Health, Safety & Environment

The Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE) Department ensures the health and safety of staff, students, and visitors and others associated directly or indirectly with the university We are the commitment to the university’s HSE policy and the national laws of Oman on health, Safety and Environment. Our department strives to provide awareness programs, training and advice on all occupational health and safety risks to reduce or mitigate these risks.

Vision :

 Attaining best practices in health and safety management to control risk and prevent harm to people in SQU.

Mission:

 Provides necessary information, instruction, training, and supervision to ensure that HSE best practices are applied in all units at SQU.

Responsibilities:

• Commitment to the university’s policy related to Health, Safety, and Environment.
• Apply dominant laws of the Sultanate of Oman on Health, Safety, and Environment.
• Prepare and develop standards of Health, Safety, and Environment policies in the university and follow-up its implementation and evaluating it and developing it to match with risk management policy and new progress.
• Managing all university’s activities and programs in a way that ensures the Health and safety of university staff, students, visitors and all who are associated with their activities directly or indirectly with the university.
• Evaluate Occupational hazards in various work sites in the university in order to avoid or reduce work-related injuries.
• Monitoring the various work sites of the university to ensure that the rules and regulations concerning Occupational Safety and Health are in place.
• Ensure there are plans to identify and classify risks and ensure the existence of mechanisms to deal with it in an appropriate manner.
• Ensure that programs and plans are supported to avoid accidents and to evacuate buildings in case of danger.
• Registration of all errors or sudden accidents and develop appropriate solutions to avoid them in the future.
• Develop, implement and monitor the execution of plans and activities of all Health and Safety and Environmental projects in the university.
• Management of Health, Safety and Environmental activities of the university and participate in the membership of concerned committees.
• Preparation and implementation of awareness and understanding programs of Occupational Health, Safety and Environment within the university.
• Supporting all Health, Safety and Environmental programs that are held at the university.
• Provide adequate training for university staff working in hazardous areas.
• Participate or lead the investigation of occupational & health safety and environmental incidents in the university and prepare a report.
• Review and test the emergency procedures and plans of the university’s different units on a regular basis.
• Provide advice to all university units to ensure compliance with all Occupational Health and Safety laws and regulations.
• Controlling all environmental elements related to the university’s activities and programs to reduce the environmental impacts caused.
• Cooperation with local, regional and global bodies specialized in health, safety, and environmental matters.
• Health inspection and monitoring food safety in all cafes and restaurants in coordination and follow-up with Muscat Municipality in all topics related to this matter.
• Ensure the availability of healthy food as vegetables & fruits and raising awareness of its importance.

Sultan Qaboos University through active participation of all employees, students, visitors, and contractors will strive to manage Health, Safety hazards with the goal of preventing accidents, injuries and occupational illnesses, progressively minimizing environmental impact by reducing discharges and using energy efficiently. SQU recognizes that health and safety are of great importance to the well-being of staff, students and all those who may be affected in one way or another. The responsibility of the University is to provide leadership and to ensure that a clear hierarchy of duties and responsibilities is in place, and is effective, in all aspects of the University’s undertaking. SQU expects that everyone in all units under its authority will accept the importance of health and safety in their activities and will co-operate in achieving the highest standards of health and safety. SQU believes that good HSE practice is an integral part of the education process and will contribute to the professional and ethical standing of the University.

To ensure achieving the highest level of HSE the SQU will:

• Comply with Sultanate of Oman national HSE policy
• Assign the Vice Chancellor the responsibility for ensuring the effective management of HSE function in the University
• Develop and implement HSE measures to ensure an incident and accident-free environment
• Require the SQU administration to uphold strict HSE standards in the workplace
• Develop a high degree of safety consciousness by ensuring continuous HSE education and training for staff and students
• Maintain regular contact with other HSE organizations to ensure experience sharing  and adoption of industry best practice
• Authorize personnel to stop unsafe acts and conditions
• Report and record all near misses, dangerous occurrences, and accidents for subsequent analysis and action
• Investigate dangerous occurrences and accidents to identify the causes and to prevent re-occurrence
• Ensure that regular audit, monitoring, and maintenance of equipment and facilities meet HSE standards
• Ensure strict control of hazardous substances by setting storage, handling, and usage rules to recognized local and international standards
• Provide adequate resources to maintain and monitor HSE measures
• Develop a forum for staff and student feedback in terms of HSE
• Develop a meaningful incentive for staff, students, and contractors to enhance HSE measures
• Review the performance and policy periodically, as may be necessary, in light of experience or new legal or regulative requirements or guidance from Authored Personnel to ensure continuous monitoring, improvement and quality control is maintained
• Receive and publicize an annual report from Authorized Personnel on the University’s performance

SQU will implement this policy through a document describing the Health, Safety, and Environmental Management System. All contractors and visitors are required to be committed to and perform their duties according to this policy.

Emergencies

• Chemical Spill
• Radiation Spill
• Biohazard Spill
• Medical Emergencies & First Aid
• Fires
• Gas Leakage

SQU Emergency Contacts

General Work Habits and Safety Rules

• Personal Protective Equipment
• Lone Working
• Housekeeping & Hand and Power Tools
• Radiation Hazards
• Equipment & Machinery
• Fire Safety
• Electrical Safety
• Chemical Hazards
• Physical Hazards
• Biological Hazards

 Our Department is committed to assisting the University in identifying and managing the risks associated with carrying out the strategic objectives of the University and risks related to academic activities (e.g., teaching, research, and student learning and experience).  

Academic Risk Framework:

The Academic Risk framework recognizes the existing culture and seeks to provide mechanisms to better manage academic risks and utilize emerging opportunities.  

Responsibilities :

The department will be responsible for the following:

• Managing Academic and Corporate risks at both levels of Academic studies and postgraduate studies.
• Develop standards to reduce risks in Academic and Strategic programs at the university.
• Follow up the implementation of best practices related to students’ Academic and Strategic affairs.
• Reporting on the implementation of SQU units of the procedures relevant to Academic and Corporate risks.
• Contribute to identify risks related to Academic and Strategic programs proposed by the university and how to address them and avoid them
• Participate in managing the activities of Academic and Corporate risk management.
• Support university’s units to develop plans and procedures to reduce Academic and Corporate risks and how to deal with.
• Raising annual reports about the commitment of the university units in implementing the procedures of Academic and Corporate risks.

Corporate Risk Register

The university will maintain a Corporate Risk Register which is a file containing fundamental risks at an institutional level. The Main Risk Committee, chaired by the Vice-chancellor is responsible for reviewing the Corporate Risk Register at least twice a year.

Colleges, Centers and Admin Units

Colleges, Centers and Admin units are required to maintain documented risks registers; this is an obligatory component of Risk Management Policy. Risk committees at colleges, centers, and admin units are responsible for reviewing risk registers every six months.