The Health and Safety Critical Risk Committee (CRC) has been implemented to facilitate the flow of information about health and safety critical risks throughout the organisation, and to ensure that the University is delivering on its obligations to protect members of the University Community from serious harm or death.
The CRC sits between the Operational Health and Safety (Ops H&S) and the Hazardous Substances and Radiation (HSRC) committees and the H&S committee of Council and will play a key role in strengthening the management of critical risks and controls across the diverse environments and work areas of the University.
Scope
The scope applicable to the CRC includes:
Role
General
- Assist the Vice-Chancellor and the Senior Leadership Team to meet their H&S obligations of the Health and Safety at Work Act (HSWA) 2015 including compliance status reporting to Council.
- Ensure the University H&S Vision is realised and ensure the Health and Safety Charter and Policy are complied with.
- Provide oversight, leadership and the required resources to achieve the Council approved H&S Strategic Improvement Plan.
- Strengthen the University’s knowledge, control, monitoring and assurance of critical H&S risks within our work environment.
Responsibilities
General
Strategy
- Receive status reports on progress towards achievement of the 3-year Strategic H&S Improvement Plan.
- Provide guidance and support as required to ensure the plan is realised.
- Visibly lead and support the ongoing development of a Safety Culture within the University
Risk Management
- Review critical risks, agree on control and assurance measures, through analysis of risks, trends, new information, legislative requirements, industry practice, etc.
- Assign Critical Risk Owners within the Senior Leadership Team
- Oversee the critical risk analysis process to identify critical controls
- Develop/Approve policies and implementation plans to manage H&S critical risks, including training
- Continuously monitor the performance, effectiveness and reviews of critical controls
- Review incidents and investigation reports related to critical risks or potential critical risks and identify opportunities for improvement through deep dive analysis
- Maintain oversight of risk management trends and practices in the H&S sector
- Regularly review escalated items in line with the H&S escalation guidelines, and where necessary act and/or escalate unresolved or increasing risk
Compliance
- Receive reports/updates on matters pertaining to compliance with university policies and procedures; provide leadership action when and where required.
- Review enterprise level audits and monitor progress of recommendations to ensure they are addressed within an appropriate timeframe.
Reporting
- Receive reports/updates from operational health and safety committees. Action any issues that have been escalated and act as a conduit to the SLT and H&S Committee of Council when required.
- Report to the H&S (Council) Committee on critical risk management activities and outcomes.
- Report to the Audit and Risk Committee on relevant audit recommendations, corrective actions and outcomes.
Governance and authority
The CRC reports primarily to the Vice-Chancellor and University SLT, then to Council’s Health and Safety Committee. The CRC has delegated authority to make all decisions regarding H&S critical risk and control management, including assurance, except for decisions requiring Council or other approval because of documented delegated authorities.
Membership
The committee membership reflects those who:
- are actual or potential officers under the HSWA 2015
- have significant operational responsibilities and H&S related accountabilities within their portfolio (e.g., Director Property and Campus Development)
- have specialist knowledge (e.g., Health and Safety or Wellbeing)
- are in key roles that can,
- influence the achievement of the 3-year Strategic H&S Improvement Plan
- play a part in strengthening the H&S culture and training environments
- have been identified as either a risk or deputy risk owner of a critical risk family
The confirmed committee membership is as follows:
- Vice Chancellor (Chair)
- Chief Operating Officer (Deputy Chair)
- PVC Humanities
- PVC Science
- PVC Commerce
- PVC Health Sciences
- DVC Research and Innovation
- DVC Academic
- Director HR
- Manager, Learning and Development
- Director Health, Safety and Wellbeing
- Director Property and Campus Development
- Head of Risk, Assurance and Compliance
Attendees
The following may attend and report to the CRC as required:
- Programme Manager; supporting the development of the Critical Risk Management Framework
- Head of Organisational Development
- Director, Divisional Services and Administration
- Other subject matter experts as determined by the Director Health, Safety and Wellbeing in consultation with the Chair
Quorum
Majority of the committee members plus Chair.
Note: The Chair is the final decision maker at the CRC. The Chair has the authority to override a majority decision by the voting members of the CRC, but should this take place, SLT must be notified.
Presentations / other participants
Where agreed by the Chair, other persons may be invited to participate in committee activities. However, such persons do not assume membership or decision-making authority of the committee.
Chair, frequency and timing
Chair: Vice Chancellor or delegate as agreed by the committee
Frequency: Minimum of Quarterly, maximum of monthly
Agenda and reports
Agenda to be available and distributed with relevant documentation not less than five working days prior to each meeting. At a minimum (with exceptions from time to time) the agenda shall include:
- A status report from each risk owner or their delegate.
- High level summary reporting
- Items for Escalation
Minutes are to be distributed to all committee members and any non-member attendees at any given meeting. The Programme Manager, Transformation and Improvement will receive the minutes of every meeting to enable agreed work to be planned and delivered in a timely manner.
Secreteriat
DSA
Confidentiality
Certain issues being discussed may be of confidential and/or sensitive nature which will require members to exercise utmost discretion and ensure privileged information remains confidential.
CRC TofR date adopted
22 April 2026