2.2 Ensuring a safe environment
An employee of the university has a duty to follow safety rules and instructions, use safety equipment provided, not endanger themselves and others, not be affected by drugs or alcohol, and report hazards/issues to their supervisor. As a supervisor, you are responsible for ensuring that your staff and students comply with the Occupational Health and Safety Act and Regulations and university policies. In particular you are directly responsible for providing a safe working environment, safe systems of work (i.e., safe ways to perform specific tasks), and safe plant such as machinery and electrical equipment. You are also responsible for making sure that substances are in a safe condition (e.g. chemicals are stored safely) and that information, training, instruction and supervision (e.g. about hazards, procedures, policies) are available for your staff and students.
Your university will have a comprehensive suite of policies and good practice guides to assist managers and staff to address their legal obligations under state and federal OH&S legislation. Fines issued for noncompliance with legal requirements can be so high as to take up a large amount of your research budget. So although OH&S may seem like an irrelevant distraction from the main business of research, including it as part of best practice is good (and cost-effective) insurance against the cost of injury on your research team and its work.
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