All UQ staff to complete online safety training

All new and existing UQ staff, including casuals, have until May this year to complete a compulsory, online safety induction program.

UQ Secretary and Registrar, Douglas Porter, said the UQ General Safety Induction, to be launched in February 2008, formed a key part of the University’s health and safety obligations to its more than 5000 staff.

Mr Porter said the induction consisted of a slide presentation with voiceover and active links on aspects of working at UQ including its alcohol and drugs policies, handling of hazardous materials, emergency procedures including evacuation routes, medical facilities and workers’ compensation claims, followed by a 20-question, multi-choice quiz.

The induction takes about 45 minutes to complete, and those completing the program within eight weeks of its launch in February are eligible for prizes including a weekly, dinner-for-two restaurant voucher and electronic goods as well as a grand prize of five nights on Hamilton Island for two, including airfares from Brisbane.

“The presentation contains valuable information on maximising the safety and enjoyability of working at UQ including information on the correct procedures for manual tasks –which currently account for 50 percent of all workplace injuries at UQ,” Mr Porter said.

The induction will be accessible to staff through portals such as my.UQ, the Occupational Health and Safety web page and New Staff Induction page as well as through links to be published in UQ Update.

For further inquiries, please contact Daniel Martin, from UQ’s Occupational Health and Safety Unit, on telephone 3346 9173 or email d.martin1@uq.edu.au.