Your safety responsibilities on campus

Creating and maintaining a safe, healthy and supportive environment for working and studying is a shared responsibility between AUT staff and students.

​​Supervisors' responsibilities

​The New Zealand Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 places responsibilities on AUT academic staff and supervisors to help ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that students can work and study in safe and healthy environments.

This includes taking a proactive approach to identifying and managing risks and providing appropriate information, instruction and supervision in accordance with AUT policies and procedures.

​​Students' responsibilities

​You are expected to take reasonable care of your own health, safety and wellbeing and to avoid putting others at risk.

You could put people at risk by:

• ​​Acting in an unsafe manner
• Not following agreed safe work practices
• Not reporting a situation that could result in someone getting hurt

Your responsibilities

• Follow reasonable health, safety and wellbeing instructions
• Follow the rules and procedures that apply to your learning environment
• Use equipment and facilities safely
• Report hazards, incidents, injuries and concerns
• Speak up when something does not look or feel safe
• Cooperate with staff and others when health and safety matters need to be addressed

Your health, safety and wellbeing responsibilities

As an AUT student:

• Take reasonable care of your own health, safety and wellbeing during study, research and AUT activities, on and off campus. Be careful not to put other people at risk
• Follow reasonable health and safety instructions, requirements and controls put in place by AUT or anyone authorised to give them
• Complete any required induction, briefing or training before taking part in higher-risk activities, like labs, workshops, studios, clinical work, fieldwork or placements
• Follow the safety procedures for your activity, including any permits, access limits and emergency instructions. If you’re unsure about what to do, ask for help
• Use equipment, substances and protective gear only as instructed, and only if you’re authorised and know how to use them safely
• Stop if something seems unsafe or unclear. Ask for help and promptly report hazards, incidents, injuries, illnesses and near misses

Treat others with respect and help make learning and research environments that are safe, inclusive and psychologically healthy. Cooperate with AUT staff and others to support health, safety and wellbeing and address concerns when they arise.

​​​Be aware of and understand key safety procedures

• Listen very carefully to safety information provided by your lecturer and take the time to become familiar with all key safety procedures
• Ask your lecturer or technician for clarification, help or instructions if you're not sure about how to perform any task safely. It’s better to ask than to guess or make a poor judgement, which could result in an accident
• Offer suggestions to improve health and safety
• Report incidents and near misses to your lecturer