselves to Occupational Health.

Guidance on how to set-up your workstation correctly can be found on Safety Services’ link below:

http://www.healthandsafety.manchester.ac.uk/toolkits/dse/

DSE self-assessment should occur at least every 2 years. However, if there is a change in circumstances, for example moving office, new equipment is provided or the staff member experiences musculoskeletal pain, a new DSE self-assessment should be completed.

If working from home, a DSE self-assessment should also take place for this scenario.

3.1.1.      Free eye tests

Free eye sight tests are available during term time only from the Teaching Clinic in University Vision Services based in Carys Bannister Building Tel. 0161 306 3860. 

DSE users should have a sight test at a registered optician of their choice. In order to claim back the cost of eyesight test, staff need to obtain a receipt from their optician and claim this back through the University’s expenses system.

If the optician advises that spectacles are required specifically for DSE use, staff should get this in writing and claim this back through the expenses system (subject to a maximum amount; currently £90).

Line managers will need to see evidence from the optician before approving the claim through expenses.

https://www.occhealth.manchester.ac.uk/wellbeing/health-safety/

Please note: At the present time the regulations state that bifocal and varifocal spectacles are not normally recommended for DSE work.

Specific arrangements for the JBO site can be found in section 6

The management of work-related driving must take into account the requirements of health and safety legislation and road traffic law. Driving at work applies to all staff who drive on University business, regularly or infrequently, including those who use their own vehicles.

Managers must ensure that risk assessments are undertaken in relation to all work activities including any driving in connection with University business. The scale and detail of the risk assessment should be proportionate to the risk.

An example risk assessment on the Physics H&S intranet page for driving at work can be used as a starting point for your own assessment.

JBO has its own fleet and site specific arrangements for driving and vehicles in Section 6.2.

Further guidance can be found on the safety services page via the link below:

http://www.healthandsafety.manchester.ac.uk/toolkits/driving/

Specific arrangements for Jodrell Bank Observatory can be found in Section 6.

The Department has a duty to comply with the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 and to maintain all electrical equipment in a safe condition as faulty electrical equipment can cause death or serious injury by electric shock, burns and fire. This applies to all work areas of the University, all electrical apparatus and installations. All equipment should be purchased from a University approved supplier, and conform to British Standard (CE mark).

Basic installation

The Directorate of Estates and Facilities manages the electrical supplies and arrange for their statutory testing every 5 years. Individuals who find faulty or dangerous wiring problems associated with the fixed wiring installations should report them to the Estates helpdesk on 0161 275 2424 or online here.

Portable appliances

Portable electrical equipment is managed by the Department and is subject to Portable Appliance Testing (PAT) at regular appropriate intervals, which must be carried out by a trained and competent person. The I&F TOM liaises with equipment users to organise a testing programme. Following a successful electrical test, each piece of equipment is labelled and dated.

All new electrical items and any that has been permanently relocated to a different building are required to be PAT tested before use.

High risk portable appliances (soldering irons, power supplies, electric drills, kettles, etc.) are checked and tested annually. Lower risk items like computer workstations, which are classed as semi‑permanent fixtures, are checked and tested every 4 years. All portable appliances, including separate mains cables, which have been checked and tested, are clearly labelled.

In the Department annual PAT testing occurs annually for laboratories and workshops and every 4 years for offices.

Non-University of Manchester Property

The Department has a duty to ensure that all portable appliances are safe and therefore, any equipment (kettles, laptop power packs, etc.) brought into University of Manchester by staff, students or visitors for use at work must be fully checked and tested. All personnel should seek the authorisation of the Academic Supervisor or Line Manager before bringing personal electrical equipment into the workplace. All such items must be fit-for-purpose, CE marked and tested by a trained and competent person before use. If for any reason an individual refuses to allow his personal electrical equipment to be checked and tested, then that equipment must be removed from University of Manchester property immediately and permanently.

Fixed appliances

Fixed electrical appliances are managed by the Department and are subject to Fixed Appliance Testing (FAT) every 5 years. This must be carried out by a qualified electrician. The I&F TOM liaises with equipment users to organise a testing programme. Following a successful electrical test, each piece of equipment is labelled and dated accordingly.

All electrical equipment users must:

• Carry out pre-use visual checks and regular examination of the equipment for signs of damage or deterioration
• Carry out safe operation of the equipment, according to training, risk assessment and operating manuals
• Only use equipment that is fit-for-purpose or use equipment in a suitable environment (e.g. wet environment with an residual current device (RCD)
• Report defects to the Academic Supervisor, Line Manager or Technical Support Staff
• Not overload power supplies or “daisy-chain” cables and extension leads
• Not trail cables across access and egress
• Ensure leads and cables do not constitute a trip hazard
• Not modify equipment unless qualified and competent to do so
• Not use equipment that has not been electrically tested

Tables/desks often have cable trays or other design features which can assist with managing cables. Placing the cables around the back of desk/tables instead of the front is better practice and decreases the risk from slips and trips. 

It is the responsibility of the Academic Supervisor and Line Manager to ensure defective equipment are taken out of use.

Electronic workshop

The Faculty has an electronic workshop based in MECD, Building A, room GA035. Where they can fix and make electronic equipment for your needs. Please book the job in the PPMS as below:

https://corefacilities.manchester.ac.uk/req/?pf=18&project=true&form=1182

Then label your item with the PPMS no, contact name, building name, and contact phone number.

To send your items to the electronics workshop, options are

1)         If your job is too large or fixed location, we will contact you when we are available to come over to assess.

2)         You can bring the portable labelled items to the electronic workshop MecD GA.035 (quickest method).

3)         You can contact Stephen Hamer in MecD central stores to arrange a collection from a agreed collection point, normally your department stores and stating the delivery point as MecD central stores.

For return of your items you can collect from the MecD electronic workshop or arrange stores delivery to your Department stores.

The University’s Guidance on Electrical Equipment can be found here.

The definition of fieldwork is very wide: "any work carried out by staff or students for the purposes of teaching, research or other activities while representing the institution off-site”.

The UCEA Guidance on Health and Safety in Fieldwork covers the following range of activities:

• attendance at conferences and other institutions which may be relatively low risk,
• to the high risk challenging conditions of fieldwork in remote and hostile locations

The University Arrangements enable a risk-based approach to the safety management of fieldwork activities, which must be followed for all fieldwork activities.

High risk fieldwork activities must be signed off by the Head of Department.

There are example risk assessments which can be used as a starting point to your own assessment for Low risk fieldwork in the UK and Low-risk field work and field trips in low or moderate risk destinations outside of the UK.

Manual handling is one of the most common causes of injury at work. Manual handling is defined as the transporting or supporting of a load (including the lifting, putting down, pushing, pulling, carrying or moving thereof) by hand or bodily force. Manual handling activities can also cause Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) such as upper and lower limb pain/disorders, joint and repetitive strain injuries of various types.

Hazardous manual handling operations should be avoided wherever practicable to avoid risk of injury. Where it is not possible to do this a risk assessment should be carried out which considers the four elements, collectively referred to as 'TILE', below.

• Task
• Individual capability
• Load
• Environment

Handling aids and equipment should be used where possible. Lifting in pairs can also reduce the risk of injury.

Some tasks may require a more detailed manual handling assessment, such as the MAC or ART tool. Guidance on these assessments tools can be found on via the safety services link below:

http://www.healthandsafety.manchester.ac.uk/toolkits/man_hand/

Online training for manual handling can be found here:

https://app.manchester.ac.uk/training/profile.aspx?unitid=8344&parentId=4

Workshop staff and others that lift heavy and unwieldly loads on a regular basis are recommended to take the following more detailed practical course:

https://app.manchester.ac.uk/training/profile.aspx?unitid=7617&parentId=4

Following on from a number of manual handling accidents in the Department, including a serious one, a more comprehensive manual handling RA form should be completed for complicated and heavy lifts.

All manual handing operations in the Department should be risk assessed and signed off by your line manager or PI, where the risk is significant, these should also be sent to the School Safety Advisor.  

The manual handling checklist on the Physics intranet should be used to assist you in considering the risks involved and how best to manage and control these. The checklist includes information on purchasing, design, manufacturing and end use of equipment.

Blank manual handling RA form:

https://www.staffnet.manchester.ac.uk/media/eps/chemistry-intranet/physics/Manual-Handling-Risk-Assessment---Blank.docx

Example of manual handling RA for moving heavy equipment

https://www.staffnet.manchester.ac.uk/media/eps/chemistry-intranet/physics/Example-Manual-Handling-Risk-Assessment---Moving-Equipment.docx

It is the responsibility of persons using these spaces to ensure that the rooms are kept in a tidy and safe state, and that visitors are not endangered in any way.

Leads and cables must not constitute a trip hazard. Do not overload shelves or store heavy/large items at height.  Remove potential trip hazards (boxes, books etc.) from walkways. Samples and chemical reagents must not be stored in offices.

All staff and students must abide by the PC cluster rules which are posted on the doors and inside the clusters. No food or drink is allowed in any PC Cluster in Schuster. It is unhygienic for communal use computers and also increases the costs of replacing computers through damage.

Offices should be inspected yearly using the office self-inspection checklist. One form per office.

Example RA working in general workspaces and offices can be used as a starting point to your own office risk assessment. 

The University has a strategy and action plan to reduce accidents and injuries caused by slips and trips (including those on steps and stairs) but everyone can play their part by:

• reporting accidents and near misses
• taking action when defects, spills, obstructions and other potential causes of slips or trips are seen – before someone is injured.
• reporting building defects to the Building Manager or Technical Operations Manager.

Further guidance on preventing slips, trips and falls can be found on safety services website link below:

http://www.healthandsafety.manchester.ac.uk/toolkits/slipsandtrips/

The Department recognises that pressure at work can be a good thing, it motivates and challenges us. However too much pressure can have an adverse reaction, lead to feelings of not coping and can lead to mental or physical illness that requires additional support.

Sources of stress at work include;

• Demands – this includes issues such as workload, work patterns and the work environment.
• Control – how much say the person has in the way they do their work.
• Support – this includes the encouragement, sponsorship and resources provided by the Department, line management and colleagues.
• Relationships – this includes promoting positive working to avoid conflict and dealing with unacceptable behaviour.
• Role – whether people understand their role within the Department and whether the Department ensures that they do not have conflicting roles.
• Change – how change (large or small) is managed and communicated in the Department.

Managers, supervisors and principal investigators along with staff and students within the Department must work to limit sources of stress.

The following changes in behaviour may indicate stress;

• Physical symptoms include; tiredness, indigestion and nausea, headaches, aching muscles or palpitations.
• Mental ill-health symptoms include; being more indecisive, finding it hard to concentrate, loss of memory, feelings of inadequacy, or low self-esteem.
• Emotional symptoms include; getting irritable or angry, anxious, hypersensitive, or feeling drained and listless.
• Behavioural symptoms include; noticeable changes in performance, changes in patterns of attendance, recurrent short-term absences or long-term absence.

Managers, supervisors and principal investigators should actively monitor staff and students for any of these indicators of stress and discuss it with the individual concerned as soon as possible to find solutions to any issues they may have. Managers, supervisors and principal investigators should refer staff and students to Occupational Health or the or the Counselling Service (students), Counselling Service (staff) for further advice where necessary but the responsibility remains with them to resolve.

Managers, supervisors and principal investigators should take steps to ensure that their own management practices and style do not contribute to work-related stress.

Staff and students who recognise these symptoms in themselves should raise the issue with their manager, supervisor or principal investigator if possible as early as possible so that early intervention can take place.

Staff and students can also refer themselves in confidence to Occupational Health or to the Counselling Service (student), Counselling Service (staff) or their GP.

The University of Manchester Counselling Service are a team of professional counsellors and psychotherapists offering confidential help with any personal issues affecting work/study, self-esteem, sexuality, relationships, mental health or general wellbeing. They are available to all University of Manchester students. 

Health Hero are a specialist external provider of staff wellbeing and mental health support services. Support is free and anonymous.

Colleagues can access a range of support from:

• Telephone Support
• Counselling – online and face to face
• Signposting to Specialist Agencies
• Health Hero Wellbeing Hub Information & Resources
• General Health & Wellbeing Support
• Legal Information
• Money & Debt Support
• Support for Managers

Please try the staff EAP in the first instance. If Health Hero are unable to meet your needs then the Counselling & Mental Health Service can offer a review appointment: Get Help (The University of Manchester)

The Counselling Service also runs a wide range of workshops to help manage stress and improve wellbeing for both staff and students.

Guidance for staff and guidance for managers is available via Human Resources.

Chapter 35 of the University’s general arrangements also gives further advice and support.

A training course is available from the Learning and Organisational Development: THS16E Work Related Stress: Identification, Prevention & Management

Support Staff Experiencing Stress and Difficulties with their Mental Health - online.manchester.ac.uk/courses/1/I3004-TRAIN-TM-S21E-8552-40041/content/_13617195_1/scormdriver/indexAPI.html

Further guidance and support can be obtained from the Occupational Health and Counselling Service. Referrals can be self-made or from the Academic Supervisor and Line Manager.

OccupationalHealth@manchester.ac.uk

https://www.counsellingservice.manchester.ac.uk/

Staff Support (The University of Manchester)

University’s guidance on Stress can be found here: http://www.healthandsafety.manchester.ac.uk/toolkits/stress/

3.8.1.     Wellbeing

The University and Department are committed to providing a healthy working environment and improving the quality of working lives for all staff and students.

The Department has Wellbeing champions who you can contact for further advice and support:

• Students – The student hub in Alan Turing, SoNS Wellbeing - SoNS.Wellbeing@manchester.ac.uk
• Staff - Andrew Markwick andrew.markwick@manchester.ac.uk

For more information, guidance and activities for both staff and students, follow the links below:

Staff: https://www.staffnet.manchester.ac.uk/wellbeing/

Students: http://www.studentsupport.manchester.ac.uk/taking-care/wellbeing/six-ways-to-wellbeing/

https://www.staffnet.manchester.ac.uk/supporting-students/training/resources/