Health and Safety Policy

Health and Safety Policy and Procedures

Introduction

The school health and safety policy is reviewed annually and presented to staff at the beginning of the academic year. New staff must be made aware of the policy as part of their induction. Visitors, those hiring the premises and children must be made aware of their responsibilities and the health and safety procedures that affect them. Notices must be displayed indicating evacuation procedures.

All employees have a duty to work in a safe and responsible manner, to carry out their duties in such a way so as not to endanger the health, safety and welfare of themselves and others and to submit suggestions for the improvement of standards in health and safety within the school to the heads.

The school’s operations are conducted in such a manner as to ensure as far as reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of all the school’s employees and any other persons who may be affected by its acts or omissions, including children, contractors, visitors and members of the public.

Adequate resources are made available for the provision of health, safety and welfare within the workplace, including the provision and maintenance of equipment.

Suitable and sufficient training is given. Full use is made of any guidance and/or training available either in-house or through the trade associations, professional bodies, manufacturers and suppliers of equipment and others as appropriate.

Where and when necessary, appropriate protective clothing and equipment must be provided by the school and used by all employees and children.

Any member of staff who is found to be deliberately or consistently negligent in the performance of their duty with relation to the school’s health and safety policy will be subject to disciplinary action.

Aims

• To provide and maintain a safe and healthy environment throughout the school site and safe means of access and egress from it
• To establish and maintain safe working practice and procedures amongst staff, children, volunteers, those hiring the premises and all those on the school site
• To ensure safe measures of using, handling, storing and transporting articles and substances.
• To provide safe systems for the control of noise, toxic and corrosive substances, dust and vapors under the school’s control
• To provide information and training to enable everyone to contribute positively to their own safety and that of others
• To formulate effective procedures for use in case of fire and other emergencies and for evacuating the school premises
• To lay down procedures in case of accidents and medical treatments
• To provide guidance on the use of school and company vehicles Responsibilities of the School Principal.

To:

• bring the contents of this policy and associated documentation to the notice of all members of staff and make arrangements for the regular review and monitoring of this policy and the arrangements and procedures contained herein
• ensure that there is a school health and safety committee responsible for monitoring the H & S Policy, procedures, risk assessment and actions. Minutes of these meetings must be kept with actions recorded
• ensure that accidents and injuries are recorded in the accident book.
• carry a mobile phone and ensure that office staff know the whereabouts of the head person in charge of the school.
• ensure suitable and sufficient risk assessments are carried out. These assessments must be recorded in writing and brought to the attention of all appropriate employees.
  
  

  A person must be trained to carry out the assessment to ensure that they are suitable and sufficient

  • ensure that there is at least a termly fire drill and a record kept of the date, time and length of time taken to evacuate the building and account for all persons
  • ensure that adequate resources, financial and otherwise, are made available for the provision and maintenance of health, safety and welfare within the school
  • appoint responsible persons to co-ordinate the actions of staff and children in case of fire
  • ensure that there is an emergency plan and that suitable arrangements are in force and adequate equipment made available for dealing with emergencies. he will also ensure that sufficient competent persons responsible for evacuation of the premises in the event of such an emergency have been appointed and their identities made known to all other staff and children
  • identify and make arrangements for training all staff. This includes induction of new employees and where necessary, retraining of existing staff
  • consult with safety representatives, members of staff and others, where necessary on matters of implementation and review of this policy and procedures contained herein
  • investigate and report all accidents, injuries and near misses via to TOME Corporate Office
  • ensure that all manufacturers and suppliers provide information on any dangerous substances and hazardous processes used on the school site and that this information is made available to all users, and persons exposed to the hazard
  • designate and monitor the performance of staff with responsibility for supervision, training and the day-to-day implementation of this safety policy and the procedures contained herein Responsibilities of Key Health and Safety Personnel The Principal is a member of the school’s health and safety committee, responsible for advising on health and safety, monitoring and reviewing of procedures and suggesting revisions to the policy, as required. The Head of the Department is responsible for weekly and termly site inspections to address any health and safety issues including:
  • display of statutory notices
  • accident reports and near misses
  • risk assessments site tour report
  • training needs reported health and safety maintenance needs
  • vehicle compliance
  • compliance with health and safety checks (water, fire, electricity, gas and pest control)
  • site security
  • school visits and fixtures
  • performance and events fire drill, lock down and emergency procedures
  
  Responsibilities of Staff
  
  The school has a ‘duty of care’ to all children. This includes providing ‘adequate supervision’ during arrival and dispersal at the beginning and the end of the day. Staff must have access to emergency contact details at all times. Such details must be available in printed form as well as electronically in case of system failure. Clarity must be obtained with regard parental rights of access if there is any dispute.
  
  The Principal is responsible for ensuring that duties are organized to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all children. The Principal is responsible for the duty timetable and rotas and for ensuring the correct ratios of staff at all times.
  
  All staff are responsible for maintaining good health and safety practices. Heads of Department / Faculties / coordinators are responsible for ensuring that there is a specific health and safety section in their departmental handbook / policy. They must ensure that staff within their teams and other adults working with them are properly trained, having regard to the hazards of the activities involved. They should also advise the Principal / Manger School Facilities / Admin Officer, of any requirements for the health and safety of staff and children including the reporting of faulty equipment and training needs.
  
  Staff must ensure that fire exits are unlocked and free from obstruction. All areas under their supervision or control must be kept in a clean and tidy manner and any articles or substances therein properly stored, clearly labeled and used in a manner not likely to result in harm. They are responsible for reporting all accidents to the Principal.
  
  Admin Officer is responsible for checking the site and ensuring that fire exits and the alarm system are operational at all times.
  
  All areas including storage areas must be kept tidy particularly ensuring that the aisles and exits are kept clear. The furniture must be arranged so that the need to move safely around is taken into account. Staff must position themselves so that they have maximum vision of the children at all times.
  
  All materials and tools must be stored safely. The tops of cupboards must not be used for storage. At the end of each year all drawers and cupboards must be cleared / tidied and equipment appropriately washed/cleaned.
  
  Any spillages must be cleared up immediately. Toner cartridge spills must be cleaned up with a dust pan and brush as the particles can pass through a vacuum cleaner filter and in to the air.
  
  Children must wear protective clothing and be taught how to safely use scissors and tools. Only low melt glue guns and non-toxic paint to be used.
  
  Risk Assessments
  
  Risk assessment is defined as a systematic method of:
  • analyzing work activities
  • identifying: hazards, hazardous situations and hazardous events;
  • estimating risks: by considering the likelihood of hazardous events occurring and the nature and severity of the subsequent harm / damage;
  • deciding upon possible control options and action priorities;
  • judging the ‘acceptability’, or, ‘tolerability’ of the risk.
  
  Definitions
  
  Hazard : Something with the potential to cause harm/loss. The potential to cause harm including ill health and injury, damage to property, plant, products or the environment.
  
  Risk : The potential or the likelihood that harm will actually occur from exposure to the hazard together with the likely injuries that will occur as a result and the likely numbers of people that this will affect
  
  The Principal is responsible for:
  
  
  • ensuring that risk assessments are carried out by competent persons;
  • ensuring that the employees carry out suitable and sufficient risk assessments of all work areas including all lessons and activities;
  • ensuring that advice on relevant legislation is made available to employees;
  • ensuring the provision of adequate resources to implement necessary control measures identified in the completed assessments;
  • ensuring contractors working on the premises have completed health and safety risk assessments covering activities that they propose to undertake, and that a copy is reviewed by a competent person to ensure that it is suitable and sufficient.
  
  

• undertaking, coordinating and updating health and safety risk assessments, including ensuring that they are documented, and action plans developed and implemented;
• ensuring that information obtained from the assessment such as control and safety procedures are communicated to those working in the area covered by the assessment;
• maintaining a risk register of assessments carried out. All heads of department / Faculties / coordinators are required to complete risk assessments for the area(s) they are responsible for. Risk assessments must be completed prior to all educational visits including external sports fixtures. The amount of effort placed into health and safety in the workplace should be based on the risks associated with the work, with the greatest effort being placed into controlling those work activities that create the greater risk.

Consideration should be given to the following:

Description of work;

work location;

Previous accidents / incidents in the area;

Existing work practices;

Existing controls;

• Non-typical events within the work area;

Groups of people within the work area: -

Employees;
-Trainees;
- Young persons;
- Contractors;
- Members;
- Visitors;

Particular attention should be paid to the following:
- Staff with disabilities;
- New or expectant mothers;
- Trainees or temporary staff;
- Lone workers;
- Young persons;
- Inexperienced and new staff;
- Cleaners;
- Visitors;

The assessment must include confirming that there is adequate insurance cover for the activity.

Risk assessments should be specific to individual work activities; ideally, they should also be sitespecific to ensure that all risks are adequately assessed at each work location. If the work activities are similar, generic risk assessments may be carried out e.g. cleaning, office work, a single activity that occurs at several locations.

If generic assessments are used, they must be valid for the work activities to which they apply. In order to achieve this, the following points should be observed:

• The assessment must represent the particular activities at all relevant locations, or the worst case scenario should be assessed
• There should not be any significant deviations from the assessment
• The assumptions on which the assessment is based should be recorded, such as the safe working procedures detailed in the health, safety and environmental policy statement that all work locations follow
• The control measures that are in place should not deviate from that on which the assessment was based.

Site Security

All staff must be alert to the need for security including ensuring that the gates and boundaries are secure. Door entry codes must be changed at least term-ly and all exterior doors kept closed. Windows must be closed at the end of the day or if a downstairs room is vacated.
Visitors must be kept separate from children; report to the school office immediately on arrival; sign in; receive a visitor’s badge. The signing in book should have: date; name of visitor; whom they are visiting; vehicle registration.

Every visitor is informed of the following:

• Identification badges must be worn at all times
• leave the building by the nearest exit if the fire alarm sounds and go to the fire assembly point
• The school operates a ‘no smoking’ policy
• All accidents must be reported to the school office and an accident form completed
• The location of first aid Operations
• That visitors are not permitted into classrooms or teaching areas unless a member of staff is present
• That children will only be released to adults where authorization has been authenticated
• Visitors must sign out before leaving the premises

Any person (other than a member of staff or child) on the school site and not in possession of a security badge must be challenged by an adult and, if necessary, asked to leave. Children must not challenge people without badges but must immediately inform a member of staff. Notices must not indicate the names and locations of children.

Employees are required to wear name badges and to sign in and out of the main office. The visitor book and staff register must be checked to ensure that all staff and visitors are accounted for in cases of emergency evacuation.

Smoking

Smoking is prohibited in all enclosed and substantially enclosed premises in the workplace. This includes company vehicles. This policy applies to all employees, consultants, contractors, customers and visitors.

All staff are obliged to adhere to, and support the implementation of the policy. Any concerns employees may have regarding smoking at work should be reported immediately to the head so that corrective action can be taken if necessary.

Appropriate ‘no-smoking’ signs must be clearly displayed at the entrances to each school. All visitors, temporary staff, contractors and customers are expected to abide by the terms of the Smoking Policy and employees should tactfully remind visitors of the policy, if necessary. Local disciplinary procedures will be followed if a member of staff does not comply with this policy and, in the case of repeated offences, may be dismissed from the organization’s employ. Those who do not comply with the smoke-free law may also be liable to a fixed penalty fine and possible criminal prosecution.