Terms of Reference

The primary role of the HSW Committee is to assist Monash University to discharge its OHS responsibilities in accordance with the requirements of the Victorian Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004, thereby strengthening the health and safety of staff and students at Monash University.

The Committee achieves this role through the following responsibilities:

  1. Promote and facilitate cooperation between staff, students and management in the development and implementation of health, safety and wellbeing policy, procedures, guidelines and programs at Monash.
  2. Ensure a best practice and continuous improvement approach, is adopted by the university in all matters of health, safety and wellbeing.
  3. Review existing occupational health, safety and wellbeing documents on a regular basis to determine whether they meet the prevailing needs of the University including all its campuses and centres in Australia, and to identify any new procedures that may be required.
  4. Monitor and continuously improve university compliance with health, safety and wellbeing legislation, standards, codes of practice, policies and procedures.
  5. Review the occupational health, safety and wellbeing performance of faculties, divisions, schools, departments, centres, and sites where Monash University staff and/or students are located, to ensure that all areas consistently achieve a high standard.
  6. Review the health, safety and wellbeing performance of collaboration/shared sites between Monash and external parties.
  7. Review and monitor health, safety and wellbeing matters from subcommittees.
  8. Engage with affiliated organisations to ensure a high standard of occupational health and safety is provided to all Monash staff and students as required.
  9. Promote health, safety and wellbeing awareness and appropriate behavioural and cultural change of staff and students throughout the University.
  10. Co-ordinate the development and implementation of planning processes which are consistent and aligned with the university's broader strategic planning in order to ensure a proactive approach to health, safety and wellbeing management across the University.
  11. Direct the HSW team on priorities.
  12. Review recommendations to the Vice-Chancellor's representative on health, safety and wellbeing matters.

Meetings

  1. The Committee will meet four times a year on dates to be determined, as well as on other occasions deemed necessary by the Chairperson.
  2. The quorum required to be present at a meeting of the Health, Safety and Wellbeing (HSW) committee meetings shall be ten (10).
  3. The Committee can invite any staff member of the University to attend meetings and may refer matters deemed to require attention directly to the appropriate staff member.
  4. The agenda for each meeting of the Committee will be prepared by the Executive Secretary (Director, Health, Safety and Wellbeing) in consultation with the Chairperson, and provided to members of the Committee on a timely basis in advance of the meeting. Items on the agenda will be supported by written papers, as required.