Health and Safety

Central Queensland University aims to achieve the optimum attainable level of workplace health and safety as far as is practicable for all staff, students and other persons throughout all areas of its activities.

It is the responsibility of all CQU personnel to ensure the implementation of safety systems appropriate to their delegated operational authority.

It is the responsibility of supervisory staff at every level to ensure that safe working procedures are clearly understood and consistently observed. Supervisors shall also ensure that all plant and equipment in use is in safe working order and workplace conditions are maintained at a high standard.

All members of CQU, including students, have an obligation for their personal welfare and the welfare of their fellows. To meet this commitment, each person must follow safe working procedures at all times and take all reasonable care to prevent personal injury or injury to others and damage to plant and equipment.

CQU will achieve this by careful attention to all aspects of workplace health and safety in accordance with the Queensland Workplace Health and Safety Act 1995, the Workplace Health and Safety Regulation 1997 & (Misc) Regulations 1995 and the relevant Codes of Practice.

This shall include:

• mandatory health and safety inductions for all staff and information provided to students;
• sound workplace planning and operation;
• positive and consistent examples at all levels of supervision throughout CQU;
• training based on standard, proven work methods and operational and maintenance problems;
• education, counselling and, where necessary, assistance in rehabilitating those involved in its activities;
• the provision of responsible financial support for these activities;
• enforcement of statutory and CQU safety regulations and procedures; where necessary.

In support of this policy, CQU has created Health and Safety Committees, appointed Health and Safety Officers and established the necessary systems.

Participation of, and consultation with staff and students takes place through the University Health and Safety Committees. A Health and Safety Unit, staffed with qualified personnel, acts as the University's management arm to provide guidelines on, and training in, safe work practices and control of hazards in the workplace.

The University is conscious of its responsibilities and seeks cooperation and commitment from all staff and students to create a workplace environment aimed at accident prevention and health promotion. The University has adopted a policy of no smoking within its buildings. Copies of the policies and guidelines on various issues such as first aid, rire evacuation, HIV, Hepatitis B and C, etc. can be obtained from the University faculties, divisions and the Health and Safety Unit.

The University's procedures for reporting accidents and hazards are available from the Health and Safety Unit.

In case of need, students are encouraged to contact Health and Safety workers or representatives in their faculties. Contact +61 7 4930 6418, or visit the website on http://dss-portal.cqu.edu.au/health_safety/home.htm.

Student insurance
Central Queensland University provides students with a range of insurance coverages from public liability to personal accident. The coverages provided by Central Queensland University are in excess of those provided by other Australian universities. Details of the insurances provided may be obtained from the following web page http://www.fsd.cqu.edu.au/taxrisk.htm. This site contains a summary of the University's policies and a question and answer section focusing on student needs.

Students should note that they are not employees of the University and as such are not covered by the University's WorkCover policy.

Students undertaking voluntary work experience, which has been arranged by the University and is related to their course of study may be included under the University's Voluntary Work Experience WorkCover policy however, this is determined on a case-by-case basis.

Students undertaking work experience which forms an assessable or mandatory component of their course are not able to be covered under this policy as they are specifically excluded under Queensland Government legislation. However, students are provided with limited coverage under the University's personal accident policy where this occurs. The personal accident policy of the University provides for death and capital benefits only. The Central Queensland University Student Association policy provides its student members with a more comprehensive accident policy, details of which should be obtained from the Student Association.