What is the meaning of “OHS” ?
OHS is the acronym for Occupational Health and Safety and relates to health, safety and welfare issues in the workplace.
What are the aims of OHS ?
Occupational Health and Safety includes the laws, standards and programs that aim to making the workplace and work activities safer and protects the health and well being of employees, employers, clients and the public using that workplace.
Functions of the USP OHS Unit
The following services are provided to all workplaces within the university by the team
OHS IS A LEGAL REQUIREMENT
OHS is a legal Requirement in many countries. What countries served by the University of the South Pacific have existing national OHS legislation?
What countries served by the University of the South Pacific are in the process of establishing their national OHS legislation?
University OHS Policy
The University of the South Pacific has established its OHS Policy since 1999
It is reviewed regularly , and is endorsed by the University Vice Chancellor and President with the latest being in 2021.
Heath Safety & Wellness Policy
Environmental Sustainability Policy
University OHS Unit
The university OHS team is part of the Estates and Infrastructure Section based at the Laucala Campus
Its Staff include
EHS Officer
OHS Assistant
Office Location
Our office is located at the Estate and Infrastructure headquarters at Middle Campus Laucala , Suva , Fiji Islands.
Contacts
Land Line Phone Contacts (679 )323 1620 / ( 679 ) 323 1622
Team Mobile Phone Contacts
( 679 ) 8669765 – OHS Manager
(679) 8663027 – EHS Officer
( 679 ) 7225259 – OHS Officer
(679) 7501322- OHS Assistant
Generic Email address : maintenance@usp.ac.fj
Policies and Governance
Who are we and What we do
Dashboard
Certifications
| OHS | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
| NFA | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
Annual Reports
2021
2020
Information for Potential Trainees
Training Dashboard
| 2022 1st Quarter | 2021 | 2020 |
Staff Induction
The Head of Department or School shall delegate responsible staff , to ensure that all new staff joining or extending their employment , has completed the required workplace site induction , viewed the induction video, and the staff , has signed off on the staff induction checklist , indicating completion of their induction.
This must be done within the 1st 5 working days of the staff beginning their new or extended work contract
Student Induction
The Head of School shall delegate responsible staff, to ensure that their new and continuing students , has completed the required OHS site induction , viewed the induction video , and the new student has signed off on the student induction checklist, indicating completion of their induction.
This must be done within the 1st month of the student beginning classes on campus.
| 1 | Staff | IDFO1 | Brochure | Video |
| 2 | Student | Checklist | Brochure | Video |
Training Modules
| 1 | OHS Modules 1&2 | Information | Training Date | Checklist |
| 2 | Basic First Aid | Information | Training Date | Checklist |
| 3 | Emergency Wardens | Information | Training Date | Checklist |
| 4 | Work at Heights | Information | Training Date | Checklist |
| 5 | Hot Works | Information | Training Date | Checklist |
| 6 | Confined Spaces | Information | Training Date | Checklist |
| 7 | General OHS Awareness | Information | Training Date | Checklist |
Trainer Guidelines & Documents
Hazard Incident Accident Dashboard
2022 1st Quarter
What should I do and Who Should I report these to?
What Forms should I use to report ?
| Number | Situation | What Report Form to Use |
| 1 | Hazard | Hazard Report Form |
| 2 | Incident / Near Miss at Work | Incident Report Form |
| 3 | Accident or Fatality at Work | Accident / Fatality Report Form |
| 4 | Damaged Property | Damaged Property Form |
Accident Investigation
” Accident Investigation is not fault finding but cause finding ”
Injury Free Learning Experience is the goal for health and safety at USP.
Learning in a safe environment, which is healthy, promotes environmental sustainability and personal wellness for students and staff are key considerations at the University of the South Pacific.
Responsibilities
Safety Guidelines
| 1 | Student Safety Induction | Guidelines | Video | Checklist |
| 2 | General Health & Safety for Students | Guidelines | Video | Checklist |
| 3 | Laboratory Safety | Guidelines | Video | Checklist |
| 4 | Workshop Safety | Guidelines | Video | Checklist |
| 5 | Field Trip Safety | Guidelines | Video | Checklist |
| 6 | Industrial Placement | Guidelines | Video | Checklist |
| 7 | Kitchen Safety | Guidelines | Video | Checklist |
| 8 | Farm Safety | Guidelines | Video | Checklist |
| 9 | Marine Safety | Guidelines | Video | Checklist |
| 10 | COVID 19 Safety | Guidelines | Video | Checklist |
The establishment of Occupational Health & Safety Committees are a legal requirement for workplaces in countries that have health and safety laws.
In 2021 the USP health safety and wellness policy promotes the establishment of Occupational health safety and wellness committees ( OHSWC ) for schools , departments and campuses.
Occupational Health Safety and Wellness Committee Members
Dashboard
OHSWC Procedures and Video
OHSWC Meeting Forms
| Health and Wellness at USP | Hyperlinks |
|---|---|
| In 2021, the new USP Occupational health and safety policy was expanded to include wellness, and is known as the USP Health Safety and Wellness Policy.
Wellness is now mainstreamed as a key activity to be promoted in university workplaces and campuses, to build a workforce that is not only safe but also healthy and well. |
USP Health Safety & Wellness Policy
|
Zero Workplace Injuries & Deaths is the Goal !
Working in a safe environment, which is healthy, promotes environmental sustainability and personal wellness for staff are key considerations at the University of the South Pacific.
Responsibilities
| 1 | Health Safety Wellness Guidelines & Responsibilities for Campus Directors ,Head of Schools, Directors & Managers | Guidelines
Checklist |
| 2 | Health Safety Wellness Guidelines & Responsibilities for Staff | Guidelines
Checklist |
Working Safely at USP
Dashboard
Hazard and Risk Management
Efforts to eliminate or reduce the likelihood of the occurrence of Hazards in the workplace is an essential health and safety activity.
This is to eliminate or reduce the risk of consequences of adverse outcomes to the worker and the workplace itself.
| Guideline | Risk Calculator Matrix | Video |
Workplace Self Inspections
USP staff , from their first day at work , are required to self inspect their workplaces regularly and use the attached self inspection checklist to document this.
The findings of these self inspections from staff are consolidated by the head of department and OHS and Wellness committees to update the workplace hazard & risk register.
For instances where hazards are identified , its form is to be filled by the staff and this is immediately escalated for corrective action to their immediate supervisors and relevant parties eg. E&I helpdesk , USP OHS, etc.
| Self Inspection Guideline for Staff | Self Inspection Checklist | Hazard Identification Form |
Workplace Hazard and Risk Register
The workplace hazard and risk register documents all identified actual and potential hazards that workers in a workplace can be exposed to, and the level of controls actually in place within the workplace to minimize likelihood and consequences of adverse outcomes to workers and the workplace.
These hazards are assigned existing level of risk and responsible persons to ensure controls are in place and are effective.
| Workplace Hazard Risk Register | Guidelines for Staff | Register – Excel Matrix |
Safe Work Guidelines & Procedures
| No | Occupation Group | Safe Work Guideline for Workers | Safety Checklist for Workers |
| 1 | Office & Administration | Guideline | Checklist |
| 2 | Maintenance & Engineering | Guideline | Checklist |
| 3 | Landscaping & Outdoors | Guideline | Checklist |
| 4 | Handling Hazardous Chemicals & Biohazards | Guideline | Checklist |
| 5 | Agriculture | Guideline | Checklist |
| 6 | Housekeeping | Guideline | Checklist |
| 7 | Security | Guideline | Checklist |
| 8 | Kitchens | Guideline | Checklist |
| 9 | Drivers & Operators | Guideline | Checklist |
Hazardous Work & Permits
| Hazardous Work | Safety Information Kits | Documents | |
| 1 | Work at Heights -WAH | WAH Brochure
WAH Video |
Procedure |
| 2 | Hot Works – HW | HW Brochure
HW Video |
Procedure |
| 3 | Confined Spaces – CS | CS Brochure
CS Video |
Procedure
Permit |
| 4 | Lock Out Tag Out – LOTO | LOTO Brochure
LOTO Video |
Procedure
Permit |
Note. For Training on Hazardous Work and Issuance of Permits , see Induction and Training Tab.
| Policy and Procedures | Hyperlinks |
|---|---|
| Contractors despite not being USP Employees, the university has a duty of care to these workers to ensure they are not harmed in any way, whilst engaged in work on university campuses and facilities. |
|
POLICY :
PROCEDURES :
These include the following
PET Recycling
Recycling is the process of gathering and processing materials to create new goods out of those that would otherwise be thrown away as waste. By implementing recycling programs on campus, USP follows appropriate waste management standards.
Aluminum cans and PET bottles are two examples of recyclables that are collected, transported, and remanufactured at a recycling center. The main recycling center for recyclables from USP Laucala Campuses is Mission Pacific, which works closely with USP.
Power ( hyperlink to E&I )
Water ( hyperlink to E&I )
Tree Planting
The health of our environment depends a lot on forests. Planting trees increases the interconnectedness of wildlife habitats and promotes biodiversity. As a natural air filter, trees clean the air by removing dangerous contaminants. We are thrilled to talk about the tree-planting efforts our campus makes to maintain a healthy environment for members of the USP community.
In 2022, 252 trees were planted which is an impressive 210% achievement of the 120 trees annual target. Click on the reports below:
The following campuses have initiated environment sustainability programs in their campuses
The University of the South Pacific (USP) supports environmental sustainability guided by its Environment Sustainability Policy (ESP) that is reviewed every 3 years.
To access other USP policies, you can find it on USP Policy Library.
The Universitas Indonesia (UI) launched the first global university rankings in 2010 for the purpose of evaluating campus sustainability initiatives. These rankings are now known as the UI GreenMetric World University Rankings (UIG). It was designed to provide an online survey to showcase sustainability policies and initiatives for higher education institutions around the globe.
The University of the South Pacific (USP) has been participating in the rankings since 2010, in particular Laucala Campus, Fiji. You can access the UIG certificates for USP, Laucala Campus:
USP DISMAC – Who are We and What we Do
USP Disaster Management Committee (USPDISMAC) is a committee of the university Vice Chancellor & President. This committee is delegated to manage disaster situations affecting university campuses around the region.
Policies and Governance
DISMAC Dashboard
1st Quarter 2022
| Type of Drill | How often required to be done | Responsible for drill
|
| 1.Tsunami Evacuation Drill | Once annually
|
Campus Director |
| 2.Fire Evacuation Drill | Once a semester | Campus Director
Head of Department Head of School |
| DISMAC Training for
|
How often required to be done | Responsible for Workplace
|
| 1.Building Emergency Wardens
|
Once annually | Head of Department
Head of School Campus Director |
| 2.First Aiders
|
Once annually | Head of Department
Head of School Campus director |
| 3.Students | Orientation Week
|
Head of School
Campus Director |
| 4. Staff | Contract Offer
Contract Renewal ( 3- 5yrs ) Probation period
|
Head of Department
Head of School Campus director |
Hyperlink to Services at campuses
Hyperlink to USP Policy Library link to OHS
