Promoting safety culture at DIT
A step closer to the real world
DIT’s safety management system has been in existence since 2002. The health and safety team has recently been developed to include three occupational health officers, who have been assigned to and based at various locations throughout DIT.
The aim of DIT’s initiative is to prepare young people (both students and staff members) for the health and safety aspects of working life, which may be in DIT itself, or in future workplaces. In particular, the objectives of the initiative include:
The training efforts of the safety team range from providing safety inductions for apprentices to manual handling training for staff members. Safety induction programmes for students and staff members are developed by the health and safety team in consultation with various internal departments, lecturers, technical officers, staff training and development office, Students Union office and external consultants (if required). Consultation with the Students’ Union office is important to ensure that the safety programmes are relevant to the lives and interests of students.
Safety induction programmes are also delivered by members of the health and safety team and consist of either a PowerPoint or interactive presentation. All packages are tailored towards the target audience but a typical package includes the following information: health and safety law and responsibilities; safety contacts and representatives; DIT procedures and policies relating to smoking, incident reporting, hazard reporting, first-aid, etc; safety statements; fire safety; personal protective equipment; risk assessments relating to pregnancy and disability; communication and consultation.
Safety induction programmes are supplemented by a number of other health and safety items and activities:
Contact and further information:
Aishling Mannion, Audrey Murray and Rosie Cannon
Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT)
Fitzwilliam House, 30 Upper Pembroke Street, Dublin 2
Ireland
+3531 4023315 / 4023368
safety@dit.ie
Internet: www.dit.ie/safework
The aim of DIT’s initiative is to prepare young people (both students and staff members) for the health and safety aspects of working life, which may be in DIT itself, or in future workplaces. In particular, the objectives of the initiative include:
- to promote risk awareness as an integral part of education
- to promote positive health and safety culture and to maintain professional standards
- to improve safety behaviour and attitudes
- to enhance open communication and consultation through education, guidance, advice, information and training
- to improve the university’s OSH performance and compliance by adding the dimension of student involvement.
The training efforts of the safety team range from providing safety inductions for apprentices to manual handling training for staff members. Safety induction programmes for students and staff members are developed by the health and safety team in consultation with various internal departments, lecturers, technical officers, staff training and development office, Students Union office and external consultants (if required). Consultation with the Students’ Union office is important to ensure that the safety programmes are relevant to the lives and interests of students.
Safety induction programmes are also delivered by members of the health and safety team and consist of either a PowerPoint or interactive presentation. All packages are tailored towards the target audience but a typical package includes the following information: health and safety law and responsibilities; safety contacts and representatives; DIT procedures and policies relating to smoking, incident reporting, hazard reporting, first-aid, etc; safety statements; fire safety; personal protective equipment; risk assessments relating to pregnancy and disability; communication and consultation.
Safety induction programmes are supplemented by a number of other health and safety items and activities:
- Student and staff handbooks
- Safety wallet cards and safety booklets
- Plasma screen in main reception areas with safety information
- Health and safety website
- Safe work practice sheets
- Safety notice boards in each campus
- Monthly health and safety newsletter
- Exhibitions and open days (safety week, safety quiz and competitions)
- Participation of staff and student representatives at campus safety team meetings
- Toolbox talks on relevant topics – for example, safety in workshops, kitchens and laboratories
- Health and safety training – for example, fire safety, manual handling, first-aid
Contact and further information:
Aishling Mannion, Audrey Murray and Rosie Cannon
Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT)
Fitzwilliam House, 30 Upper Pembroke Street, Dublin 2
Ireland
+3531 4023315 / 4023368
safety@dit.ie Internet: www.dit.ie/safework
