Maintenance Team SLA and Health & Safety Policy

1. Introduction

The Maintenance Team provide a building maintenance service to the University. We deliver these services 24/7, through a mix of directly employed tradesmen and specialist contractors.

We are committed to providing services that meet or exceed the expectations of our customers. We are actively pursuing a programme of quality improvements, which will help us to provide a service that is ‘right first time’. Only by providing an outstanding service will we achieve our aims of long term success and sustained improvement.

We are committed to monitoring the effectiveness of our service and aim to continuously improve our service to meet the requirements and expectations of our customers in addition to our legal and regulatory responsibilities.

All personnel within the Maintenance Team are responsible for the quality of their work. Whilst we endeavour to consistently meet and exceed our customers’ expectations, we recognise that we don’t always achieve our own standards. When an issue is identified, we are committed to investigating it and will do our best to rectify the situation and to learn from it.

2. Maintenance Team Service Level Agreement and Targets

The Maintenance Helpdesk prioritises all job request tickets using a 0-4 system.  Once we have received an enquiry we assess the urgency of the request and assign priority status accordingly. Select the + button to view all examples for each category. 

3. Maintenance Health & Safety

This policy sets out the Maintenance Team's policy and local arrangements for Health & Safety. The document supplements the University's general arrangements for Health and Safety.

The Maintenance Team will conduct its activities so as to protect the health, safety and welfare of its employees and others who may be affected by our activities. In doing so, we will aim to prevent accidents, injuries and occupational ill health so far as is reasonably practicable.

4. The Maintenance Team Will…

1. Establish robust health & safety management systems;
2. Safeguard employees, and others, from foreseeable hazards associated with work activities and processes;
3. Provide safe working environments and safe systems of work, which minimise the risks to health, safety and welfare;
4. Provide appropriate information, instruction, training and supervision;
5. Ensure that all employees are aware of their own responsibilities in respect of health and safety;
6. Undertake workplace inspections and audits to ensure that health and safety management arrangements are robust;
7. Ensure that systems are being implemented and that health & safety objectives are being met.

5. Management of H & S within the Maintenance Team

The strategic management of H & S within the Maintenance Team is the responsibility of the Maintenance Manager; this includes the need to ensure that suitable H&S management systems are in place and are reviewed periodically.

The Maintenance Manager is responsible for the operational management and implementation of the Health & Safety policy and arrangements. This includes responsibility for the implementation of health & safety management systems and the maintenance of emergency procedures, health & safety records, risk assessments and safe systems of work. The Maintenance Manager will also ensure that the arrangements for health monitoring are effective and ensure staff receives sufficient information, instruction, training and supervision to undertake their role safely.

It is the responsibility of all employees to take reasonable care of their own health and safety and to ensure that others are not put in risk by their acts or omissions at work. Employees have a responsibility to cooperate with managers to help them comply with their legal obligations and implement procedures.

Specialist advice is available from the University Health & Safety team as and when required.

6. Hazard Identification

We will ensure that workplace hazards are identified and will inform the Maintenance staff and others at risk of these hazards.

7. Risk Assessment

We assess the risks associated with workplace hazards and staff will be informed of the findings. We will take action where necessary to control risks to an acceptable level and staff will be informed of the control measures required.

A register of Risk Assessments will be maintained and copies of the risk assessments will be held by the Maintenance Manager. Risk assessments will be reviewed regularly.

8. Safe Systems of Work

We will develop Safe Systems of Work to cover routine tasks and will ensure that staff are trained and competent to adopt these systems.

9. Workplace Inspection

We will ensure that regular workplace health and safety inspections are undertaken on all work sites. A record of the inspections will be maintained by the Maintenance Manager.

10. Instruction, Training & Information

We will ensure that staff at all levels have appropriate knowledge and training in order to undertake their specific roles. They will be provided information necessary to allow them to carry out their duties in a safe manner. Staff will be trained to consistent standards.

11. Staff Consultation

We recognise that employee involvement is essential to successfully manage health and safety at work and, as such, we will actively encourage employee participation in health and safety matters. Staff will be consulted on health and safety issues through staff meetings and appraisals

12. Emergency Procedures

We will maintain emergency procedures for reasonably foreseeable emergency events.

13. Accident Reporting and Investigation

All work-related accidents, incidents and ill-health will be reported and records retained. The Maintenance Manager and H & S Officer will investigate work-related reported events in order to establish the cause, to identify any lessons learnt and to meet any relevant statutory obligations.

14. Management Systems

We will ensure that robust health & safety management systems are in place for Building Maintenance operations. Our arrangements will be periodically audited to ensure they are effective.

15. Monitoring of Health and Safety

We will review our health and safety arrangements periodically, in order to assess our performance against agreed targets and where necessary, corrective action will be taken.

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Document Title: Maintenance SLA and Health & Safety Policy

• Version: 1.2
• Person responsible: Maintenance Manager/Health & Safety Officer
• Author: DMc
• Document Date: Jan 2017
• Last amended: Jan 2022
• Effective from: Feb 2017
• Review date: Mar 2022